Sławomir Cenckiewicz, head of the National Security Bureau and a close associate of President Karol Nawrocki, in an interview with Bloomberg News criticized SAFE as a project that “under the guise of strengthening European defense capabilities, in fact turns Europe away from the United States.” In his opinion, Poland is to be the largest beneficiary of the program with EUR 44 billion earmarked for defense development may lose the opportunity to purchase advanced military equipment from the USA and South Korea.
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Similar concerns were expressed by the US ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder, who warned in an interview for Bloomberg that “European preferences may undermine the joint defense efforts of allies.”
As Bloomberg describes, The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, which supports the EU plan, argues that SAFE complements Poland's record defense spending program, amounting to PLN 1 trillion (approx. USD 281 billion), and supports the development of the domestic arms industry. The authorities encourage foreign investors to cooperate, provided they invest in Poland. Cenckiewicz, however, accuses the government of lacking provisions guaranteeing that most of the funds will go to Polish companies which – according to him – they are unable to “absorb such large funds in a short time.”
The president's advisor emphasizes that SAFE focuses mainly on conventional weapons, while Poland needs future technologies. “What we really need is advanced technology. Poland needs something more – a technological leap,” said Cenckiewicz.
Political tensions around SAFE
The agency emphasizes that President Nawrocki, who has long criticized the pro-European policy of Tusk's government, has not yet taken a position on a possible veto on the bill implementing SAFE in Poland. Cenckiewicz, known for his tense relations with Tusk, reminds that the government is not using the potential of cooperation with the United States. “The recently published US defense strategy gives Poland the opportunity to preferentially purchase American weapons, but we are not taking advantage of it,” he noted.
Cenckiewicz, a historian and controversial figure of the Polish right, led the 2023 commission investigating Russian interference in Poland's security. The commission recommended a ban on Tusk and four other people from holding public offices. However, Tusk's government refused to restore Cenckiewicz's security certificate after his nomination as head of the National Security Bureau.
Relations with the USA in the shadow of political disputes
President Nawrocki, who took office after an unexpected victory over Tusk's ally, Rafał Trzaskowski, enjoys the support of Donald Trump. The former US president promised to maintain or increase the number of American soldiers in Poland, of which there are currently approximately 10,000. However, the talks on this topic, led by Cenckiewicz, have reached a deadlock. “This is the result of political competition on the part of the government,” he said, quoted by Bloomberg.
“President Nawrocki is undoubtedly an asset in our relations with the Americans,” added Cenckiewicz. “The government could better use this advantage for the benefit of Poland.”
