The Polish military and political discourse during the PO-PSL era
A former Polish defense official, Tomasz Siemoniak, spoke in an interview with Polsat News about the liquidation of 629 military units during the period when the PO-PSL coalition governed Poland. He described how, following decisions made in 2009, many units across the country were merged or closed as part of a broader consolidation. He framed this as a normal administrative process at the time, noting that authorities believed there was no immediate threat from Russia and that political leaders, including Donald Tusk, were reportedly close to Vladimir Putin. Michał Jach, a PiS member of parliament and chair of the National Defense Committee, summarized these views in conversation with the wPolityce.pl portal. He emphasized that the era under discussion was characterized by a belief that Russia would not pose a security risk, and he suggested that the leadership did not anticipate the nature of future threats.
During the interview, the tension between past assessments and evolving security realities is highlighted. Jach argued that the policy stance of the early 2010s underestimated the long-term risk posed by Russia, which he described as pursuing imperial objectives. He framed the conversation as part of a broader debate about the trajectory of Poland’s national security strategy and the need to reassess assumptions about regional threats in light of changing geopolitical conditions.
Around the turn of 2013 to 2014, Poland published a White Paper on National Security that asserted the country would not face a Russian threat in the foreseeable future. This documentation appeared shortly before Russia’s later actions in the region. Jach questioned whether the paper reflected informed analysis or political naivety, suggesting that some policymakers may have mistaken expert assessments for certainty about regional stability. He underscored that beliefs about Russia’s intentions were a central point of contention in public discourse at the time.
The state of Poland’s armed forces under the PO-PSL coalition
The interview with the wPolityce.pl portal offers a detailed portrait of how the Polish armed forces were managed during the PO-PSL era. It is described as a period without major contracts for modern weaponry over several years. Reportedly, the Ministry of National Defense did not exhaust the full budget in any single year during that stretch. A claim is made that savings, totaling around PLN 12 billion, resulted in a reduced fleet of combat aircraft, with a focus on downsizing and efficiency rather than expansion.
The account contends that military units were systematically diminished, and there was a perceived lack of a coherent policy to nurture talent and growth within the forces. Some budgeting practices allegedly created perverse incentives, such as bonuses that rewarded the absence of vacancies rather than the recruitment of new personnel. As a result, retention challenges emerged and salaries for service members were reported to be among the lowest within the uniformed sectors, contributing to a migration of personnel to civilian roles or other branches of the security apparatus. In particular, eastern Poland saw several units shuttered, which the interviewee characterizes as either unwise or ill-intentioned policy choices.
Michał Jach answers a question about how Poland would have responded to Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine if the PO-PSL coalition had remained in power. He asserts that a different approach could have altered the course of events, suggesting that successful support for Ukraine depended on timely and bold actions. He argues that Polish diplomacy helped shape international opinion in favor of Ukraine and stressed that continued, coordinated effort with Ukraine was vital to keeping the war in the headlines and maintaining international attention. These reflections are offered as part of a broader argument about the importance of decisive political leadership in times of crisis.
In presenting these assessments, the interview frames a debate about accountability and the long-term consequences of defense and foreign policy decisions. The speaker emphasizes the need for a clear, proactive stance in defending national interests and supporting Ukraine, while also highlighting the role of domestic political discourse in shaping security choices. The discussion closes with a call for careful scrutiny of past policies and a renewed commitment to strengthening Poland’s security posture in a rapidly changing regional environment.