Posted on 02/05/2007 9:29:57 AM PST by A. Pole
WARSAW, Poland - Polish Defense Minister Radek Sikorski, who has strong ties to the United States, has resigned after the country's prime minister expressed "reservations" about his work, a government spokesman said Monday.
Sikorski's departure deprives Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's weak government of an internationally respected figure, just as Warsaw begins negotiations with Washington over whether to host a missile defense base.
Poland also is in the process of building up its contingent in Afghanistan from 100 to about 1,000, and is a strong U.S. ally in Iraq.
Government spokesman Jan Dziedziczak said that Sikorski had resigned after speaking with Kaczynski. The prime minister had "reservations" about Sikorski's work, Dziedziczak said. He did not elaborate.
The United States is hoping to set up missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic. The system would combine long-range radar and ballistic rockets, with the aim of detecting and shooting down missiles fired from the Middle East.
Jacek Kucharczyk, the deputy head of a Warsaw think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, said Sikorski's departure was unlikely to affect Warsaw's general stance on missile defense, or its support for U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kaczynski and his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski, support strong ties with Washington.
However, Kucharczyk said the resignation could hurt Warsaw as it opens talks with the U.S. on missile defense.
"Sikorski would have been well-placed to negotiate good conditions for Poland," he said. "I think his resignation may make it easier for the Americans to get what they want without giving so much in exchange."
There was no immediate word on who would succeed Sikorski.
His resignation highlights the weakness of the coalition government led by Kaczynski and his Law and Justice party.
Since taking power in October 2005, the Law and Justice-led government has had two premiers, five finance ministers, two treasury ministers and two foreign ministers.
The Oxford-educated Sikorski, 43, was a deputy defense and deputy foreign minister in previous conservative governments. He worked as a resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington immediately before becoming defense minister in October 2005.
Sikorski is married to Washington Post columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum.
Russian blackmail? Let's hope there's a better explanation for it.
Mr. Sikorski was opposed to the radical vetting("lustration/lustracja")of the military promoted by Mr. Maciarewicz. See Better Late Than Never: Retarded De-communization in Poland.
Since both gentlemen were in the government, one of them had to go. Brothers Kaczynskis are hardliners on issue of de-communization.
This is a great photo with both of them!
What is the reason of your respect for Sikorski? And how it is related to his achievements as a minister?
Wow.. Nobody has invaded Poland lately. Considering their history, I would say he was doing a pretty good job.
OK, thanks for the explanation.
I will say that de-Communisation is easier said than done. I would favor it in principle, but I don't know the rights and wrongs of this particular case.
Some disagreement between Sikorski and brothers exist, they have the right to run government according to their vision. Note that how they let him go, without much of noise. Perhaps they have some other offer for him. In my opinion, he was nothing special as a DM, I cannot name any important thing what he did. Yes, he was popular in MSM but we all know why…
English: Sikorski and Pavlovian dogs, the article is about knee jerk anti-Communism.
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