MP Slams the President’s Veto on SAFE: “It Means Billions Lost for Poland and Lower Silesia”

Mr MP, we are speaking a few days after the Israeli attack on Iran. It is already clear that this conflict may last a long time and that enormous quantities of the most advanced weaponry are being used in it. But the most important decision of recent days was President Nawrocki’s veto of the SAFE loan—how do you assess it?

Yes—the President’s veto of the SAFE loan is an absolutely harmful decision for Poland and the safety of our citizens. It borders on treason, and I am not afraid to say so publicly!

This veto means losing a substantial portion of the €43 billion. It is an injection of cash that could have been used to strengthen Polish industry—above all, the defense industry. In today’s dangerous world, we must invest in armaments because we can see that supplies of military equipment worldwide are gradually running out. That is why we must have all of this here and now, while also using it as an opportunity to get Poland’s industrial sector back on its feet. Unfortunately, as a result of the presidential veto, some of these funds—primarily those intended for the Border Guard, the police, and road and railway infrastructure—will be irretrievably lost.

Is SAFE also a real opportunity for Polish and Lower Silesian defense companies?

Of course. More than 11,000 companies are already included in this program. Of these, 878 are from Lower Silesia. In some areas of defense production, our region is a genuine powerhouse. The largest such plants are, of course, located in Jelcz-Laskowice. But such production always depends on an extensive chain of suppliers and subcontractors.

SAFE is also an opportunity for scientists from Lower Silesia cooperating with Wrocław University of Science and Technology and the University of Wrocław. We are talking about funds not only for purchasing armaments, but also for new technologies, the development of forward-looking industries, and artificial intelligence. This is simply money that can support the defense industry.

Is the “Polish SAFE Zero Percent” program announced by the president and the head of the NBP some kind of alternative?

Why should it be an alternative? We need both. However, I am concerned that the “Polish SAFE” proposal is intended only to justify the veto of the real SAFE program. Unfortunately, that is its sole purpose.

You mentioned that the European SAFE program would be limited. What does that mean?

Yes. Our government has a “Plan B” because we took this possible development into account. Unfortunately, President Nawrocki is guided by party interests rather than the interests of the state when making decisions. Our “Plan B” is a government resolution establishing the “Armed Poland” program. Under it, the EU loan is to go to the Armed Forces Support Fund. Unfortunately, these expenditures do not cover non-military formations such as the Border Guard or the police.

Do you see any grain of truth in the concerns raised, for example, by the PiS leader—about European “discretion” or Germany’s industry being “supported through SAFE”?

No, I see no basis for such concerns. I have the impression that the PiS leader is constantly sinking deeper into a kind of anti-European paranoia. As the democratic coalition, we hold exactly the opposite view. At present, we expect that approximately 89–90% of these funds will, of course, be invested here in Poland.

We already know that, for example, Huta Stalowa Wola would—or will—receive funding amounting to PLN 20 billion. Poland’s steel industry is very important today, especially in the context of cheap steel coming in from China and Ukraine.

We must strengthen Polish industry, because if it collapses, we could soon become truly dependent on foreign companies and foreign manufacturers.

Since we are discussing strategic companies and metallurgy: KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. has had a new president for some time. How do you assess this appointment?

I hope he will be a president who takes a global and long-term view of KGHM’s development, and who pays particular attention to improving employee safety—especially the underground workers who descend several hundred meters below ground every day. We reduced the copper tax deliberately so that some of the funds would go toward improving these miners’ safety and working conditions.

Environmental protection is also very important in this context. We can see that KGHM needs a financial injection for this type of investment, which is extremely important for our region.

I am convinced that, if well managed, KGHM will serve us in Lower Silesia for many, many years, creating new jobs and additional employment, as well as decent jobs and wages for workers and their families.

An agreement with the trade unions has just been reached at KGHM. It seems that the union members are satisfied with the negotiations. Is this the right direction?

A very good direction. The previous management was unwilling to share profits with employees. Talks with the unions had not led to solutions for at least two years. Only after my intervention—which was quite turbulent, incidentally—did the previous management change its position, and I can see that the current management, with the current president, has drawn conclusions from this.

I am pleased that the management of the largest company in our region is applying the principles of the social economy, which say that companies of this kind should care not only about profits, but above all about ensuring that employees earn decent wages.

The lack of an agreement between management and the unions is also an issue today at another iconic company, Zakłady Ceramiczne “Bolesławiec” in Bolesławiec. You met with the unions and management—is there a chance of an agreement?

Zakłady Ceramiczne in Bolesławiec is a state-owned company. At the same time, it is an important, large employer in Bolesławiec and Bolesławiec County. For some time, I had been receiving information about tensions and poor relations between management and employees represented by trade unions. That is why I decided to offer assistance in the negotiations—above all, in the hope of preserving jobs at the plant. The management of the plant, which employs approximately 400 people, terminated the pay regulations, and no new ones were created in their place. For now, it appears that my efforts have produced the desired result. President Arkadiusz Grzesiowski declared that by the end of March this year he would present the unions with a proposal for new pay regulations. After talks with the union members, I received a declaration of openness to negotiations and a willingness to reach an agreement. I declared that, if necessary, I would be available to help either side in these difficult negotiations. Zakłady Ceramiczne “Bolesławiec” employs people with very high and highly specialized skills, often developed over many years. Losing their jobs would be a tremendous blow—both individually and to the entire Bolesławiec urban area. However, management’s talks with the unions cannot drag on, because the parties’ patience is limited.

On your initiative, the Parliamentary Team for the Social and Energy Transformation of the Turoszów Subregion was established. What is it currently working on?

The team is active. We met with the deputy minister for European funds and are trying to secure approximately PLN 2–3 billion in the EU budget for 2028–2034 for the transformation of the Turoszów Basin. It was a very good meeting, both with the deputy minister and with local government officials from the region, people interested in this transformation, and public-benefit organizations.

We have had the initial discussions and received some guidelines. Further meetings will take place soon. In a moment, we will want to meet with representatives of the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Ministry of Energy.

At the end of March, I will speak in person with Finance Minister Andrzej Domański; the meeting has already been arranged. The most important thing now is to secure the funding. But the next step will be to bring investors to Lower Silesia, specifically to these two counties, Zgorzelec and Lubań, who could create alternative jobs for people currently working at the Turów power plant and mine.

In your view, what should the transformation of this subregion look like?

We need to look at it in a broader context. It is clear that the world is increasingly moving toward green energy. For many years, we have seen the number of employees at both the mine and the power plant decline. From more than 7,000 employees, only around 3,500 now work in this area, and this process will continue.

We therefore need to create jobs alongside the power plant and mine, so that people leaving traditional energy and mining can find well-paid, stable employment and do not have to worry about how they will make a living.

This concerns not only the mine and smelter’s employees, but also numerous subcontractors. Altogether, this means tens of thousands of jobs. All of this directly affects the finances of local governments. Today, in Zgorzelec and Zgorzelec County, nearly 40% of working people are employed just across the border—in Germany or the Czech Republic—and pay their taxes there. We want to bring these people back to work in our counties, Zgorzelec and Lubań, to give them good jobs, so that they pay taxes here and identify with us here, because that is extremely important.

Locally paid taxes make it possible to maintain various public institutions. The hospital in Bogatynia, for example, is truly dependent on public funding.
But other public institutions, cultural, sports, and tourism centers also require funding.

You have been overseeing the issue of the necessary renovation of Pilchowice Dam for a long time. Has it begun yet?

Yes. Tauron is currently renovating Pilchowice Dam. The work is not easy; “surprises” concerning the dam’s actual condition appear all the time. We hope that this long-awaited renovation, which will cost Tauron nearly PLN 100 million, will be successful and serve the residents of Lwówek County for many years. The technical condition of this dam, dating from the beginning of the 20th century, already required state intervention, and without state funds—in this case, Tauron’s funds—it would simply have been impossible. That is why I am pleased that, following our intervention as Lower Silesian MPs—I am personally a member of the Extraordinary Committee for Eliminating the Effects of the 2024 Flood—this demand was taken into account and the work is already under way.

When can the waste dump in Głogów be expected to be removed?

Two years ago, when running in the parliamentary elections, I promised that I would seek funding to eliminate dangerous, toxic waste sites, including the one in Głogów. We succeeded, although not on the first attempt. In this year’s budget, we secured PLN 42 million to remove the dump.

I personally organized meetings between local government officials from Głogów and the Ministry of Climate, as well as with Deputy Minister Anita Sowińska of Nowa Lewica, who is personally responsible for waste-dump removal.

In recent days, an agreement was signed at the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management—an agreement between the local government and the fund securing this money. Work will begin later this year.