Poland is subject to the excessive deficit procedure and I disagree; we bear a huge burden by defending the eastern border of the EU and NATO, said the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defence, Cezary Tomczyk. According to Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, “an attempt to limit our economic power” is “a path to nowhere”.
During the panel of the Poles of the Future Campus in Olsztyn with the participation of Tomczyk and Trzaskowski, among others, a question was raised about EU assistance in border defense and whether the community should increase its activities in this area.
Tomczyk recalled that Poland was subject to the excessive deficit procedure; he also stressed that our country defends the eastern border of the EU and NATO.
And frankly, I completely disagree with what the European Union has done in this regard. Today, we carry a huge burden of securing the entire EU and NATO, and I would like the European Union to understand this as well.
– said the Deputy Minister of National Defense.
Trzaskowski, in turn, noted that there is a huge difference when it comes to the approach to security between the current and previous governments.
And, I hope, the next president and today’s president too
– added the deputy head of PO.
Praise for Tusk
According to him, the fundamental difference is the effective influence on what happens in the EU. As he judged, without the actions of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the European Parliament, we would not be ready to become independent of Russian energy influence.
Today this is exactly what it is about, namely not only to strengthen Poland militarily, to buy equipment, to strengthen our armed forces – because we all agree on that – but to include our priorities in the priorities of the EU
– he pointed.
Trzaskowski also argued that “the European Union must realise that today we are responsible for the security of the EU.”
And trying to limit our economic power and our ability to make decisions – even through the excessive deficit procedure – leads to nothing. The EU must prioritize securing the border and strengthening its defense capabilities, and we are capable of doing that. Today, it is we, Poland, who are filling this leadership gap in the EU
– said Trzaskowski.
According to Trzaskowski, “the truth is that President Andrzej Duda today is not a person who is widely consulted on fundamental issues.”
The truth is that PiS talked a lot about defending the national interest, while in the EU it limited its influence and found itself on the margins.
– he judged.
The Deputy Head of PO also recalled that we are on the eve of a discussion on the new EU budget, and that the priorities of this budget must be set differently.
And we are able to do it
– he declared.
If there is an effective government and an effective president, Poland’s role in influencing generally accepted security will be much greater.
– Trzaskowski noted.
As he explained, this will not only be limited to our efforts to modernise the military, but also to changes in the direction, behaviour and functioning of the EU and the North Atlantic Alliance.
In July, the EU Council decided to initiate the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) against Poland, France, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia. The Excessive Deficit Procedure was initiated against Poland due to the fact that the government deficit in our country amounted to 5.1% in 2023 and is expected to increase to around 5.5% this year. Moreover, according to Polish government forecasts, without consolidation activities, the government debt in Poland could exceed 60% of GDP in a few years.
On Sunday, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański said at the Poland of the Future Campus that maintaining a high GDP growth rate will be the key to ending the excessive deficit procedure.
Of course, we are currently in a technical dialogue with the European Commission. We argue that the fact that Poland spends such a significant part of our GDP – this year it is more than 4 percent. – on defense, de facto defense of not only Poland but of the whole of Europe, this is an element that should pave the way to adjusting the excessive deficit to the level of 3%. should be as mild as possible
– the minister noted.
It is symbolic that a deputy minister from a party that idolizes the European Union has just discovered how this institution works. So far, Brussels’ actions against Poland have not bothered him.
mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce