In a landmark speech commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the establishment of the Kingdom of Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk laid out an ambitious vision for the country’s future – one centered around military strength, economic prosperity, and political influence. Speaking from Gniezno, the city where King Boleslaw the Brave was crowned a millennium ago, Tusk presented what he called the National Piast Doctrine, a comprehensive plan to elevate Poland to the status of a regional superpower.

“We will have the strongest army in the region,” Tusk declared with emphasis. “Don’t say it’s impossible.” His bold statement underlines a strategic pivot for Poland, which has already been one of Europe’s most vocal proponents of military strengthening since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Tusk argued that Poland must be prepared to face threats from any direction – east, west, or south – and insisted that the country must learn from the “tragic, dramatic experience” of the war unfolding just across its eastern border.

The Piast Doctrine, named after Poland’s first historical ruling dynasty, rests on three interconnected pillars: military supremacy, economic leadership, and political influence. Tusk’s speech outlined each pillar in detail, offering a glimpse into how Warsaw aims to reshape its future and its role in the international order.

Poland’s military ambitions under Tusk are striking in their scope. The country has already undertaken one of the largest rearmament programs in Europe, purchasing modern equipment from the United States and South Korea, including F-35 fighter jets, Abrams tanks, and K2 Black Panther tanks. Yet Tusk’s new doctrine suggests that even these efforts will accelerate.

“We must overcome any threat,” Tusk said, framing military........

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