Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk is presenting a stark choice ahead of the European elections this weekend: “Vote or face war.” His team is emphasizing security, particularly the threat of Russian aggression, as a central theme.
With pro-Russian parties poised to gain ground in central Europe and beyond, Tusk’s Civic Coalition stresses the importance of a united EU stance against Moscow. He urges Poles to vote to protect their nation.
This message resonates with many Poles, who have historical and geographical reasons to be wary of their powerful neighbor. Northern Poland shares a 230km (142-mile) border with Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized Russian exclave. The border, marked by barbed wire and monitored by vehicles with thermal imaging cameras, underscores the threat. At the main crossing point, the word “RUSSIA” looms large in red letters, and meticulous security screenings include sniffer dogs.
Security was tightened when President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine over two years ago, but Tusk has promised more measures in the lead-up to the European vote. The “Shield East” project, a 10-billion-zloty (£1.992bn) initiative, aims to reinforce Poland’s border with high-tech surveillance and trenches to ensure “the enemy” stays away, coordinated with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which share Poland’s concerns about Russia.
In contrast, politicians in Slovakia and Hungary advocate “compromise” with Moscow, which often translates to concessions from Kyiv and echoes Kremlin talking points. However, Poland remains steadfast in its belief that allowing Ukraine to lose poses a significant risk from Putin’s Russia.
While Tusk’s team has seized the security agenda for this election, the main opposition, the Law and Justice party (PiS), has focused on other issues. They criticize the EU’s migration deal and the Green Deal on carbon emissions, policies they supported while in power. Nevertheless, PiS has not abandoned the defense theme entirely, as evidenced by a campaign video featuring candidate Karol Karski dramatically stopping a Russian tank.
“We’ve stopped evil many times before and we will stop it again,” declares Karski, a bearded professor in a suit, with one arm outstretched towards a tank smashing through the forest.
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