Ex-PM Morawiecki pushes for Europe-US 'economic NATO'

Morawiecki proposes 'economic NATO' to strengthen Europe-US alliance

Mateusz Morawiecki, who was Polish prime minister in the last Conservative (PiS government between 2017 and 2023, has called for the building of a strong economic block made up of European Union member states and the US as an "economic NATO".

"If we want to be an equal partner to the United States, defend our way of life, and build a secure future, we must first become strong ourselves." stressed Morawiecki in a April 23 post yesterday.

"The Transatlantic Alliance, the foundation of global security since the end of World War Two, requires a thorough overhaul. For years, Europe functioned in a comfortable illusion, and the U.S. accepted it," he wrote.

He agreed with the analysis of the US President Donald Trump's view that Europe has been freeloading off thhe US.

"America largely paid for and guaranteed the security of the Old Continent, while Europe built prosperity, expanded trade, rebuilt its economies, and protected its markets. Today, under the geopolitical pressure of the Sino-Russian tandem, and with growing U.S. pressure in response, this arrangement is breaking down," he added.

Morawiecki said that Poland under his stewardship had set an example of how to be an ally of the US by "taking responsibility for the security of NATO's eastern flank and record-high defence spending".

Poland has increased its military spending to nearly 5 perccent of its GDP, the highest in NATO. Today it has the third-largest army in the alliance. It has been held up as a role model for other European states by the Trump administration.

Morawiecki, tthough, argues that Poland, even with the help of the US, cannot bear the security burden on its own if transatlantic ties are not strengthened.

"We must reform the alliance and build an economic NATO. We must not allow America to be pushed out of Europe. A strong U.S.-EU bloc accounts for around 50% of global GDP, sets the rules of the global game, and serves as a real counterweight to China and Russia," asserted Morawiecki.

But o achieve this, Europe must change its approach, he said.

"That is why Europe must change, less ideology, more economy. It should follow Poland's example. If we want to be an equal partner to the United States, defend our way of life, and build a secure future, we must first become strong ourselves."

Morawiecki is the leader of the European Conservative Reformers iin the European Parliament having succeeded Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in that position in 2024.

He was recently embroiled in an internal clash within Poland's main opposition PiS as it prepares to face Prime Minister Donald Tusk in next year's parliamentary elections.

Morawiecki has set up the "Development +" faction within the party, which aims to make it concentrate on economic and social rather than identity issues.

That faction was at first contested by the leadership of the party, which felt Morawiecki might be preparing to create a party of his own. An agreement has been reached with the party leadership, though, which has kept the Morawiecki within the PiS.

As prime minister, Morawiecki was the face of fast economic growth, high social spending and major capital investment projects. They included the mega airport in central Poland, the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline with Norway and the Polish nuclear power programme.

In 2023, PiS lost power despite polling the most votes (35 per cent) in the general election. That camee aftter a turbulent second term in office during which Poland faced the Covid pandemic, a migration crisis on its border with Belarus, the arrival of two million Ukrainian refugees after the Russian invasion in 2022 and the stopping of EU funds for alleged rule of law violations

PiS was not able to form a government because the centre-right Third Way alliance chose to ally with Tusk's Civic Coalition and the Left Party rather than with the Conservatives.