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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Amid heated debate in parliament, Poland’s ruling coalition and the conservative opposition have split in a vote over whether the country should support the European Union’s recent moves to become more closely involved in coordinating and supporting defence policy.
The opposition warns that it will lead to further centralisation of powers in Brussels, harm relations with the United States, and leave Poland with less control over its own security. The government accuses the opposition of undermining efforts to bolster Europe’s defences against the threat of Russia.
🛡 Sejm przyjął uchwałę w sprawie bezpieczeństwa Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 🇵🇱
Sejm wyraził pełne poparcie dla rezolucji Parlamentu Europejskiego w sprawie obronności, w tym programu Tarcza Wschód.
To kolejny krok w kierunku wzmocnienia bezpieczeństwa Polski i całej Europy! 💪… pic.twitter.com/2OqOkOgNV6
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) March 20, 2025
Earlier this month, the European Parliament (EP) passed a resolution calling on the EU to act more quickly and firmly in ensuring its own security. In the vote, MEPs from Poland’s ruling coalition – which ranges from left to centre-right – were in favour while the right-wing opposition were opposed.
That led Prime Minister Donald Tusk to accuse the opposition of failing the “test of patriotism” and of voting in line with “Russia’s henchmen”. He argued that the resolution was particularly important because it declared support for Poland’s plans, known as “East Shield”, to bolster security on its borders with Belarus and Russia.
However, opposition parties said that, while they have voted in favour of the East Shield, the EP’s resolution as a whole is intended to support the transfer of powers over defence from member states to Brussels. They also argued it would diminish Europe’s relationship with the US, Poland’s most important security partner.
Europe can no longer afford to be a bystander in its own security.
Today, we take decisive steps to ensure our defence is in our hands.
We are unveiling the ReARM Europe Plan / Readiness 2030 and the White Paper on the Future of European Defence / Readiness 2030 ↓
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) March 19, 2025
On Thursday afternoon, a vote was held in the Sejm, the more powerful lower house of Poland’s parliament, on a resolution expressing support for the EP’s resolution.
“European cooperation in the field of defence is necessary to ensure the security of Poles and to strengthen the trust and capabilities of partners on both sides of the Atlantic in joint defence,” read the Polish resolution.
The ruling coalition – made up of Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition (KO), the centre-right Third Way (Trzecia Droga) and The Left (Lewica) – voted in favour, meaning the resolution passed. However, the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) were opposed.
Because what was approved is a resolution, rather than legislation, its effect is symbolic rather than introducing any changes to law.
Presenting the position of PiS in parliament, MP Marcin Ociepa said that “anyone who supports such provisions supports the disintegration of transatlantic unity”. His party submitted an amendment to remove support for the EP resolution from the Polish resolution, but it was rejected.
In a social media post after the voting had taken place, Tusk condemned the opposition’s actions. “They had a choice: support the resolution or disgrace,” he wrote. “They chose disgrace, but we passed the resolution anyway.”
“PiS and Confederation [were] once again against the East Shield and European unity in the face of Russian aggression,” he added.
Włodzimierz Czarzasty, leader of The Left, told Polsat News that “you have to be a moron” to vote against the EU’s defence plans, which would give Poland billions of euros in funds for security.
Mieli do wyboru: poparcie uchwały albo hańbę. Wybrali hańbę, a uchwałę i tak przegłosowaliśmy. PiS i Konfederacja ponownie przeciw Tarczy Wschód i europejskiej jedności wobec rosyjskiej agresji.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) March 20, 2025
However, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński told reporters after the vote that “an operation is taking place aimed at changing the EU into a state…under the leadership, of course, of Germany and France”.
“In this part of Europe, it would be obvious domination by Germany. Perhaps in other parts, it would rather be domination by France. But in practice we would cease to be an independent state,” he warned, quoted by the Rzeczpospolita daily. “We are of course opposed to this.”
PiS, which is a strong supporter of Donald Trump, has long argued that Washington, not Brussels, should be treated as Poland’s primary guarantor of security. They say that the EU’s defence plans would undermine this relationship.
Decyzje Tuska w sprawie obronności to oddanie do Brukseli i Berlina polskich pieniędzy na zbrojenia i kontroli nad polską armią. Nie możemy zgodzić się na oddanie istotnych atrybutów naszej suwerenności. Wiedzą, co robią i próbują ukryć to przed Polakami fałszywą uchwałą Sejmu.
— Jarosław Kaczyński (@OficjalnyJK) March 20, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: European Parliament/Flickr (under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
