Storm on the Internet after Nawrocki’s declaration. The “copy-paste” technique stands out
On Thursday, March 13, the president announced in his speech that he would veto the SAFE Act. Analysts from Res Futura Data House checked how his decision was reacted to in social media.
The topic of the EU SAFE arms financing program has been the subject of heated debate in our country in recent weeks. It was clear that the president’s reluctant camp did not have an easy task and could not reject huge amounts of money for weapons purchases without any explanation. Opposition politicians and the president himself explained that a loan from the European Union would make us dependent on foreign allies. Supporters emphasized the need to strengthen the army and services in the face of Russia’s aggressive policy.
Nawrocki vetoes SAFE. Tusk talks about lobbying
President Nawrocki decided to talk about the reasons for rejecting the SAFE Act during his Thursday address to the nation. – The SAFE mechanism is a huge foreign loan, taken out for 45 years in a foreign currency, the interest cost of which can amount to up to PLN 180 billion. Poles will therefore have to pay back as much as the value of the loan granted, and Western banks and financial institutions will profit from this, he argued.
– The problem with the SAFE euro loan is not only about money. It also concerns principles, the president added. – It will not be only the Polish authorities who will decide about this money and our security. SAFE is a mechanism in which Brussels, through the so-called principle of conditionality, can arbitrarily suspend financing, and our country will still have to repay this debt, he added.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a short comment online on Thursday and announced that he would say more about it the next day. “The president lost the chance to behave like a patriot,” he wrote just after the speech. The next day he said that the government was prepared for such a decision.
– Very harsh words are being spoken today. People in Poland are wondering whether this is treason, whether it is the work of lobbyists, lack of common sense. Today I will not think about the real reasons for such a negative action by the president, said the Prime Minister. He emphasized that since the morning he has been receiving calls from European leaders who do not understand the Polish president’s decision.
– It is not the case that today everywhere in Europe people are wondering what happened and how this is possible. Only in Russian newspapers is there full understanding of the president’s veto. I won’t insinuate anything here, but the facts are absolutely cruel to the reputation of the Polish president. And there is nothing to be happy about, said the head of government.
Reactions on the Internet after Nawrocki’s veto. The analysis shows a large number of bots
How did Poles react to Karol Nawrocki’s decision? An analysis of social media by the European Analytical Collective Res Futura shows that within the first hour of the announcement of the decision (20:07 – 21:10), approximately 45% of people expressed support for the veto. commenters. In turn, about 48 percent were against it.
The same analysts also looked at the content of the comments. Supporters of the veto were to focus on the narrative of sovereignty and defense of Poland’s interests. Their statements were short, emotional and triumphant. There was a narrative that SAFE was a debt trap for future generations, and Nawrocki was called a patriot who acted against the pressure of Western countries.
Critics of the veto, on the other hand, prevailed in the length and intensity of the entries. They mainly wrote about betrayal of national interests and acting to the benefit of Russia. They mentioned the weakening of the Police, Border Guard and Fire Service, which lost their chance for additional money. The vulgar tone of the message and personalized attacks on Nawrocki drew attention.
The analysis of the origin of the comments was also interesting. Reading from Facebook and X allowed Res Futura to determine that out of 192,035 comments, approximately 16.9 percent “can be identified as content with a high likelihood of being automated or a coordinated copying campaign.” It was noted that the actual share of such content may be higher because slightly modified versions of the same texts were sometimes used. The upper limit is therefore estimated at 20-25%. bots/copied messages.
