The president versus the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deadlock over the nomination of ambassadors
“President Nawrocki has on his desk applications for several dozen dismissals of people who have left diplomatic missions, and about 40 applications for the appointment of ambassadors. Unfortunately, he has not signed any, even for people voted for by PiS MPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Sikorski said. As he emphasized, this situation hinders the functioning of Polish diplomacy and is unfair to professional diplomats.
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Conflict over prerogatives
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that during the United Right government, the procedures for appointing ambassadors were clarified. “Before, it was customary, and under PiS the Foreign Service Act was passed, which stated in black and white that the president appoints an ambassador at the request of the minister of foreign affairs,” Sikorski recalled. Despite this, President Nawrocki did not take any action in this matter, which – according to the minister – may be an attempt to usurp competences.
Sikorski emphasized that his goal is to avoid the escalation of the conflict. He recalled that similar problems occurred during the presidency of Andrzej Duda, who ultimately signed over 20 ambassadorial nominations. “I hope that President Nawrocki will finally reflect,” he added.
A compromise proposal
The minister proposed a compromise to the president that would assume that 80 percent of ambassadors would be professional diplomats, and the remaining 20 percent would be divided equally between the government and the president. “This is not a short-term offer, but a fair offer,” Sikorski emphasized. However, he noted that he has not received any response from the president so far.
In an interview with Wyborcza.pl, Sikorski also referred to the practice of nominating ambassadors from outside the diplomatic service. “There are places where the Polish ambassador does not have to be a professional diplomat. In Japan or India, scientists and cultural experts make sense. In turn, in countries such as Iraq or North Korea, you can accredit a general, and where you want to sell weapons, a military one,” explained the minister.
Political tensions
Sikorski suggested that the president's advisers may be behind the current situation and, as he put it, “put him outside legal procedures.” “I suspect that they are accusing the president of the government and they are not responsible for it either legally or in terms of their image,” said the minister.
When asked about the greatest concerns related to Poland's future, Sikorski pointed to the risk of succumbing to Russian propaganda and turning away from cooperation with Western allies. “Let's not be afraid of how far our country can go. Today, Poland is a safe, dynamically developing country, full of opportunities. Let's not waste it,” appealed the head of Polish diplomacy.
