Sikorski Delivers Bitter Wishes and Sharp Warnings on Nawrocki’s Anniversary

On the anniversary of Karol Nawrocki taking office, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski offered sharp criticism alongside his official wishes, accusing the president of overreaching power and blocking key ambassadorial appointments.

Bitter Wishes on Karol Nawrocki’s Anniversary

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that he wishes President Karol Nawrocki would work for Poland rather than merely expanding his own powers and creating a presidential system. He added that such an approach is unrealistic and will lead to failure if the president continues to treat the government so spitefully.

Thursday marks one year since Karol Nawrocki was sworn into office. On August 6, 2025, he took the presidential oath before the National Assembly, formally assuming the office of the President of the Republic of Poland. On Thursday afternoon, during a meeting in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace, Nawrocki is set to summarize his first year in office.

Asked on Polish Radio Program 1 whether he wanted to send wishes to the president on this occasion, Sikorski replied that he would wish the president to act for the sake of Poland rather than just expanding his powers. The Foreign Minister added that the move is unrealistic and will only result in failure if the president spitefully vetoes and treats the government maliciously.

Hands Off Governing Poland: A Sharp Competency Dispute

Pressed about recent remarks by presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz—who stated in the context of recent pardons that “the ruling authorities should keep their hands off the president’s prerogatives”—the deputy prime minister responded that the government side can say the same in reverse. Sikorski stated that the president should keep his hands off governing Poland, as that is the government’s job.

He further assessed that the past year of cooperation with the president has been “frustrating” because Nawrocki continues to withhold his signature from ambassadorial appointments. The Foreign Minister noted that the previous president, Andrzej Duda, signed 24 such nominations at his request. Sikorski stated that Karol Nawrocki wants to conduct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ personnel policy, which is not provided for in the constitution.

Suicide Tactics and Constitutional Reform Warnings

He also stated that the presidential camp’s efforts to shift Poland’s system of government toward a presidential system amount to a “suicide tactic.” This is because amending the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in the Sejm with the presence of at least half of the statutory number of deputies, and the president’s current actions will not convince “a single politician” from the governing side that he should be given more power.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that the president will not achieve his goal through obstruction tactics.

A Prolonged Diplomatic Dispute Over Ambassador Nominations

A dispute between the Foreign Ministry and the presidency regarding ambassadorial appointments has been ongoing since 2024. In March 2024, Minister Sikorski decided that over 50 ambassadors would end their missions, and a dozen or so candidacies submitted by the department’s previous leadership would be withdrawn. The then-president, Andrzej Duda, emphasized that no Polish ambassador can be appointed or recalled without the president’s signature.

Diplomats designated by the Foreign Ministry without ambassadorial status, serving instead as chargé d’affaires, were sent to replace ambassadors who left their posts but were not formally recalled by the president. The dispute over ambassadorial nominations has persisted since Karol Nawrocki assumed the presidency. The president specifically opposes the appointment of the current head of the mission in Washington, Bogdan Klich, and Ryszard Schnepf, the chargé d’affaires in Italy.

In April of this year, President Nawrocki stated that he was “ready to sign ambassadorial nominations” and expressed hope that he and Minister Sikorski would soon reach an agreement on the matter. The president noted at the time that they had been clarifying certain issues for months through several meetings and were much closer to a resolution.

In turn, Sikorski stated in July that under the Foreign Service Act adopted by the previous government in 2021, the ministry submits requests to President Nawrocki for the recall of ambassadors as well as the appointment of candidates who have been previously prepared, interviewed by the Sejm Committee, and approved by the host country. Under Article 39 of the Foreign Service Act, ambassadors are appointed and recalled by the president upon the motion of the foreign minister, as approved by the head of the government.