Foreign Affairs
Key NATO Ally’s Top Generals Resign In Protest Of Gov’t Interference
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Some 30 generals and 260 top officers have resigned from Poland’s armed forces since the conservative Law and Justice party came to power in 2015.
Many officials have left in protest of the government’s interference in the military ranks. Younger and less experienced personnel have been promoted to take their place, which has raised concerns over the functionality of a key NATO member.
An aide to President Andrzej Duda addressed the issue Wednesday, saying the changes have no negative effect on the country’s defense. The government has repeatedly pointed out that the total size of the country’s army has grown from 96,000 in 2015 to 106,000 in 2017.
“Probably part of the departures is natural, but there’s also part that’s forced, for example by transfer orders sending officers into reserves,” retired Brig. Gen. Stanislaw Koziej told Bloomberg in February. “The worrying element is that some departures are at the highest level where the military command links with the political leadership. This is a bad signal.”
Poland is one of five NATO countries that meet the 2 percent of GDP spending criteria. The U.S. deployed 3,000 troops to Poland in January as part of the largest reinforcement of Europe since the Cold War. (RELATED: When The NATO Bill Hits The Table, These Are The Countries Who Hesitate To Reach For The Wallet)
The country shares a 144-mile border with Russia, and it’s one of several countries in the region that feels threatened by Russian aggression.
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