The legislation provides for the establishment of a special financing instrument managed by state development bank BGK, through which the government will be able to spend funds obtained under the EU programme.
Before the vote, Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański said the programme would help accelerate the modernisation of Poland's armed forces, providing the country with billions in new funding.
“Anyone who votes against the SAFE programme is either a fool or betraying Poland’s national interests,” Domański said during a parliamentary debate.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the vote as “one of the most important in the history of the modernisation of the Polish armed forces.”
He said the military needed a radical acceleration in upgrades, which SAFE would enable, and told lawmakers that the financing process would be transparent and include anti-corruption safeguards.
PM calls opposition 'enemies of Polish independence'
The bill was backed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition. It was opposed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party and the far-right Confederation party, the PAP news agency reported.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X: “The masks have come off. PiS and Confederation voted against the SAFE programme, against Poland’s security, against a modern army, against Poland’s defence industry. This is no longer an opposition; they are enemies of Polish independence.”
For Poland to benefit from the EU programme, the legislation must enter into force by March, when the government plans to sign a loan agreement for SAFE funds with the European Commission.