Poland's Secretary of State for the European Union, Konrad Szymański, announced his resignation on Wednesday (October 12). "I proposed this to the prime minister and he agreed this could be a good solution for the future. This scenario has been agreed," he told reporters.
Between 2004 and 2014, Konrad Szymański was a Member of the European Parliament on behalf of the Law and Justice party. He sat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), where he dealt with Eastern affairs and the EU's relations with the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU's energy security.
In 2013 and 2014, "Polityka" and "Rzeczpospolita", respectively, voted him one of the best Polish members of the European Parliament.
From November 17, 2015, to November 14, 2019, Konrad Szymański was the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On November 15, 2019, he was appointed as Minister – Member of the Council of Ministers. He also served as Secretary of State for the European Union since 2020.
Asked about reasons for his resignation, Szymański said replied: "I proposed this to the prime minister and he agreed this could be a good solution for the future. This an agreed scenario".
Szymański: governments change, but there's only one country
Konrad Szymański also spoke about the relations between the Polish government and EU institutions. "I'm sure my successor will be carrying out Poland's policy in the EU with the same experience, professionalism and dedication, in line with the country's best interest. On my part, I can declare my full support for the person who will continue this work, because governments change, but there's only one country," he said.
Earlier that day, Szymański was asked about his decision in Polsat News. He said he had been striving for a very long time to deescalate various disputes and in many of them he had succeeded. "Still, however, the fundamental dispute encounters various kinds of obstacles, both in Poland and Brussels. "I think that a new opening, also personal one, may prove helpful in that regard," Szymański said, explaining that said fundamental dispute was related to "a serious controversy regarding the way in which to implement the rule of law in member states".
Interia - which was the first one to report about Szymański's resignation - said he could be replaced by one of the deputy foreign ministers: Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk or Paweł Jabłoński.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Interia, Polsat News, PAP, gov.pl
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24