Most Poles Would Not Fight for Their Country

A majority of Poles say they would not take part in defending the country in the event of a military conflict, although most also say they would choose to remain in Poland rather than flee abroad.

According to a survey conducted by the IBRiS polling agency for Radio ZET, 58% of respondents said they would not participate in the country's defense, while 27% said they would.

The poll found a sharp gender divide. Some 42% of men said they would take part in defending Poland, compared with just 14% of women. Supporters of opposition parties also expressed a greater willingness to fight than voters backing the governing coalition.

Despite the relatively low willingness to participate in the country's defense, 69% of respondents said they would remain in Poland if war broke out. Only 23% said they would consider leaving the country, with women slightly more likely than men to do so.

The survey was conducted on 10 and 11 July among a representative sample of 1,067 respondents.

(mja)