As Donald Tusk’s government in the real world gets worse every day, the propaganda is in full swing, on such a scale that it becomes increasingly difficult to know what is and what is not reality. Yesterday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk took part in the signing of an agreement under which Poland would take out a loan of EUR 300 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the implementation of the Polish Satellite Program.
The ceremony took place with great pomp and circumstance, Prime Minister Tusk gave a fiery speech about how this loan will allow Poland to continue the development of satellite technologies, which in turn will contribute to increasing air safety.
However, as Internet users quickly noted, these are funds to finance the purchase of two satellites in France and the construction of a network of ground control stations in Poland, and the agreement on this was concluded on December 27, 2022 by the Law and Justice Government . The resources to finance it would come from the off-budget Armed Forces Support Fund, which was established by the new Homeland Defense Act passed in March 2022. The fund was established in May 2022 by an agreement that the Minister of Defense concluded with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and the funds for this fund were to come from as many as 15 different sources listed in the law, including loans, loans and issued bonds. . This loan from the EIB is one of the sources of obtaining resources for this Fund, and the resources from it, as I have already said, will be used for the implementation of the agreement concluded in December 2022.
Pure propaganda
Of course, you should be aware that obtaining loan funds, especially if you want to borrow on favorable terms, takes a very long time, even several months, but in the context of the agreement with the EIB, Prime Minister Tusk himself and his office circulated information as if it was about the satellite program his government had set up and just arranged its financing.
The Prime Minister’s Office did not even mention in its announcement that it concerned an agreement signed almost a year and a half ago and its financing from the Fund created in mid-2022. Both Prime Minister Tusk himself and his chancellery conveyed information about the EIB loan as if it were about setting up a new satellite program for which European money was obtained. So it is pure propaganda, look how we work, less than half a year of government has passed, we have a new Polish satellite program and, moreover, funds to finance it on favorable terms.
Shield East
The same will most likely happen with the ‘East Shield’ that Prime Minister Tusk unexpectedly announced last Saturday in Krakow and for which the government wants to allocate no less than 10 billion złoty. For some reason, Prime Minister Tusk decided to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Krakow (although the solemn celebration of the anniversary of this battle took place in Italy with the participation of the Presidents of Poland and Italy, without the participation of Polish ministers) and during his speech he announced the construction of the said shield. It should be a system of fortifications and various types of dams (including minefields), built in the interior of our country, along the border with Königsberg Oblast and Belarus, but for now it is only a vague concept.
It is not clear on what basis the cost of this project was set at PLN 10 billion, how quickly it can be implemented and where the money for financing will come from, but it was presented as if everything was ready and the PLN 10 billion was on the table, which you can reach at any time. If we remember what the approach of Tusk and the Platform was to building a wall on the border with Belarus – it was supposed to be a ‘big embankment’ and that is why the parliamentarians of this party voted against its construction – it is hard to believe his conversion and construction of the “Eastern Shield”. Again, it seems like pure propaganda, although this kind of ‘games and fun’ is downright irresponsible when it comes to ensuring the safety of Poles.
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.