President wanted Sikorski to stay on as foreign minister

President Komorowski: photo - PAP/Jacek Turczyk

President Komorowski told the TVN24 broadcaster on Tuesday evening that he “thought it would be best if Minister Sikorski fulfil his role until the end of his term in office,” following the cabinet reshuffle last month which saw Sikorski moved from the foreign ministry, after seven years as chief of diplomacy, to be replaced by former interior minister Grzegorz Schetyna.

Bronislaw Komorowski, a former member of the ruling centre-right Civic Platform until he was elected as President of Poland following the death of Lech Kaczynski in the 2010 Smolensk air disaster, said he would not comment on why Sikorski was moved from the foreign ministry to take up the more political role of Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament (Sejm).

“I do not know, or want to go into, the twists and turns of the life of the party,” he said.

He also denied reports that he had recommended Jacek Rostowski, a former finance minister, to head the foreign ministry, saying his talents had “great scope” but were not suited to foreign policy.

President Komorowski also said that he has yet to decide whether t0 run for a second term during the presidential elections next summer.

“From my point of view, it's important that I serve my term well until the end, then I will consider whether I want to be a candidate or not”. (pg)