With the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Poland Office), we carried out the project “The Economics of War. Defence Spending in Poland and Europe.”
The war in Ukraine, escalating geopolitical tensions, and political decisions to increase military spending to unprecedented levels are transforming the face of Europe. Militarisation is ceasing to be merely a security issue; it is becoming a central organising principle for economic policy, state budgets, and the language of public debate.
But do rising outlays on armaments truly enhance societal security? What are the economic and social costs involved? Who stands to gain and who to lose in this new “war order”? The project goes beyond simple arguments for or against rearmament.
The project has produced a rigorous, data-driven study that reveals the actual budgetary and social costs of rising defence spending, analyses the impact of militarisation on social policy, public health, and civilian investment, places Poland within a broader European and global context, and poses a fundamental question: what constitutes true security?
Is security built solely through increased military spending? Is there a viable alternative based on social investment, ecological transition, and international cooperation?
We invite you to join the debate on the direction in which Poland and Europe are heading!
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