The Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily claims that the government in Warsaw is vying for this position.
For now, it is only certain that the outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will be succeeded on October 1 by former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has secured the support of all NATO member countries.
However, it remains unclear who will assume the position of NATO's deputy secretary-general.
“In such appointments, there are always behind-the-scenes negotiations," Dziennik Gazeta Prawna said in an article on Wednesday. It claimed that "in exchange for supporting Rutte, Poland sought the position of deputy secretary-general, which is currently held by former Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana."
However, Poland's chances are "only theoretical," according to the newspaper, because other NATO eastern-flank countries, including Bulgaria and Latvia, are also competing for the role.
It is possible that the next NATO deputy secretary-general will be a woman, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported.
Meanwhile, it is already known that no Polish candidate will become an assistant secretary-general, according to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. These officials are responsible for specific policy areas within the alliance.
Poland's ambassador to NATO, Tomasz Szatkowski, and Adam Bugajski, director of the security policy department at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were both considered for this position, but failed to garner sufficient support, according to the Polish daily.
The final decision on this appointment is expected to be announced next week at the NATO summit in Washington.
(mp/gs)
Source: PAP/DGP