Szymon Holownia, leader of the centre-right Poland 2050 party, made the call as Poland gears up for a general election on October 15.
Marian Zubrzycki/PAP

A leading opposition politician has called for the “depolitisation” of the Polish Army, saying that “the uniform should be separated from the party.”

Szymon Holownia, leader of the centre-right Poland 2050 party, made the call as Poland gears up for a general election on October 15.

Speaking at the ‘Security Really!’ congress of the Third Way grouping of Poland 2050 and the agrarian Polish Peoples’ Party (PSL) in the central town of Strzelcew on Friday, Holownia said that in light of recent events “we have the feeling that when it comes to the security of Poland not everything is as it should be.”

He added that the country’s soldiers and members of other security services “are being exploited for political ends” and treated “as a mobile decoration for party bonzos.”

“We propose the depoliticisation of the Polish army, the uniform must be separate from the party,” he said, going on to say the Third Way wanted to hand over management of the armed forces to competent commanders while maintaining civilian control over the military.

He added that the Polish Army needed outstanding commanders today and called for an end to “this Poland-v-Poland civil war,” in the interests of the country’s security.

“A Poland torn apart by party disputes is a weak Poland, and today as never before we need a strong Poland that will counter evil, that will be an un-breachable fortress,” Holownia said.

He said military promotions should be made on the basis of the army’s HR policy and the competences of soldiers “without partiality.”

The Polish defence industry should be strengthened so that modernisation of the armed forces did not profit only the United States and South Korea, Holownia also said, and promised Polish defence contractors would benefit from his party’s changes to the military.