Polish heads of diplomatic missions were humiliated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski. As part of an April Fools’ joke, he wrote that President Karol Nawrocki had signed ambassadorial nominations. The first congratulatory messages began arriving at diplomatic posts. Marcin Przydacz explained the scandalous situation caused by the head of Polish diplomacy, saying that “now, full of embarrassment, they have to explain this stupid joke. They have been humiliated”.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just received a package of 42 signed ambassadorial nominations. I thank President Karol Nawrocki, especially for appointing apolitical diplomats who serve their homeland at the risk of their lives in Kyiv, Tehran, and Abu Dhabi”, Radosław Sikorski wrote on the X platform.
Some media outlets picked up the information. Moreover, as Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Bureau of International Policy, reported, “many ambassadors/heads of missions unfortunately believed it and are receiving congratulations from colleagues in the diplomatic corps”. He added that “now, full of embarrassment, they have to explain this stupid joke”, because they have been humiliated.
Bad joke and humiliation of diplomats
It quickly turned out that the head of Polish diplomacy decided to join in the tradition of April 1st and that his message was simply a “joke”. However, it was not funny for many of its recipients, including some media outlets that presented it as important news.
“The issue of Polish ambassadors and the paralysis of the foreign service caused by Minister Sikorski is a serious matter. I do not think that bad jokes are appropriate here”, Przydacz commented.
He stressed that the role of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is to safeguard the “prestige of the Polish diplomatic corps”, not to humiliate it.
The issue of Sikorski’s undiplomatic joke regarding the signatures on ambassadorial nominations was officially addressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson. However, this also became a pretext for attacks on the head of state.