The delay stems from a prolonged disagreement between President Andrzej Duda and the government, which is constitutionally responsible for foreign policy.
Sikorski told state broadcaster TVP Info on Monday that recent decisions by the president suggest he may be open to resolving the stalled ambassadorial appointments before his term ends in early August.
The foreign minister said he was encouraged to see that "reason has prevailed" and expressed hope that, going forward, the president "will act in accordance with the applicable legislation and the constitutional prerogatives of his office."
Until recently, Duda had approved only one appointment, nominating Agnieszka Bartol as Poland's permanent representative to the European Union. Eighteen others, including posts in Israel, the OECD and NATO, are still awaiting the final nod from the government, according to Małgorzata Paprocka, head of the Polish President's Office.
Agnieszka Bartol, Poland’s Permanent Representative to the EU. Photo: PAP/Wiktor Dąbkowski
Sikorski told TVP Info that more than 100 signatures were "still missing" for 58 diplomatic missions.
He also said that when he took office in December 2023, roughly 20 percent of ambassadorial posts at Polish missions worldwide had been left vacant by his predecessors.
The Foreign Service Council, a body tasked with evaluating candidates for ambassadorial posts, is set to review additional candidates who have received preliminary approval from the president. The review is scheduled for Friday.
Dispute over ambassadors
"One day after Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the withdrawal of ambassadorial nominations from the President's Office, Andrzej Duda decided to sign some of them," Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza said in a commentary on Friday.
It added that Duda's office "cites confusion, while sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggest that pressure may have had an impact."
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Source: IAR/PAP/TVP Info/X/@PolandMFA/@DWielowieyska
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