Nawrocki says he will talk to Tusk, not Sikorski, on ambassador posts

President Karol Nawrocki has refused to resume ambassador-appointment talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, while indicating he is willing to negotiate with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He set out the position in an interview with Rzeczpospolita, which is due on rp.pl on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, and in the Wednesday, 14 October 2026 print edition. Nawrocki said the proposed agreement remains valid, but he did not intend to seek a meeting with the prime minister himself.

Terms for talks

Asked whether he was ready to talk with Sikorski, Nawrocki said he was not, arguing that such talks had no meaning and that the minister was not in control of the situation. He said he had once reached an understanding with Sikorski and that nothing came of it. He added that he could speak instead to the minister's superior, and that if Tusk wants to return to the agreement that still lies on the table, he is ready to do so.

I can talk to the boss of Minister Sikorski, that is, to Prime Minister Tusk.

A signal rather than a request

Asked whether he would make the first approach, Nawrocki said he was addressing Tusk through the interview. He stressed that he would not seek the meeting personally, describing his statement as a clear message to the prime minister. In the same answer he said the deal is possible and that he remains ready to bring the dispute to an end.

I will not ask the prime minister, but I am sending a clear signal.

The agreement is on the table. I am ready to return to talks and bring this matter to an end.

Background to the dispute

The row over ambassador posts began in March 2024, when the Foreign Ministry decided on changes to posts held by more than 50 ambassadors. Then president Andrzej Duda objected to part of those decisions, stressing that appointing and recalling ambassadors requires the head of state's signature. Rzeczpospolita reports that the impasse began during Duda's presidency and continues to this day. wPolityce.pl reported that Tusk had blocked an earlier agreement reached under Duda, a claim presented as the outlet's account. The conflict was not resolved when Nawrocki took office, and some Polish missions are still led by diplomats without formal ambassador status.

Posts still in dispute

The most contested post is the embassy in Washington, where Bogdan Klich heads the mission as chargé d'affaires. Nawrocki opposes nominating Klich as ambassador. He also rejects the candidacy of Ryszard Schnepf, who leads the Polish post in Italy. Both men perform the duties of heads of mission without a presidential ambassador nomination. In February 2026 Nawrocki and Sikorski discussed ending the impasse, and Foreign Ministry representatives reported a constructive atmosphere and closer positions. No final agreement followed, so both posts remain without ambassador nominations.