Poland readies massive new civil defence programme to prepare population

France 24 reported that the Polish government, in coordination with the Defence Ministry, has opened training centres across every voivodeship under the civil defence programme. President Karol Nawrocki said in opening remarks that civilian preparedness is as critical as the military to defending the country's eastern frontier. The training covers first aid, shelter management, water purification and digital security modules.

Wojciech Skurkiewicz, who contributed to the programme design, told France 24 that the goal is for at least a quarter of Poland's 38 million population to complete basic training within three years. Anna Maria Dyner of the University of Warsaw said the programme aims to strengthen the population's psychological resilience. The training modules will be delivered by local authorities around Poland's Wisla strategic reinforcement line.

According to Reuters, the Polish Defence Ministry is channelling 4.2 billion zloty from the 2026 budget into civil defence infrastructure. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called Poland's approach a model implementation in a written statement. In Brussels, Eurogroup economic discussions are also tracking the programme's effect on defence spending.