“They inserted half a sentence about the East Shield into the European Parliament’s resolution and claim that the resolution pertains to this issue. But the resolution is not about the East Shield. It concerns the transfer of Poland’s sovereignty in the realm of security,” said Paweł Jabłoński, a Member of Parliament from Law and Justice (PiS), on Saturday, referring to the recently passed resolution on strengthening the EU’s defence capabilities. Using a simple analogy, the politician explained what this resolution actually means for Poland.
On March 12, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution aimed at enhancing EU defence. Among other things, the resolution recognizes the East Shield as a project “striving for the Union’s collective security.” The resolution was adopted with 419 votes in favour and 204 against, supported by members of the December 13 Coalition.
Law and Justice politicians did not support the resolution. They argue that the document represents another step toward transferring Poland’s decision-making powers to Brussels. The ruling coalition, in turn, accuses PiS of betrayal. On Saturday, MP Paweł Jabłoński offered a simple analogy to clarify the resolution’s implications.
“It’s as if you signed a contract to install new burglar-proof doors in your house—a very important thing, as it enhances your security, right? But then, in the fine print, there’s a clause stating that from now on, your neighbours will have the right to decide how you can defend yourself, how often you can lock your doors, and which locks you are allowed to install. That is precisely what this resolution entails. And it’s not even hidden in the fine print—it is explicitly stated that they call for all defence-related decisions to be made by a qualified majority vote. This means that Poland could always be outvoted,”
Jabłoński explained on RMF FM.
Responding to accusations from government coalition politicians, he added, “If anyone is talking about betrayal, they should take a look in the mirror.” The PiS politician stressed that his claims were not mere speculation but were directly based on the resolution’s provisions.
“They want Germany, France, and other countries to be able to outvote Poland on defence matters. That is their goal. They accuse us of betrayal because they want to deflect attention from themselves,”
he said, referring to members of the December 13 Coalition.
Jabłoński also pointed out that there has been no progress on the East Shield for the past ten months. “They just put up a few concrete barriers,” he remarked. He argued that when the previous government built a border barrier on Poland’s eastern frontier, the then-opposition was against it. He emphasized that the border barrier was completed, while the East Shield, in his view, is merely a “PR stunt.”
“They inserted half a sentence about it into the document [the European Parliament resolution—editor’s note] and claim that it is about the East Shield. It is not about the East Shield. It is about surrendering Poland’s sovereignty over security matters,”
he asserted.
Jabłoński stated that if the government takes concrete steps to enhance Poland’s security, PiS will support them. However, he noted that no such actions are currently taking place.