Radosław Sikorski's Exposé: Dispute Over Security, the SAFE Program, and Relations with the USA

Radosław Sikorski's speech in the Sejm became an arena for an unprecedented ideological clash between the government and the opposition. The head of diplomacy outlined a pessimistic yet realistic vision of the world order, whose foundations depend on the outcome of the war in Ukraine. A key element of the exposé was the warning that Poland cannot adopt the stance of a "sucker" in relations with the USA, which provoked an immediate reaction from Law and Justice politicians. Mateusz Morawiecki and Zbigniew Rau assessed this formulation as scandalous and harmful to the state's prestige on the international stage. Criticism also concerned the failure to address the issue of war reparations from Germany, which Arkadiusz Mularczyk saw as proof of the government's subservience to Berlin. Since the interwar period, Polish diplomacy has sought a balance between alliance with Western powers and building regional security, which historically defined the concept of "policy of two chairs" or "Intermarium." A significant point of contention remains the SAFE program, which has become a hostage to the conflict between the MFA and President Karol Nawrocki. Sikorski accused the head of state of deliberately delaying the signing of key regulations due to party dictates. The atmosphere was further heated by the unconventional use of the Roblox platform to promote selected threads of the speech, which commentators perceived as an element of the minister's informal presidential campaign. Simultaneously, a sharp exchange of words occurred in the parliamentary benches with Antoni Macierewicz, whom Sikorski reminded of past accusations of favoring foreign agents. „Poland is not and will not be anyone's sucker. Our alliance with the US must be based on mutual respect and hard interests.” — Radosław Sikorski From an international perspective, Sikorski's speech was noted by, among others, the Reuters agency, highlighting the evolution of Poland's stance towards European strategic autonomy. Experts point out that while the government declares a desire to increase the presence of American troops, it is simultaneously preparing for a scenario of reduced Washington engagement in continental security. The debate revealed a deep divide between the vision of an "active Poland in a strong Union" presented by Sikorski and the postulate of "assertive sovereignty" championed by the opposition represented by Mateusz Morawiecki and Krzysztof Bosak.