Nawrocki and Tusk met at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Tuesday to discuss the government’s bill enabling Poland to use funds under the EU’s SAFE programme as well as the president’s proposed alternative, dubbed “Polish SAFE 0%.”
The meeting was also attended by officials including central bank chief Adam Glapiński, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański.
According to the head of the president's office, Zbigniew Bogucki, Nawrocki's proposal could generate about PLN 200 billion (around EUR 47 billion) for the military over the next four to five years without reducing the central bank’s reserves.
Bogucki said the funds would be managed by a proposed Polish Defence Investment Fund and earmarked exclusively for defence spending, regardless of which party holds power.
Bogucki said Poland’s foreign exchange reserves currently total about EUR 240 billion, including roughly EUR 74 billion in gold, and argued that the reserves should remain untouched.
The government’s bill, which would create a special fund to implement the EU's SAFE programme, is awaiting the president’s signature.
Nawrocki has until March 20 to decide whether to sign it.
Under the EU scheme, Poland could receive EUR 43.7 billion in low-interest loans to invest in defence.
The government says 89 percent of the funds would go to Polish arms manufacturers, with additional spending planned for the police, border guards and cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, Nawrocki’s proposal establishing the Polish Defence Investment Fund was submitted to parliament on Tuesday.
Bogucki said lawmakers could begin work on the bill this week.
Tusk, however, criticised the proposal and called on the president to approve the government’s plan.
“I hoped this meeting would lead to a clear conclusion and decision,” Tusk told a news conference, saying Poland needed rapid access to funds to strengthen its defence capabilities.
He said military leaders had "stressed the urgency of the situation," warning that “not only every week and every day, but every hour counts” as security risks grow.
Tusk said he would wait for Nawrocki’s decision but warned that a presidential veto could delay funding for some security initiatives.
“If there is a presidential veto, we will still find money for the army,” he said. “But there will be no funds for protecting the eastern border, supporting the Border Guard and police, or strengthening cybersecurity.”
Tusk also said that Nawrocki’s alternative proposal contained no immediate funding.
“In short, it is SAFE zero zlotys,” Tusk said, adding that the proposal created new bureaucratic structures without guaranteeing financing.
Finance Minister Domański echoed the criticism in a post on X, saying the proposal contained “no money” and no guarantees of profits from the central bank.
Lower-house Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty said he had not yet seen the bill and that lawmakers would first need to review whether it was viable before deciding how quickly to proceed.
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