Poland's Bold Move: EU Defense Spending Exemption Sought

Poland is set to request an exemption from EU borrowing constraints to maintain high defense spending, amid concerns other EU countries may not follow suit. The European Commission's proposal aims to boost EU defense investment by 650 billion euros over four years but faces skepticism from debt-laden nations.

Poland is poised to request a waiver from European Union borrowing restrictions next week to sustain large defense expenditures without violating EU guidelines, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski announced on Thursday. Domanski expressed concern about other EU nations not pursuing similar exemptions.

Besides Poland, only Portugal has indicated intentions to apply for the exemption, initially expected to be widely adopted by the 27 EU countries. The proposal aims to enhance EU defense investments by 650 billion euros over the next four years to counter potential Russian threats.

The European Commission suggested in March permitting increased defense budgets by 1.5% of GDP annually for four years without triggering disciplinary measures for exceeding a 3% GDP deficit. However, countries with significant debts are hesitant to borrow more for defense, particularly those farther from Russia.

(With inputs from agencies.)