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Political group proposes mandatory defence training for Poles

23.09.2026 18:30
Polish political group Development Plus has proposed mandatory defence training for everyone after completing secondary school.
Michał Dworczyk and Mateusz Morawiecki
Michał Dworczyk and Mateusz MorawieckiPAP/Paweł Supernak

The group said on Tuesday it would also submit a bill requiring Polish MPs and senators to undergo military training.

Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, leader of Development Plus, and European lawmaker Michał Dworczyk unveiled a package of defence proposals dubbed "Army for War, Not for Parades."

They said the initiative was based on four pillars.

The first is a "new model for the Polish armed forces" based on Finland's system of a strong professional army supported by a trained reserve, Dworczyk said.

Such a model could potentially allow Poland to mobilise more than 1 million people within several weeks if necessary, he said.

He also called for greater digitisation and situational awareness.

"Unfortunately, to a large extent, we are still an analogue army. If we want to build genuine resilience, we need to move into the digital world," Dworczyk said.

The second pillar involves the Territorial Defence Force and universal mandatory defence training for everyone completing secondary school, regardless of gender, Dworczyk said.

He said politicians should lead by example and that his group also plans to submit a bill requiring all Polish lawmakers up to a certain age to complete one month of military field training and one month of training at the War Studies University in Warsaw.

Morawiecki called for stronger links between the armed forces and the wider industrial sector as part of the third pillar.

"There can be no strong defence industry without innovation, which can be driven either by war or by competition," Morawiecki said.

The fourth pillar is defence financing, Morawiecki said. He added that public debate should consider ways to ensure a return on investment from defence spending.

He argued that defence investment should generate benefits for the wider economy through tax revenue, patents, know-how and technology.

(sp/gs) 

Source: PAP, wnp.pl