By promoting Radosław Sikorski's "popular Conservative" as Deputy Prime Minister Donald Tusk prepares to face president Karol Nawrocki and puts the issue of national safety first," says Christoph von Marschall in "Tagesspieglu".
Colorful personality
Tusk wants to simultaneously counter the decline in support in the polls and calm the moods in the coalition – explains the author, adding that Sikorski is simply a politician who presently enjoys the top confidence.
Christoph von Marschall calls Sikorski a "colored personality" and recalls that the wife of Polish politician is an American historian Anne Applebaum. Presenting the most crucial facts of Sikorski's life, the author mentioned his departure from Poland to the UK in 1981, his studies in Oxford, his journalistic work in Afghanistan and his career in Poland, including the positions of Minister of Defence (2005) and abroad Affairs (2007-2014). After the triumph of the Tusk coalition in 2023, Sikorski returned to the position of head of the MFA.
Marschall writes that Sikorski is the only coalition politician to become Tusk's successor. "No 1 has specified a strong position and support, at least in part," she quotes in support of this thesis, Agnieszka Łada-Koefał, Deputy manager of the German Institute of Polish Affairs (DPI). Sikorski enjoys respect in the planet and shows that he would like to presume greater responsibility," she noted.
In her opinion, Polish society moves to the right. "Sikorski is considered to be a Conservative, which fits the script of turning to the government coalition's right," the Deputy Chief of DPI considers.
Unpopular Tusk
Similarly, the German discipline and Politics Foundation (SWP) Kai-Olav Lang is an expert. "Tusk seemingly feels that his small popularity is simply a burden on the government coalition," SWP analyst said. In his opinion, the Prime Minister created the anticipation of a "ordered, planned change by him".
The question is whether Tusk is already seeking change (as Prime Minister). "Tusk would like to keep control of the developments," Lang warned.
By listing the features that predestinate Sikorski to take the position of Prime Minister, Lang listed "state husband profile", global prestige and "security experience". Sikorski is loyal to Tusk and is considered individual who stays distant from organization intrigues.
The SWP expert stated that due to Sikorski's long political career he could not play the function of a policy symbolizing "new opening". They feature professionalism, routine, recognition, but deficiency of "freshness" and cannot be a symbol of "new beginning" before the parliamentary elections in 2027.
