The Polish government intends to call up more than 300,000 reservists and recruits in 2027, both professionals and volunteers, according to a draft drawn up by the Ministry of Defence, details of which were made public on Thursday, EFE reports, as cited by Agerpres.
The draft provides for 20,000 new positions in professional military service, 6,500 more than last year, in addition to 200,000 reservists and 83,700 members of the auxiliary corps.
The measure adopted by the Ministry of Defence provides for more than 200,000 citizens to be called up to have their capabilities assessed and to be assigned to a military unit in the event of mobilisation.
It is the largest call-up campaign in recent years, targeting men and women up to the age of 60, who will have to report to the designated recruitment centre to have their physical capabilities and knowledge assessed, after which they will become reservists and be provisionally assigned to a military corps.
Unjustified failure to appear or refusal to comply with the call-up order may result in penalties ranging from a fine to being brought by the police to the recruitment centre, in accordance with the Homeland Defence Act.
In addition, if deemed necessary, some of these reservists will have to undergo training lasting up to 90 consecutive days.
This strategy reinforces Warsaw’s stated ambition, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022, to build the strongest land army in Europe.
According to Ministry of Defence data, the Polish Armed Forces already number more than 220,000 soldiers, compared with 130,000 before the war.
The aim is to reach 300,000 military personnel in active service and up to 500,000, including reservists, by 2039.
To finance the increase in the size of the Armed Forces, the defence budget amounts to approximately 4.8% of GDP in 2026, compared with 4.7% last year. For 2027, the Polish state estimates that defence expenditure will amount to approximately 4.5%, according to the cited news agency.
Source – AGERPRES
