– The next budget will have an absolutely record level of defense spending. One that is incomparable to anything we see in NATO today – said Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia in “Kropka nad i” after a meeting of coalition partners and ministers on the draft budget for 2025.
On Monday evening there was a meeting of party leaders forming the government coalition, but this time the participants were also ministers. The topic of the talks was the draft budget for 2025. The talks were attended by, among others, the Speaker of the Sejm, the leader of Poland 2050 Szymon Holownia (co-created with PSL Third Way). In “Kropka nad i” on TVN24 he was later asked about their backstage. When asked what promise his group had given up on including in the budget, he replied that “we are not at that stage yet”.
– We are at a point where ministers are showing what else could be included in this budget, knowing that there is an excessive deficit procedure, and that we will probably pay around PLN 100 billion annually in interest on the debts incurred by our predecessors – he said.
He assessed that “the state has become heavily indebted to them”, but he noted that “we also have certain priorities”. – The minister (of national defence) will probably talk about this Wladyslaw) Kosiniak-Kamyszthe Prime Minister will speak – he assured.
Hołownia: There will be a record level of defense spending
Hołownia said that “there will be an absolutely record level of defense spending in the next budget.” – One that is incomparable to anything we see today in NATO – he noted.
When asked at what cost this will happen, he replied, “at the cost of our sacrifices.” The TVN24 guest admitted that the government would dream of doing “a lot of good things” for every percent of GDP that is to be allocated to defense in times of peace.
– Well, the conditions are what they are: we won't have these good things if we can't defend ourselves – he emphasized.
Hołownia: I have set two priorities for my party
The leader of Poland 2050 said that at Monday's meeting he “put two priorities of his group”. – This is money for social housing, which we need very much, and freezing energy prices in the long run. So as not to further wind up Inflationand at the same time carry out the energy transformation, he announced.
Hołownia: I have set two priorities for my partyTVN24
Hołownia: The army is on full alert. There is still no clarity
The TVN24 guest also reported that he spoke with the Minister of National Defense on Monday about the flying object that flew into Poland that morning. As the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, General Maciej Klisz, has already reported, it was probably an unmanned aerial vehicle. The appearance of this object coincided with the shelling of Ukrainian territory by Russia.
Hołownia about the air object that flew into Polish territoryTVN24
Hołownia assured “Kropka nad i” that “the army is in full readiness”. – It is still not clear whether it was a drone. It may also be that it was a meteorological anomaly visible on radar – he noted.
He assessed that “we need to clarify this matter to the end” because “at the moment it is not clear what it was”. He said that the search for the object “will continue until it is completed”.
Hołownia a presidential candidate?
Hołownia was also asked if he would run for the office of head of state in next year's elections. – That cannot be ruled out – he replied. He argued that “this is not the time to make a decision”, but admitted at the same time: – Yes, I am not flirting, I have been thinking about it of course since I entered politics.
– Because this is the function that can really help unite Poles in the way that is closest to me in doing politics. And there needs to be balance, in my opinion, in this coalition, so that this coalition can last at least two terms. And this should be our absolutely fundamental and basic goal, because that's all it takes to change the country – he continued.
When asked whether, in his opinion, such a balance could not be provided by, for example, the deputy chairman of the Civic Platform, the mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowskireplied that it was “difficult for him to judge.”
Hołownia a presidential candidate? “I will probably make a decision in December”TVN24
In his opinion, if Trzaskowski decides to run, “it may also be difficult in many respects (…) a situation when the prime minister is from the Platform, the president is from the Platform and again the polarization pendulum in 2027”. – But this is not a conversation for today – he said.
– I will probably make a decision in December – he said. – We talked about it recently with Donald Tuskhow to sort it out, whether it can be sorted out within the coalition – he indicated. He also said that elections would probably be called in January, but – he added – “no one will survive the communication anyway, everything will probably be clear before the holidays”.
Main image source: TVN24