The key facts

  • In an interview with tvn24, Sikorski urged Nawrocki to overcome his 'Ukrainian skepticism' and to push the United States to apply pressure on Russia rather than on Ukraine
  • The minister said the president's criticism of the EU signals a desire to take Poland out of the union
  • The statement came after unrest outside the Constitutional Tribunal on October 30, which forced Nawrocki to cut short his visit to Senegal

A sharp statement from Poland's top diplomat

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly criticized the country's President Karol Nawrocki, urging him to 'temper his Ukrainian skepticism.' He made the statement in an interview with tvn24, reports Gazeta.Ru. 'It would be good if Mr. President overcame his

Dispute over Poland's future in the European Union

The second subject of criticism is the president's attitude toward the European Union. According to Sikorski, Nawrocki's criticism of the EU means that he wants to take the country out of the union. The minister stressed that he 'will not allow Poland to be taken out of the European Union.' Thus, two positions on key foreign policy issues — support for Ukraine and EU membership — have openly clashed within the Polish government.

Conflict surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal

The criticism came against the backdrop of unrest in Warsaw. On the evening of October 30 a crowd of protesters gathered outside the building of the Constitutional Tribunal; some tried to force their way inside but were detained by police. Among those gathered were the leader of the opposition and head of the Law and Justice party Jarosław Kaczyński, as well as former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Removal of the court's leadership and the president's return

The trigger for the escalation was a conflict over the court's leadership: a notice appeared on its website announcing the removal of President Bogdan Święczkowski and Deputy Bartłomiej Sochański, while judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska declared herself acting head of the tribunal as the most senior judge. In connection with this, Nawrocki cut short his flight to Senegal and returned to Warsaw, tried to enter the court building, and a scuffle broke out. Later the president spoke of a 'forcible seizure of a constitutional state body'. Separately, the outlet noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk had accused opponents of attacking the tribunal with the help of Russian bots. The outlet is following the developments online.