Donald Tusk argued after the EU summit that EU leaders agreed to co-finance “flagship defense projects”, i.e. the East Shield and the so-called Sky Shield. However, media reports showed that the Prime Minister… was mistaken. “A huge success for Prime Minister Tusk! He was only caught lying after almost a whole day,” said PiS MP Radosław Fogiel.
This is what Tusk said…
At a press conference after a two-day meeting of the European Council, Prime Minister Donald Tusk argued that “what is de facto more important is that Poland has achieved one hundred percent of what we assumed when it comes to these defense and security projects. “
And here the dispute was very heated. I don’t want to exaggerate, God forbid, but I’m actually a veteran here and it was the first time I saw a situation where France and Germany were advocating solutions together and actually the rest of the leaders were supporting the Polish position. about these flagship defense projects
– he said, adding that “it’s mainly about these two Polish projects.”
They prepared one together with the Greeks, namely the defense of European airspace, that is, the air defense shield, the dome, the air shield, you can call it different things. But the point is that Europe takes responsibility, and not individual nation states, for this safe airspace over Europe. The discussion was heated here, but I was very impressed by the solidarity that everyone else showed. So I think that for the first time I can say with complete confidence that Poland managed to mobilize almost all the other countries and we pushed our idea through. It was similar to “Shield East”
– Tusk told reporters.
He also argued that “we combined this project with the initiative of the Baltic states, which agreed to build such a Baltic defense line” and “we presented it as a joint project, namely the Eastern Shield and this Baltic line.”
It won’t be so uncoordinated that everyone added something and nothing came of it. This became a strategy, not only in the European Council conclusions, but also in the strategic agenda that we wanted for the next five years
– he declared.
These will truly be projects that no one doubts that Europe will also co-finance and mobilise public and private funds for defence, security and strict borders.
– he assured.
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Crushing findings
So much for Donald Tusk’s explanation. In the meantime, RMF FM found out There is no EU agreement yet regarding EU financing of the East Shield and Iron Dome projects over Polish airspace, supported by Poland!
The RMF FM journalist compared the provisions proposed before the summit and those that were ultimately adopted. It turns out that the wording that might suggest such funding has clearly been watered down. Mentioned in the original text (dated 26 June), the so-called of the Strategic Agenda, the section on “European projects of common interest across the EU” is replaced by a reference to “flagship projects and defense initiatives of the Member States”
– we read in the information.
Therefore, the main reference to the communitarisation of these projects, i.e. the suggestion that they will be financed with common EU money (for example under the EDIP programme), has disappeared.
– added.
In Warsaw, an RMF FM journalist heard the argument that these provisions “concern only the strategic agenda, and not the summit conclusions, which are more important” (…) Therefore, the summit conclusions contain nothing specific regarding the Polish-backed projects, and the issue of defense financing options itself has been postponed for many months (the new EC will probably return to the issue only next year)
– RMF FM emphasized.
““It cannot be construed as a financing statement.”
It doesn’t stop there! OKO.press (sic!) also reports that “delegations participating in the negotiations consider this statement as a serious misinterpretation of the summit’s findings.”
OKO.press’s findings indicate a slightly less optimistic view than that of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The provision in the conclusions is very general and does not clearly indicate the financing of specific defense investments from EU funds. At least one very important national delegation told OKO.press that this is not the way it interprets the conclusions of yesterday’s discussions
– we are reading.
Another equally important delegation told OKO.press that “during the discussion it was clear that this text cannot be taken by many leaders as a statement of financing for these defense initiatives.”
– reported OKO.press.
Scholz treated Tusk harshly!
The dispute over the financing of European defense initiatives from the EU budget was commented on by the German daily newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. According to “FAZ” reports, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed joint arms purchases at the EU summit and rejected the demands of Poland and the Baltic countries. Surprisingly, he received the support of French President Emmanuel Macron.
As “FAZ” reports, Donald Tusk, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Kaja Kallas, Mette Frederiksen and others reacted with indignation.
The Chancellor categorically excluded arms purchases from the EU budget and treated Poland, the Balts and others harshly. Their hope remains (EC President) Ursula von der Leyen, who sees new debt as one of the possible options.
— described by the Brussels correspondent of “FAZ” Thomas Gutschker.
“He was only caught in a lie after almost a whole day.”
In their comments, PiS politicians write directly that Donald Tusk has lied.
Only Tusk can lie twice about the same matter. First, he stated that the border reinforcement program, the implementation of which began during the Law and Justice government, was his idea. He then announced that he had secured EU funding to implement this. Both lies were quickly exposed. The highest level of mythomania
– said former head of the Ministry of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak.
A great success for PM Tusk! Only after almost a whole day was he caught lying down 💪
– wrote MP Radosław Fogiel.
This is what remains of Donald Tusk’s fairy tales.
olnk/PAP/RMF FM/Oko.press/”FAZ”/Onet.pl/X/TVN24
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.