Poland seeks pre-martial law mobilisation powers

The Polish Ministry of National Defence is drafting emergency legislation to establish a "state of full readiness for war," designed to allow the military to initiate conflict preparations before a formal presidential decree of martial law is issued.

According to Maciej Samsonowicz, an advisor to the Minister of National Defence, the proposed legal framework seeks to streamline national defence infrastructure, enabling the rapid mobilisation of civilian assets alongside the armed forces. Under the new provisions, the state would gain immediate authority to integrate Poland’s railways, roads, maritime ports, airports, and administrative bodies into military planning.

The legislative push is heavily focused on stripping away bureaucratic hurdles to rapidly fortify the nation's defensive capabilities.

"We cannot wait a year and a half or the standard two to three years to build something," Samsonowicz said in comments reported by the Polish defence publication Defence24.

In response to these timeline constraints, the bill aims to bypass standard planning and administrative procedures. This regulatory fast-track is intended to facilitate the accelerated construction of critical national security installations while systematically aligning civilian logistics networks with defence requirements.

By Tamilla Hasanova