The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, indicated on Friday that one of his chosen candidates for ambassadors is Bogdan Klich, the former defense minister and former head of the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee. He noted that the candidate is based in the United States and stressed that the other nominees are professional diplomats.
Sikorski was questioned on TVN24 about a potential negative presidential decision to dismiss 50 ambassadors and replace them with new appointees.
Speaking cautiously, he said it would be surprising if the president acted against most of the candidates, since the lineup is largely composed of career diplomats. He expressed hope that such an outcome would not occur.
One political contender mentioned by Sikorski is Bogdan Klich, a former defense minister and former head of the Sejm Foreign Affairs Committee. He added that Klich is based in the United States. Sikorski noted that PiS had criticized Klich for allegedly participating in the Smolensk attack, and challenged opponents to present any evidence before he would reconsider his candidacy.
The Foreign Ministry chief also mentioned that Prime Minister Donald Tusk had expressed agreement with changes to the diplomatic missions. He added that the president had full advance information since the matter was debated within the framework established by the Government Law and Justice in the Diplomatic Service Act, where the amendments he proposed were adopted by a three-to-one majority.
Asked about a possible negative presidential decision regarding ambassadors, Sikorski replied that there was already alignment with the president. He stated that he had requested an audience immediately upon taking office, received initial personnel suggestions from the president, accepted them, and remained committed to the plan.
When asked to assess the president’s actions, the head of the State Department described it as a political strategy consistent with the presidential camp. He argued that the state needed professionals in intelligence, law enforcement, media, and diplomacy, and emphasized that embassies should not be a refuge for relatives or party activists.
Sikorski also commented on the broader shift toward appointing more ambassadors from outside the foreign service. He recalled that historically such appointments were rare, and that today they represent a majority in the current slate. He cited the example of Andrzej Przyłębski, the former ambassador to Germany, to illustrate the trend.
He criticized the president for supporting a stance that would align with certain nationalist factions, suggesting that this could affect Poland’s diplomacy. He asserted that Poland must have professionals across national security, the prosecutor’s office, the media, and diplomacy to ensure sound foreign policy decisions.
Sikorski’s stance on a broad purge of ambassadors
Recently, the Ministry announced plans to end the missions of more than fifty ambassadors and to withdraw several applications submitted by the previous management. The ministry indicated that practical appeal procedures would be initiated. The president has stated that he will not rush the process and reiterated that the appointment and dismissal of ambassadors are powers vested in the president, exercised in consultation with the prime minister and the foreign minister.
According to the constitutional framework, the president appoints and dismisses Poland’s representatives abroad, while foreign policy is conducted by the Council of Ministers. The constitution also obliges the president to cooperate with the prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs on foreign policy matters. The Foreign Service Act requires the president to appoint ambassadors on the minister’s recommendation and with the prime minister’s approval. The foreign affairs minister must seek the advice of the Foreign Service Convention before submitting applications. The convention includes the minister, the head of the Foreign Service, a president’s chancellery representative, and a representative from the prime minister’s chancellery.
tkwl/PAP