Krzysztof Szczerski, Poland’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, is ending his mission early. He is the third Polish ambassador to step down since Friday, against the background of a dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal and a sharp conflict between the government and the president.
What happened
On Monday 2 November the foreign ministry spokesman said that Ambassador Szczerski had asked Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to shorten his mission, and the minister agreed. Szczerski is to leave the UN post in November. He had been ambassador to the UN since June 2021 and previously worked for years in the Chancellery of President Andrzej Duda.
Earlier resignations:
- Jakub Kumoch, ambassador to China – on Friday. He wrote that it was “not possible” for him to continue as ambassador.
- Paweł Soloch, ambassador to Romania – on Saturday. He cited actions around the Constitutional Tribunal, which he described as an unlawful attempt to take it over.
Both sides of the dispute
The government. On Saturday Mr Sikorski said the president’s aides had pressed ambassadors to resign. On Monday he said President Karol Nawrocki had done so personally. Asked for his source, he said the ministry had that knowledge. Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote that the solution to the Tribunal dispute is simple: the president should recognise the judges elected by the Sejm.
The president’s side. Marcin Przydacz, head of the president’s International Policy Bureau, wrote that the diplomats were leaving because they did not want to lend their names to what he called the government’s unlawful actions. Jakub Kumoch denied Mr Sikorski’s claim, saying he had not spoken to or contacted the president before his decision.
The Tribunal dispute continues. On Tuesday 3 November the general assembly of Tribunal judges was due to adopt a budget plan and draw panels for disciplinary proceedings.
What the law says
Under Article 133 of the Polish Constitution, the president appoints and recalls Poland’s plenipotentiary representatives to other states and international organisations, on a motion from the foreign minister. That is why ambassadorial posts have long been contested when the president and the government come from different political camps.
When an ambassador leaves, the embassy is usually run by a chargé d’affaires, a diplomat who temporarily stands in as head of mission, in line with diplomatic practice based on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The embassy keeps working.
What it means for Poles in the UK
So far the resignations concern Beijing, Bucharest and the UN mission. At the time of publication there was no information about changes at the Polish Embassy in London.
For everyday matters, passports, ID cards, citizenship and civil registration are handled by consulates, not personally by the ambassador. Changes of ambassadors do not change consular procedures. If you have an appointment at a consulate in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, there is no reason to rearrange it.
The broader point is that the conflict between government and president is spilling over into foreign policy. For Poles abroad, that may mean delays in filling ambassadorial posts, because appointments require both sides to cooperate.
Sources:
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