The Polish government has officially launched a groundbreaking National Defence and Security Fund, to be largely financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO) – part of the EU’s post-pandemic support mechanism. The total value of the fund will amount to PLN 30 billion (around EUR 7.2 billion), making Poland the first EU country to establish such a fund with EU recovery resources.
The fund will be based on preferential loans granted under the KPO, and will focus on strengthening Poland’s structural defence capabilities. Key investment areas include:
- construction and modernization of civil and military shelters,
- development of dual-use infrastructure (civil/military),
- reinforcement of the domestic arms industry, especially weapons manufacturers,
- support for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience.
According to Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, the goal is twofold: enhance internal security and stimulate strategic industrial development. “Security is a top priority, and Europe must build its defence capabilities using common resources wisely,” she stated.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that Poland is setting a precedent: “In times of geopolitical instability, investing in defence is an investment in peace. Europe must be prepared, and we are leading by example.”
Poland is set to receive a total of EUR 59.8 billion under the National Recovery Plan: EUR 25.3 billion in non-repayable grants and EUR 34.5 billion in low-interest loans. The launch of the defence fund marks one of the key actions of the new KPO implementation phase, which is increasingly oriented toward strategic, high-impact sectors.
Source PAP : Core reprocessing