Sikorski tops poll of best Polish defense ministers of the 21st century

Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's current foreign minister, has been named the best defense minister of the 21st century in a recent poll. Sikorski, who led the Ministry of National Defense from 2005 to 2007, received 18.1% of the votes in a survey conducted by SW Research for rp.pl.

Mariusz Blaszczak, who holds the record for the longest tenure as defense minister, secured second place with 11.6% of the vote. He served a total of 2,164 days across multiple governments. Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the current minister, followed with 9.5%.

Despite the poll results, a significant portion of respondents, 43.3%, did not select a favorite defense minister, suggesting a lack of clear consensus among the public. The survey also highlighted demographic differences, with men slightly more likely than women to choose Sikorski, and a notable preference among individuals under 24 years old.

The article also touches upon the historical context of military funding in Poland. It notes that the first decade of the 21st century and the years immediately following were marked by underfunding and budget cuts for the Polish Army. A shift occurred in 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, which led to a consensus on increasing defense spending, a trend that has continued with record-breaking expenditures in recent years.

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In 2026, we plan to spend PLN 200 billion, which is to constitute 4.8% of GDP.