The Sejm passed an Act on Defense of the Homeland, assuming an increase in the number of the army to 300,000 soldiers, modernization of the armed forces and increasing expenditure for this purpose to 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. The bill was supported by 450 deputies, nobody was against and five abstained.

The new regulations provide that the Polish army will ultimately be increased to approximately 300,000. soldiers including 250,000 professional soldiers and 50,000 soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces. Currently, the Polish Army numbers about 111,500 professional soldiers and 32,000 soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces.

The act provides for the establishment of the Armed Forces Support Fund, which will allow to receive the acquisition of additional funds for the armaments and modernization of the Polish Army, and for increasing its number. It will be financed by revenues from treasury securities, bonds or payments from the state budget.

The draft law on the defense of the Homeland in the version adopted by the government assumed acceleration of the planned increase in expenditure on the army to 2.3% in 2023 and up to 2.5% in 2024 and the following years (against 2.2% of GDP this year). However, during the parliamentary work, due to the geopolitical situation, the planned outlays for the next year were increased to 3% of GDP.

The amendment provides for the introduction of voluntary basic military service and a one-year training, which will give a cadet the right to enter professional service. At the same time, it introduces simplification of recruitment mechanisms, increasing the reserve staff, introducing a system of incentives for candidates for military service, more flexible rules of promotion, the elimination of the “glass ceiling” for privates and non-commissioned officers and a system of wages for students of military studies as for the professional soldiers of equal ranks.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński