Poland takes on a leading role in the EU

Exclusive. Poland reacts decisively. Poland encourages Europe to strengthen defense, to invest in this matter, the country is introducing a program to train ordinary citizens in civil defense according to the Swiss model. Poland emphasizes to Europe that all countries should invest more in their own security, since the United States under Trump prefers not to pay a significant part of the European bills anymore. Poland emphasizes strengthening support for Ukraine.

Donald Tusk and Rafal Taschkowski

18 May will determine share government Tuska

Let me remind you that the presidential elections in Poland are scheduled for May 18. They will be a decisive moment for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Incumbent President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the far-right Law and Justice (PiS) party, will end his second term this year on August 6 and will no longer be able to run for a top state post under the Constitution.

Although the president's role is not very important, he can veto bills passed by parliament, a power that Duda has used to effectively block key laws.

Polls show that the election result will be known in the second round of voting between Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, the candidate from Tusk's Civic Platform, and historian Karol Nawrocki, who was nominated as the PiS candidate despite not being a member of the party.

According to the March survey According to the Institute for Market and Social Research, Navrocki is trailing with 26,2 percent, while Trzaskowski is projected to receive 35,7 percent.

In the last presidential election in 2015, Duda went from being a minor figure on the backbenches of the European Parliament to defeating President Bronisław Komorowski, who was running as an independent candidate with the support of the Civic Platform.

It is worth recalling that Trzaskowski beat another candidate from the GOP, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, with a score of 74,75% against 25,25% in the primaries.

It is expected that, if he wins, Nawrocki will continue to block Tusk's agenda in Duda's style.

“I am ready to represent everyone in Poland,” Nawrocki said at a PiS party congress in Krakow, Poland’s ancient historic capital, emphasizing his working-class background. “I led a normal and modest lifestyle,” Nawrocki added, criticizing Trzaskowski, whom PiS always portrays as a “major.”

“Millions of people believed that Poland could become a country for the people, but they were treated unfairly,” Nawrocki said of the 2023 election that brought Tusk to power. “As president, I will initiate new legislation to address [issues such as] energy security or economic freedom.”

Nawrocki, 41, is not affiliated with any political party. As a historian, he has focused on modern Polish history; from 2017 to 2021, he served as director of the Polish Museum of World War II in Gdańsk, where critics say he steered the museum toward nationalism after the museum won international acclaim for its coverage of the events and the plight of civilians.

In 2021, Nawrocki headed the Institute of National Remembrance, a state body that researches Poland's experience in World War II and its communist era until 1989.

Tusk і Merz have been named common responsibility behind security Europe

The head of the Polish government met in Warsaw with the new German Chancellor Friedrich MertzThe visit to Poland is one of Merz's first foreign visits as Chancellor. Merz previously visited Paris.

Donald Tusk, during a joint press conference with Friedrich Merz, said that he hopes to receive support from Germany for protecting the eastern border and expanding NATO infrastructure in Poland, cooperation in the field of high-speed railways, and strengthening the Weimar Triangle.

Tusk and Merz

"We have to share responsibility for Europe. We will have many more opportunities to discuss the details, but for now, thank you very much. This is perhaps the most important event in the history of the last dozen or so years of Polish-German relations," Tusk said.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that he had asked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to extend the deployment of the German Patriot in Rzeszów until the end of the year. This is where the partners deliver military assistance to Ukraine.

"The only thing that makes sense is to protect the entire European territory," he said.

"The presence of soldiers, infrastructure, and air defense meets the interests of Ukraine and all of Europe, not just Poland and Germany," said the head of the Polish government.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that Russia is the greatest threat to security and transatlantic relations.

"Poland, as a direct neighbor of Russia and Belarus, is the first to be exposed to danger, so we fully understand the complexity of the situation," Merz said.

According to the Polish Prime Minister, Poland has practically blocked the illegal migration route that Belarus and Russia, together with international smugglers, have introduced. And it is Poland that has taken on "the greatest burden regarding refugees from Ukraine and investing in the defense of the European Union's external border."

Poland not will be going out their own soldiers to of Ukraine

Despite the disinformation that is spreading about this and is certainly damaging to Poland, Warsaw has no intention of sending its army to fight in Ukraine. This is exactly what the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Vladislav Kosyniak-Reed replied at the request of Roman Fritz, a deputy from the Confederation, in the Sejm.

Vladislav Kosinyak-Kamysh

Deputy Roman Fritz claimed that he had a document confirming this information.

Vladislav Kosiniak-Kamish saidthat the deputy is spreading lies and has no idea about the truth: "Do you know about the attaché institution, which is also present in Kyiv? Polish soldiers also serve there. Is it worth talking about cases, things related to the security of the Polish state in this way? You are sowing discord. Because of this, we will monitor certain things."

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces emphasized that this is similar to Russian disinformation.

I hope it won't be difficult for you to translate, I'm publishing it in the original: " Kolejne kłamstwa na temat polskich wojsk na 🇺🇦 – tym razem z sejmowej mównicy. DOŚĆ manipulacji posłów z partii Grzegorz Braun! Takie słowa nie tylko wprowadzają w błody, ale zagrażają bezpieczeństwu państwa polskiego. It must be said clearly: KONIEC z tym!

📣 Skończcie z tymi ordynarnymi KŁAMSTWAMI. Opowiadaci GŁUPOTY! Odpowiadałem wam na to w internecie. Powtórzę to teraz tutaj. Have you heard of something like ataszat? Wiecie że polscy soldiers are there? Jeżdżą there representatives of Sztabu Generalnego WP and są ochraniani? Chcecie o tym talk to the public and narażać ich na niebezpieczentwo? DO!

Wyciągają dokumenty, which does not concern any operacji na Ukrainie. Takiej NIE MA. To that end, the president's provisions are necessary. They say that it is based on the minister's decision? Kompletnie się na tym nie znają".

Karol Navrotsky got into у scandal

The PiS presidential candidate in Poland on the eve of the elections turned out to be more than just a historian. First of all, he lied about his property. In fact, he owns three apartments, one of which he acquired dishonestly. He took advantage of a poor elderly man who was being cared for by social services and purchased a studio apartment with a 90 percent discount. It became public property. Nawrocki replied that his purchase of the studio apartment “was carried out in full compliance with the law.” He said that the issue of assistance he provided to Jerzy Z. and the purchase of the apartment are separate matters and he has nothing to reproach himself with regarding the apartment occupied by Jerzy Z.

Poles have a different opinion. The survey showed that 42,8 percent of Poles negatively assess Karol Nawrocki's behavior towards pensioner Jerzy Zh., from whom the PiS presidential candidate actually took away the apartment. Only 15 percent called the fact positive, and 20,5 percent of respondents do not know anything about it, according to the SW Research survey.

Karol Navrotsky

Last week, Onet reported that Nawrocki, contrary to his statement during the presidential debate on “Super Express,” owns not one, but two apartments. In addition to the apartment in Gdańsk, where he lives with his family, he also owns a studio apartment. On Monday, the website reported that in 2017, Jerzy Zh. – the then owner of the studio apartment – ​​transferred it to Nawrocki and his wife in exchange for care and maintenance, that is, on the basis of a lifetime rental agreement, but the man ended up in a social welfare home.

On Tuesday, Navrotsky's financial declaration as president of the Institute of National Remembrance, filed in 2021, was published online, in which he listed two apartments as his sole property, and the third as 50 percent joint property with his sister.

And all of it could have gone unnoticed, but elections are on the horizon and it's hard to hide something. And, of course, the ethical point is not very moral - once Navrotsky used an elderly person, took his property and promised to support him until death. And then he got tired of doing it and just decided to forget about it.

Recently, the Onet publication published interview'ю with social worker Anna Kanigowska, who cared for Jerzy Zh. from spring 2022 to spring 2023. The social worker spoke about the terrible conditions in which the elderly person lived. "It was scary. I remember how in the winter Mr. Jerzy sat in the apartment in the dark, cold in his jacket. He had no money to pay for electricity, and everything in the apartment ran on electricity, including heating. So that he wouldn't freeze in the winter, I paid for the electricity at my own expense. At that time, I had four or five other wards. But none of them were in such a dramatic situation as Mr. Jerzy. I will say more: I have been working for 15 years and I have never seen anything like this. Mr. Jerzy lived in poverty.

Having learned about Navrotsky's strange obsession with the apartment, Anna Kanigowska tried to contact him. She wrote him a letter to the address of the Museum of World War II, which he had previously managed. She did not know that Navrotsky had already started working at the Institute of National Remembrance. However, the woman did not receive any response.

Regarding Navrocki's alleged help, she said: "My blood boiled when I heard it. This is nonsense and a lie. What evidence does he have? Maybe invoices I received from the pharmacy? Maybe bills for food that MOPR paid for and I brought? I repeat: during the year of my care for Mr. Jerzy, Navrocki gave him nothing. If it weren't for MOPR, if it weren't for the care of the state, Mr. Jerzy wouldn't have been able to cope. The state took care of him, and the state paid for it. And the apartment was taken by Navrocki, who didn't pay and didn't care about the person!"

Poles remain quite sensitive to such things. They uphold true human values, so Karol Nawrocki's not-so-human act could play a significant role in this presidential campaign.

Why з look Poland Europe has strengthen your protection

All important things require honest conversation first, and then right action.. For decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Poland had established itself as one of the most pro-Western countries in Europe. It became a member of NATO in 1999 and enjoyed enormous political and military support from the United States. Now, in just a few dizzying months, Poland has begun to face a new era, with new challenges. President Donald Trump has threatened to abandon long-standing U.S. commitments to European security and is imposing tariffs that threaten the global economy. Putin wants to withdraw NATO troops from Poland and threatens further aggression that goes beyond the war in Ukraine, Poland’s eastern neighbor.

Poland is reacting decisively. It is taking on a leading role in the European Union, increasing its already significant military spending and organizing a program teaching ordinary citizens to civil defense on the Swiss model. Poland emphasizes to Europe that all countries should invest more in their own security, since the United States under Trump prefers not to pay a significant part of Europe's bills anymore.

Security is perhaps the issue that unites Poland ahead of the presidential election, which begins in ten days. Poland's geographical location on the eastern edge of NATO makes it a decisive factor in the face of Russian encroachment into Europe.

Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk declared in March that, given the “profound changes in American geopolitics,” Europe “would be safer if it had its own nuclear arsenal.” The statement shocked many because it sent the message that Poland and Europe could no longer rely on the American nuclear umbrella for protection.

“We see the architecture of global security and the world economy shaking, and we are a country that has benefited enormously from both globalization and Western solidarity,” Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister and former defense minister, said in an interview.

The most powerful response to Poland's long history of war with Russia is its membership in NATO and U.S. military support. Poles generally view American military commitments as safeguards for their freedoms, said Mark Brzezinski, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland.

Now countries like Poland, which is particularly vulnerable because of its long borders with Ukraine and Belarus, “are faced with new challenges that are confusing us,” Sikorski said.

The central factor of concern for Poles is Trump, who has said he will reduce the presence of American troops in Europe. There are almost 85 American soldiers stationed in Poland.

Poland's concerns grew last month when the US military announced the redeployment of some troops from a base in southeastern Poland, near Ukraine, as "part of a broader strategy to optimize US military operations."

European leaders understand that American troops could be redeployed elsewhere, but they fear that too much reduction would signal weakness to Moscow. The Kremlin has demanded that NATO withdraw its troops from countries that joined NATO after 1997, including Poland, but despite threats to do so, Russia has not dared to attack even those bases used to support Ukraine.

The withdrawal of American troops “will send a signal to Russia that this is a gray area for Washington,” said Michal Baranowski, a senior official who works on defense-industrial strategy at Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. “And we Poles will never live in a gray area again. And there should be no gray areas in the European Union either.”

Poles describe the relationship between the United States and Europe as mutually beneficial and are surprised by the Trump administration’s apparent disdain for Europe, which some may see as a betrayal. For decades, the United States has helped defend Europe from Russia, Europe has relied on American leadership on security issues and bought weapons from American manufacturers. “This is a deal that has worked both ways,” Sikorski said.

Under former President Joe Biden, the United States established a permanent military presence in Poland in March 2023. The forward headquarters of the U.S. Army's V Corps is located at the so-called Camp Kosciuszko, named after the Polish general who fought for America's independence from Great Britain.

Another American base in Poland, an Aegis missile defense facility that serves as part of America’s own ballistic missile defense, was transferred to NATO command last July as part of the alliance’s missile shield. The move was another attempt to shift the burden of European defense away from the United States, even before Trump took office.

Karolina Wigura, a Polish historian and philosopher, put it bluntly: “Poles are concerned primarily after Trump praised Putin and humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the end of February.”

“You feel uncertain, you feel one step away from Yalta,” she said, referring to the infamous 1945 conference at which the dying American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill handed over Eastern Europe to Russian dictator Joseph Stalin. “The old anxiety is coming back,” Vigura said, “that Russia will attack us and the West will betray us.”

Donald Tusk, former president of the European Council, has been a vocal advocate for increased military spending by EU member states, both collectively and individually, to support Ukraine and strengthen Europe's own military capabilities.

Poland already spends 4,5 percent of its gross domestic product on defense — the highest among major European countries — and is aiming for 5 percent, as Trump demands for NATO countries. The United States spends 3,4 percent.

Tusk is trying to form a coalition of European countries that recognize the seriousness of the threat to European security from Putin’s Russia and are willing to spend more to build a European deterrent that is less dependent on Washington. Likely candidates, Baranowski said, are Poland, France, Britain, Italy; the countries of Northern and Baltic Europe, which are also geographically close to Russia; and, most importantly, Europe’s largest economy, Germany. Its new conservative Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has already visited Poland among his first foreign visits, as well as France.

Poland has already identified military projects worth up to 40 billion euros, or $46 billion, that could be financed under the EU's new 150 billion euro defense loan program, Baranowski says.

Tusk advocates for increased training of civil defense specialists. He called for a month of paid military training for any citizen who wishes to do so. Based on Ukraine’s combat experience, the program is expected to reach 2027 volunteers per year by 100. Tusk also proposed legislation to streamline military investment and construction.

Ahead of the election, Poland remains polarized between Mr Tusk's Civic Platform party and the party of the former government, the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party.

But when it comes to military spending and defense, the country is largely united, experts say.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine summit in London in March

The number of Poles who believe the US will come to their aid is decreasing, said Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight"So we are at a crucial moment for our own security," he added.

In a sign of Poland's desire to strengthen ties with America, the government has approved a preliminary agreement reached by the Law and Justice party with two major American companies, Westinghouse and Bechtel, to build Poland's first nuclear power plant.

The invasion of Ukraine showed that Europe, which is 10 times richer than Russia, must spend on its own security to deter Moscow from risking “a similar irrational attack” in other parts of Europe, Sikorsky said. “Europe cannot build what the United States has, which is the ability to hit any target in the world,” he said. “But we don’t need that. We don’t need to be as good as the United States. We just need to be better than Russia.”

I added Marina Kovalchuk, patroness head the editor (Central Europe and Canada), conductress the project V5 Media