“Poland wants to have the largest army in Europe.” However, there are no staff and money

Poland plans to build the largest army in Europe and allocates a record 4.7 percent. GDP for defense, more than the USA. Ambitious investments are accompanied by difficulties – from staff shortages and debt to accusation of nepotism and corruption in the state arms industry – writes Follow The Money, recalling the case of Bartłomiej Misiewicz.

The government in Warsaw explains that these decisions are the direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “From the left to the right – almost the whole society is consistent that security and defense are priorities today,” said analyst Jacek Tarociński from the Government Center of Eastern Studies (OSW) quoted by Follow The Money.

The arms program means great investments: purchase from the USA 486 Himars launchers, 96 APACHE helicopters, as well as hundreds of South Korea missile systems. The value of contracts is calculated in tens of billions of euros. Many of them were criticized as excessive, because the Polish army does not yet have the right number of trained pilots or technical service.

Poland also modernizes the border infrastructure as part of the “East shield” project, including the construction of fences, anti -tank ditches, bunkers and monitoring systems. The cost of investing in border infrastructure is estimated at EUR 2.5 billion.

Ambitious plans bring financial challenges. According to forecasts, the debt of the State Defense Fund in 2028 will reach EUR 66 billion. The government uses loans, including in the USA, and also plans similar in South Korea and Great Britain.

Recruitment is also a problem. To achieve the target size of the army, one in 122 citizens would have to join the army. Experts point out that in conditions of rapidly growing economy and low unemployment, this can be difficult to realize.

An additional challenge is the effectiveness of the defense industry. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), created in 2013 to modernize the army, was repeatedly criticized for nepotism and corruption. As Follow The Money reminds, in 2017 its authorities came to the 26-year-old assistant to the Minister of Defense, Bartłomiej Misiewicz, despite the lack of appropriate qualifications. Two years later he was arrested on charges of trading in influence and removing public money. NIK audits indicated unclear decisions, poor supervision and chaos in production plans.

Despite these problems, Poland is considered a model of determination in NATO. American defense secretary Pete HegeSeth described her as a “model ally”.

Patryk Kulpok (PAP)

PMK/ MMS/ MOW/