Polish FM: President Duda's actions are an 'attempt to usurp power'

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has strongly criticized President Andrzej Duda, accusing him of attempting to "usurp power" through "obstruction tactics" and unrealistic efforts to shift Poland towards a presidential republic. Sikorski's remarks came in response to recent statements by the presidential press office warning the government against interfering with the president's prerogative to grant pardons.

Sikorski countered that the government could issue similar warnings, asserting that the president should not interfere with the governance of Poland, which is the government's responsibility. He described his first year working with Duda as "draining," citing the president's continued refusal to approve ambassadorial appointments. Sikorski accused the president of illegally attempting to control the Foreign Ministry's personnel policy, a role not assigned to the president by the constitution.

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The government can say exactly the same in reverse. The president should not interfere in the governance of Poland – that is the government's job.

The intense conflict between the Foreign Ministry and the presidency over diplomatic appointments has been ongoing since 2024. Currently, dozens of Polish embassies are headed by lower-ranking, temporary charges d'affaires instead of full ambassadors. President Duda has opposed candidates for key diplomatic posts, including Bogdan Klich for Washington and Ryszard Schnepf for Italy. Despite a stated hope in April for an agreement, public disputes persist, leaving crucial decisions unresolved.

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The first year of working with [President Duda] was draining.

Sikorski also dismissed the president's ambition to amend the constitution to expand his powers, emphasizing that constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament. "By using obstruction tactics, the president will not achieve his goals," Sikorski stated, adding that Duda's current behavior is unlikely to persuade any government-aligned politician to grant him more authority.

Reports indicate that President Duda's vetoes have already cost Poland up to 1.7 billion euros, according to official calculations from the Ministry of Finance. This figure rises to 1.9 billion euros when previously allocated funds for healthcare are included. In his first year, Duda vetoed 41 laws and referred two others to the Constitutional Tribunal for preliminary review. This tactic allows him to indefinitely halt legislation, with the tribunal not bound by a deadline to issue a decision. The president's actions are reportedly facilitated by the alignment of political ideologies between his office and the conservative majority in the Constitutional Tribunal, often coordinating to impede the ruling coalition's key economic policies.

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By using obstruction tactics, the president will not achieve his goals.