Kaczyński, who heads Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, made the statement in a television interview on Thursday night.
The conservative leader returned to the government in an enhanced role as the sole deputy prime minister following a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Asked about his role in the Cabinet, Kaczyński told state broadcaster TVP Info: “On the one hand, I will focus on issues to do with security in the broad sense.”
He noted he had overseen national security policy in his previous spell as deputy prime minister in charge of security from October 2020 to June 2022, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Kaczyński said: “When clouds began to gather over Europe, I decided it was time to radically increase arms spending and begin to build a big, strong army … I joined the Cabinet at the time as a deputy prime minister and … this was implemented with good effect.”
In April 2022, Poland adopted its flagship homeland defence law, designed to modernise and expand the country's armed forces into one of the strongest in NATO, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the PAP news agency reported.
Kaczyński said on Thursday: “The process of bolstering Poland’s military strength has been continuing ever since.”
He told TVP Info that “Poland continues to be targeted by hybrid warfare” and said that the steel wall along the country's border with Belarus, built by the government last year, was “a great help in stemming the influx of illegal migrants."
Support for Ukraine
Kaczyński stated: “Poland continues to support Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion, in terms of humanitarian aid and military assistance, as well as diplomatic and political support.”
He added: “We are welcoming refugees in big numbers, but we are also carrying out work in Ukraine."
Poland 'beginning to catch up with wealthier countries of western Europe'
Kaczyński also said in the interview that Poland was "beginning to catch up with the wealthier countries of western Europe."
"In some respects, we have already overtaken the likes of Spain and may soon overtake Italy,” he stated, as quoted by the PAP news agency.
'The most important elections since 1989'
Kaczyński said his role in the Cabinet would also cover “political issues, because politics involves various kinds of tensions and you need to be able to resolve them quickly.”
He said he had to “take responsibility” for "the political direction of the government" because the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for the autumn, “are the most important elections since 1989.”
'National security will be an important issue in upcoming elections': PM
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki commented on Kaczyński’s return to government on social media, the PAP news agency reported.
The prime minister said in a tweet on Thursday night: “The Law and Justice leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, has rejoined the Cabinet. His knowledge and experience, when it comes to national security, among other policy areas, are indispensable to us today, because national security will be an important issue in the upcoming elections.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 485 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, tvp.info, niezalezna.pl