Poland’s defense spending reaches 4.7% of GDP, the highest in NATO.
Poland is planning to spend around 186 billion Złoty, equivalent to approximately 44.4 billion euros, on its military this year, according to the government’s budget. This makes Poland the NATO member state with the highest defense spending as a percentage of its GDP.
The country’s government, currently holding the rotating EU presidency under the motto “Security in Europe”, is committed to supporting security and defense. Poland has the largest army in the EU and is investing in military equipment, including fighter jets, rockets, tanks, artillery and other gear.
However, according to General Wiesław Kukuła, the chief of the general staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Poland lacks the strategic depth of some other European countries, being a neighbor of the Russian Federation and Belarus and having a limited time to prepare and react in case of a conflict.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced plans to increase the country’s military by more than half a million soldiers and to train millions of reservists. He also mentioned that the training would be voluntary, with the goal of having a reserve force comparable to the potential threats and that women could also participate.
The training would be free of charge, aiming to alleviate concerns about the reintroduction of military conscription, which was abolished in 2008. The details of the plan are still being worked out and are expected to be presented by the end of March.
According to the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, the government is planning “short-term military training programs for civilians without prior experience”. These intensive courses, lasting a few days, would teach the participants basic military skills, as well as the fundamentals of civil defense and first aid.
For those with prior military training, the government offers refresher courses, where they can deepen their special skills. Those who want a more comprehensive preparation can sign up for a one-month program.
The first goal of the training program is to “improve the availability and quality of reservists”, said Kukuła, as these could operate alongside professional soldiers in case of a conflict. The original plan envisions the training of 100,000 Polish citizens by the end of 2026.
The government must do everything to ensure a sufficient interest in the program among the population, said military expert Marek Kozubel. “Financial incentives are of decisive importance, as well as a successful marketing campaign that highlights the benefits of participating in training programs.”
General Kukuła emphasized that the training would teach skills that are useful both in wartime and in peacetime, such as cybersecurity or medical training. He also noted that these skills could be useful on the job market and that the incentives would include financial compensation and tax relief for the participants and their employers.