Poland is preparing a bill on the state’s full readiness in the event of war. The bill aims to streamline the national defense management system and accelerate the process of redeploying troops to critical locations. Rzeczpospolita reports on October 2, UNN writes.
Details
The Polish Ministry of Defense has reportedly drafted a bill on national defense readiness. According to the publication, until recently the title itself included the phrase "on the state’s defensive readiness for war." The bill is currently at the stage of interministerial consultations.
The country’s Ministry of Defense confirmed to Rzeczpospolita that work on such a bill is ongoing. According to the information, the aim is "to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Republic of Poland, improve cooperation between the armed forces and services responsible for internal security, and adapt existing legislation to modern threats, including hybrid, cyber, and disinformation threats."
"This is the preparation of the state for the pre-war period, which Prime Minister Tusk spoke about some time ago," said a source connected with the presidential center. It is reportedly intended to fill the gap between the functioning of the state in peacetime and the formal introduction of martial law.
Its aim is also to "organize organizational and legal arrangements and increase the readiness of public administration bodies to perform tasks during a state of permanent and full defensive readiness of the state, in particular by clarifying the duties and competencies of the authorities." The Polish Ministry of Defense notes that currently, decisions concerning the preparation of the state for defense and the functioning of the defense management system are scattered across several resolutions of the country’s Council of Ministers issued after the adoption of the Homeland Defense Act in the spring of 2022.
"This regulatory model makes it difficult to ensure regulatory consistency and a unified approach to the performance of defense tasks by public administration bodies and other entities participating in the state’s defense system. Another significant problem is the scope of issues currently regulated at the level of subordinate legislation. Some existing provisions directly concern the tasks, competencies, and responsibilities of public administration bodies and other entities performing defense tasks, which justifies regulating them by law," the Polish Ministry of Defense stated.
The purpose of the law is to increase the readiness of state institutions for the threat of war
The bill aims to streamline the state defense management system and improve the readiness of public administration to perform tasks in a state of permanent and full defensive readiness, that is, even before the official declaration of martial law. Among other things, this will allow the earlier deployment of troops, including allied forces, link Poland’s Defense Response Plan with the NATO Response System, and prepare infrastructure.
The law will also expand the number of organizations participating in the permanent service system and the national defense management system, regulate the rules governing the work of civilian officials in command positions with limited leave to return home, amend the planning of non-war operational activities, and amend documentation concerning defense programs. Amendments will also be made to the rules for training, defense courses, and defense exercises.
According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, "due to the complex legislative process, it is currently unknown when the bill will be submitted to the Sejm." The publication’s conclusions indicate that the National Security Bureau (BBN) is also awaiting the submission of such a bill.