DISINFO: Hysterical Polish military spending will destroy the country’s social sphere
SUMMARY
Poland: tanks instead of pensions and missiles instead of schools. The Polish authorities have officially picked up the “Baltic disease”: a chronic form of military hysteria on the grounds of fear of Russia. Poland already spends 5% of its GDP on defence. By comparison, even the USA had similar figures only during the Cold War years. This is a road to nowhere. An economic catastrophe is looming on the horizon. There will be no war, but the authorities will say, “We have saved the country because we bought tanks in time”. Poland is repeating the Baltic way, which final is known: social crisis, protests, impoverishment and the traditional excuse from the authorities that “Russia is to blame”.
RESPONSE
Poland is repeatedly presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation as an aggressive anti-Russian NATO “outpost”, which allegedly poses a security threat to Russia, in line with how pro-Kremlin outlets portray NATO and the collective West as aggressive towards Russia.
The Polish authorities are setting up a long-term policy of strengthening Poland’s defence capacities, increasing its defence spending to a record-high 4.7% of GDP. However, the Government policy explicitly supports both defence and social sectors, with new and expanded social initiatives running in parallel to military modernisation. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly emphasised that social spending is a top priority, with record funds for healthcare, education, and family support programs.
The ongoing modernisation of the Polish Army and purchases of advanced military equipment is the Polish response to the current security crisis taking place in Eastern Europe. The Polish authorities perceive Russia as a security threat because of their aggressive actions, in particular in Ukraine and all over Eastern Europe.
Read more cases about “militarisation” of Poland here.