Poland is drafting a new law to enable the rapid deployment of troops in the event of war
The Polish Ministry of Defense has drafted a bill intended to streamline the country’s defense management and facilitate the rapid deployment of troops. The document is currently undergoing consultations.
Poland is preparing a draft law on the state’s full readiness in the event of war. This bill aims to streamline the national defense management system and accelerate the process of redeploying troops to critical locations.
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 defense readiness for war.” The bill is currently in the inter-agency consultation phase.
The country’s Ministry of Defense confirmed to Rzeczpospolita that work on this draft law is ongoing. According to the information provided, the goal is “to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Republic of Poland, improve cooperation between the armed forces and the services those responsible for internal security, as well as adapting existing regulations to contemporary threats, particularly hybrid, cyber, and disinformation threats.”
“This is the state’s preparation for the pre-war period that Prime Minister Tusk spoke about some time ago,” said a source connected to the presidential office. It is, as stated, intended to bridge the gap between the functioning of the state in peacetime and the formal imposition of martial law.
Its goal is also to “streamline organizational and legal decisions and enhance the readiness of government agencies to carry out tasks in a state of constant and full defense readiness, in particular by clarifying the responsibilities and competencies of these agencies.” The Polish Ministry of Defense notes that, at present, decisions regarding the state’s defense preparedness and the functioning of the national defense management system are scattered across several resolutions of the country’s Council of Ministers, issued following 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 fulfillment of defense tasks by government agencies and other entities participating in the national defense system. Another significant problem is the scope of issues currently regulated at the level of normative acts. Some of the current provisions directly concern the tasks, competencies, and responsibilities of government agencies and other entities performing defense tasks, which justifies their regulation by law,” the Polish Ministry of Defense stated.
The bill aims to streamline the national defense management system and improve the government’s readiness to carry out tasks in a state of constant and full defense readiness—that is, even before a formal declaration of martial law. Among other things, this will allow for the earlier deployment of troops, including allied forces, integrate Poland’s Defense Response Plan with the NATO Response System, and prepare the necessary 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 civilian employees in command positions with limited leave to return home, introduce changes to the planning of non-military operational activities, and amend documentation related to defense programs. Amendments will also be made to the rules governing training, defense courses, and the conduct of 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 findings indicate that the National Security Bureau (BBN) is also awaiting the submission of such a bill.
Rzeczpospolita reported this on October 2.
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