Polish FM: We want Saryusz-Wolski to be invited to EU summit

Witold Waszczykowski said that on Wednesday afternoon he will meet German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Warsaw to discuss the issue, and on Thursday morning Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło is set to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel to exchange views before the EU summit.

“I assume that they will discuss the Polish candidate” to head the European Council, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Waszczykowski said.

At an EU summit on Thursday, EU officials are expected to vote on who will be the next European Council president. Poland recently put forward Saryusz-Wolski's name for the post, to run against incumbent European Council president Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister .

“I want Jacek Saryusz-Wolski to be invited to the Council and present his programme. It seems that it is illogical for us to discuss a formal candidate filed by Poland, and for the Council not to listen to him at this meeting,” Waszczykowski said.

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, said in January that Poland should not support Tusk's bid for the post. “He is in favour of solutions that are extremely harmful to Poland,” Kaczyński said.

He added that Tusk was in favour of financial penalties for European Union member states that do not accept a quota of refugees, which the Polish government strongly opposes.

“We simply cannot support such a person,” he added.

Tusk’s 30-month term as the President of the European Council is due to end on 31 May.

The term of office of the European Council President runs from 1 June 2017 until 30 November 2019.

(rg)