(Adnkronos) – Poland, which this year will spend 4.7 percent of its GDP on defense, will train 100,000 volunteers a year from 2027, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced, presenting a wide-ranging plan to strengthen military reserves. In recent days, Tusk had spoken of a program for every adult to be trained “in case of war” and for the country to have a reserve force “suited to potential threats”.
“I am convinced that there will be no shortage of candidates. For us, it is a matter of ensuring that everyone who is interested can receive this training. So, in addition to the professional forces, with 200,000 units, and the territorial defense, we need to build a de facto army made up of reservists,” explained the Prime Minister, stressing that members of the government will also be trained as volunteers.
All men between the ages of 18 and 60 will be able to apply as volunteers. They will receive one month of basic training followed, if necessary, by eleven more months of specialization, with courses such as heavy vehicle driving. Specializations useful in war but, Tusk added, also in everyday life, for those interested in having this type of permit. Currently, 35,000 people in Poland undergo this type of basic military training each year.
