“The Minister has, in effect, reduced everything to party politics by using the slogan of one of the presidential candidates, shouting it loudly in the parliamentary chamber. It’s unfortunate that such a partisan slogan was used, and it’s a shame that we had to witness so many political jabs throughout the speech today,” said President Andrzej Duda, commenting on today’s foreign policy address delivered by Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
Sikorski’s Address
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski delivered a policy speech in the Sejm today. In his remarks, he accused the opposition of “fearmongering” and misleading the public by claiming that the European Parliament’s March 12 resolution on EU defense meant “handing over control of the Polish army to Brussels” or “tampering with our NATO relations.” Notably, the minister made no mention of the upcoming Three Seas Initiative summit, which is set to take place in Poland. At the end of his speech, Sikorski chose to echo the campaign slogan of KO’s presidential candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski: “All of Poland Forward.”
“These two acts — honoring the legacy of Pope John Paul II and passing a resolution on the anniversary of the coronation — carry great significance and highlight our connection to the Holy See. It was all the more striking, then, that the minister’s speech, particularly its closing, contrasted so painfully with that broader, international perspective,” the President said.
He added, “The minister effectively turned the entire address into a partisan display by using the slogan of a presidential candidate and shouting it out in parliament.”
“I have served as President of the Republic of Poland for nearly ten years — an office I consider to be a great honor — and I have always treated with the utmost seriousness the constitutional provision that states foreign policy must be carried out in cooperation among those responsible. The Constitutional Tribunal strongly emphasized this when it reviewed a competence dispute stemming from then-Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s attempt to sideline President Lech Kaczyński from European affairs. The Tribunal made it very clear: the constitutional principle of cooperation is fundamental,” Duda stressed.
In the president’s view, “It’s a pity that such a partisan slogan was used, and it’s regrettable that today’s address included so many political attacks.”
The Omitted Three Seas Initiative
“I must point out one thing: I deeply regret and was very disappointed that the minister failed to mention Poland’s strong and growing cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative in his speech. As we know, Warsaw will soon host the next Three Seas summit. Sadly, the Foreign Minister did not find room in his remarks to highlight this event or the initiative itself, which has been developing since 2015. It has significantly accelerated infrastructure development in Central Europe and contributed to our growth and security,” the President noted.
He also observed, “Important meetings take place in cities like Paris and Brussels — Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends them, but does not organize any of them here in Poland.”
“I don’t know whether this is due to his reluctance to cooperate with the president on such matters, or simply an inability to effectively invite world leaders and engage in meaningful dialogue with them,” he said.
The Death of Pope Francis
President Duda also addressed the passing of Pope Francis.
“While we listened to the Foreign Minister’s annual address today, I must begin by emphasizing that we opened today’s session of the Sejm with a moment of silence and reflection, paying our respects to His Holiness Pope Francis. We all received the deeply saddening news on Monday morning that the Holy Father had passed away. Francis was not only the head of the Catholic Church but, from our perspective, also our guest during World Youth Day in 2016. I personally met with the Holy Father on several occasions at the Vatican, at his invitation. His passing touches the hearts of believers around the world, and it is also a significant international event. A transition at the Holy See is always of major global importance, which is why it was fitting to begin today’s session by honoring him,” the president said.
He also expressed satisfaction that a resolution was adopted to mark the 1000th anniversary of the Polish coronation, saying these two events “intertwined meaningfully.”
“Our respect, remembrance, and connection to the Holy See, to each and every Pope — and the fact that the Polish state was elevated to a kingdom over a thousand years ago — are deeply intertwined. Both our baptism and the crown for Bolesław the Brave, and later his son Mieszko II, came from Rome,” the President reminded.