WARSAW, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said on Thursday that he would not sign a law allowing Poland to take out loans under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program of the European Union (EU).
In a televised address on Thursday evening, Nawrocki criticized the SAFE loan terms, noting that the funds could be borrowed for as long as 45 years and that interest payments could reach up to 180 billion zlotys (about 48 billion U.S. dollars).
He said the loan would only benefit Western banks and financial institutions, while Polish taxpayers would have to repay the loan in full.
The president stressed that he would "never sign a law that harms our sovereignty, independence, economic security and military security."
Approved in May 2025, SAFE is a 150-billion-euro (177.26-billion-dollar) EU scheme aimed at expanding joint production and procurement of defense equipment.
The program has become a political flashpoint in Poland over recent weeks. Supporters see it as a major opportunity to modernize the country's military, while opponents argue that it could allow the European Commission to interfere in Poland's defense policy.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Nawrocki's decision and announced that his government would respond at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers scheduled for Friday. ■