Tusk: The presidential initiative is “SAFE zero PLN”

Prime Minister Donald Tusk estimated on Tuesday that the presidential army backing initiative did not have real sources of backing and was based on unrealistic budgetary assumptions. After the gathering at the Presidential Palace, the head of government stated that the proposal “Polish SAFE 0 percent” was actually a task that could be described as “SAFE zero PLN”. According to the Prime Minister's report, the deficiency of agreement on this key issue may force the government to launch a contingency plan for the Polish defence.

Photo: youtube

During the press conference, Tusk argued that the task prepared by the president's surroundings lacks circumstantial funds, and in return only fresh procedures and organisational solutions emerge. The Prime Minister stressed that Poland needs to immediately mobilise capital for safety and the arms industry, not to build structures that would only in the future make a framework for financing. The government takes the view that the only effective tool is the EU's SAFE mechanism, from which the country could get over PLN 180 billion to modernise the army and invest in border infrastructure.

In the talks at the Presidential Palace, in addition to the Prime Minister and president Karol Nawrocki, the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the MON Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański and president of the National Bank of Poland Adam Glapiński participated. The main point of the dispute was an alternate to a government task implementing EU funds, which the presidential side promotes as a safer national concept. Even before the authoritative talks began, the President's Office informed the Sejm about sending its own draft Act on the Polish Defence Investment Fund.

President's proposal is "Project #ZeroGolden". pic.twitter.com/9xiZ4VRbL1

The assumptions presented show that the fresh fund would operate in the structures of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and be liable for financing the method modernisation of the armed forces and another tasks related to State security. The Presidential Palace presents this bill as a sovereign consequence to the dispute surrounding the EU SAFE mechanism, highlighting the function of national financial institutions and alleged NBP profits. However, Donald Tusk noted that the task did not contain financial guarantees that could actually compete with the billions available under global agreements, and the NBP president's declarations on profits he called untrustworthy.

A dispute over an army financing model

After the meeting, no agreement was announced and both projects stay competitive in the legislative process. The Prime Minister reported that the Council of Ministers is inactive awaiting the signature of the president under the Act allowing full usage of European funds, for which the head of state has until 20 March. He pointed out that in the absence of a decision by the President, the government was preparing a contingency option based on a resolution that would let at least part of the essential military resources to be mobilised. specified a way would, however, entail a narrower scope of investments than originally planned in the Act.

DF, thefad.pl / Source: media