MFA chief Sikorski: this senseless dance has to stop

The head of Polish diplomacy discussed the U.S. presidential election scheduled for Tuesday, addressing the question of which candidate – Donald Trump or Kamala Harris – would be a better host of the White House from Poland's perspective. "I am very careful not to repeat the mistake of the previous government, which placed all its bets on one side, on Donald Trump, and lost. And then, at least initially, it had a tougher relationship with the Biden administration," said Sikorski.

"We have a good relationship with the Biden administration, and at the same time, we are also in dialogue with the opposition, as it should be in a proper democracy," he emphasized. He added that "regardless of the outcome, Poland is secure."

Sikorski commented on the statement from PiS party leader Mariusz Błaszczak, who said that if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk should resign. "This is absurd. I thought PiS was a sovereignist party. They constantly defend us against the European Union, which poses no threat, fighting for sovereignty, and now what? The government in Poland should change not because there were elections or a coalition shift in the Sejm, but because of how an election in another country turns out?" he asked.

"I could just as easily call for President Duda [to resign – ed.] because Maia Sandu won in Moldova," he added.

The Foreign Minister also spoke about former Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz's activities in the context of the Smolensk subcommittee which the latter had led for years. A recent assessment made by a Ministry of National Defense team, led by General Jarosław Stróżyk, found that there was the possibility that Macierewicz had committed a diplomatic treason during his time in office.

"Macierewicz, whenever he's in power, causes some scandal that harms Poland. This senseless dance must end," Sikorski declared.

"Someone who wasted such massive resources, who subjected Smolensk families to such pain, who attempted to pressure experts to alter their findings – I hope he will be held accountable for all of it. Macierewicz has accumulated quite a lot," Sikorski said.

The TVN24 guest was also asked if he thought Macierewicz should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, which he had received from President Andrzej Duda.

To a remark that Macierewicz had contributed through his opposition activities during the Communist era, Sikorski replied: "There are whole groups of distinguished people who later either betrayed their values or committed unworthy acts." "You have to evaluate the whole life record, and Macierewicz has harmed Poland, as he did through the dissolution of the Military Information Services (WSI). He exposed agents, revealed current intelligence operations, translated them into Russian, and harmed people who cooperated out of patriotism," he continued.

The MFA chief also discussed his chances of receiving the presidential nomination from the Civic Coalition. "I believe the added value of the presidential office is that the president, if they have something to say, is listened to both domestically and abroad," he said.

"I’ll say modestly that when I spoke at the UN Security Council, it resonated, meaning that Poland’s perspective, coming from the position of the foreign minister, was heard worldwide. From the position of president, this can be done even more effectively," Sikorski remarked.

He continued: "It seems to me that the government needs a partner who would fulfill their constitutional role, that is, as a representative of Poland and executor of Poland's foreign policy, rather than as a rival to the government in shaping it."

"A president who commands respect internationally can do a lot of good for Poland," he added.

When the show host pointed out that some polls suggest Sikorski would perform worse than Rafał Trzaskowski in a second-round election and that the Mayor of Warsaw has greater appeal among undecided voters, Sikorski responded: "But I know of a poll that shows I have a higher ceiling of support. We’re neck and neck in that poll. As Civic Platform, we’re looking for the best candidate for these challenging times—someone who can win."

He added that the "key question" in his competition with Trzaskowski for the presidential nomination is who has the greater coalition-building ability. "Not in the party sense, but in terms of attracting new voters—those who, in the first round, voted for someone else," he continued.

"I put forward the idea that the Left likely supports my pro-European stance, which I have demonstrated. For the Polish People’s Party (PSL), the fact that I’m a local boy from Bydgoszcz, that I live in the countryside, and that we worked well together within the European People’s Party in Brussels and Strasbourg, is a guarantee of sorts. And even within circles around Confederation, where there’s quite a bit of libertarian-minded Polish business, I receive signs of support. And from that poll, it also appears that I might even gain some traction among the current opposition’s electorate," Radosław Sikorski argued.