Poland develops defense readiness act to counter hybrid threats

The Polish Ministry of National Defence is developing a new legislative project focused on national defense readiness, colloquially referred to as the ‘pre-war act’. The project is expected to be presented within two weeks.

According to Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Zalewski, the legislation aims to prepare the state to function and respond to hybrid threats before the formal prerequisites for declaring martial law are met. A key component involves regulating the use of armed forces for kinetic actions rather than purely police-style operations, such as those currently seen on the border with Belarus. These military actions could be conducted both within Polish territory and abroad, potentially in fulfillment of alliance obligations.

The proposed regulations will also clarify cooperation between the military and other uniformed services. Additionally, the act will outline specific duties for entrepreneurs and administrative officials, including selective tasks for the defense or civil defense systems and mandatory training requirements.