“SAFE or disgrace”. Radosław Sikorski's ultimatum to Nawrocki

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, referring to “Polish SAFE”, said on Tuesday that the idea of ​​generating virtual money on gold reserves is “quackery”. He emphasized that President Nawrocki has a choice between EU SAFE for the army and defense or shame.

On Tuesday afternoon, a meeting was held at the Presidential Palace between President Karol Nawrocki, President of the National Bank of Poland Adam Glapiński and the head of the KPRP Zbigniew Bogucki with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański regarding the “Polish SAFE 0%” proposal. This proposal – according to the president and the head of the NBP – is to be an alternative to the EU SAFE program. Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz announced on Tuesday that the presidential bill on the Polish Defense Investment Fund, which is referred to as “Polish SAFE 0 percent”, has already been submitted to the Sejm.

Economic criticism. “Copyright Andrzej Lepper”

When asked on TVN 24 on Tuesday evening what should happen to this bill in the Sejm, Sikorski replied that “the idea of ​​generating virtual money on gold reserves is probably Andrzej Lepper's copyright.” – This is quackery. A world in which money can be generated from nothing, without any costs and without any risks, does not exist – emphasized the minister.

If President Glapiński says that he will make a profit from the NBP, and so far he has said that he has only losses, let him show it, transfer the profit to the budget, and the role of the government is to decide what to do with the money in the budget. (…) Everyone should do what they have to do here, he emphasized.

President's choice: SAFE or disgrace?

In turn, referring to whether the president will sign the SAFE Act implementing the EU program, Sikorski said that “Nawrocki has the choice of SAFE for the army and defense, or shame.” – If he chooses disgrace, we will SAFE anyway, because we have a plan B – assured the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– In our conversations, the president said more than once that I would be surprised because he will show that he is a citizen's president. So here he has a chance to show that he is independent of Kaczyński's bad decision to fight SAFE, Sikorski noted. He added that Poles want a SAFE loan, and “Kaczyński is worried that it might help the government and that is his only problem with SAFE.”

Sikorski also assessed that President Nawrocki “feels the seriousness of the moment because he knows that the army, police, Border Guard, State Protection Service want this program.” – He knows that there are many places waiting for him where industry will be recreated. And he knows that he is simply good for Poland's security, and at the same time he is blackmailed by Nowogrodzka and has to make a choice: whether he will do something that is consistent with his mission as the commander of the Armed Forces, or listen to Kaczyński – said the minister.

It should be an easy choice, but it clearly isn't, Sikorski said.

The SAFE Act currently on the president's desk provides for the creation of a special fund to implement the EU SAFE program. Under it, Poland is to receive approximately EUR 43.7 billion in the form of loans with favorable interest rates, which will be used for quick purchases of military equipment in Europe; according to declarations, almost 90 percent the amount is to go to Polish industry. The president has until March 20 to make a decision on the bill. (PAP)

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