Poland’s FM addresses president, warns anti-EU rhetoric risks paving way for “Polexit”

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has sharply criticised President Karol Nawrocki for what he described as nationalist and anti-EU messaging that threatens Poland’s security, international standing, and constitutional balance of power.

Sikorski’s comments come amid heightened security concerns following an attempted act of “state terrorism” on Poland’s rail network, allegedly carried out by Russian operatives. Officials say the attack combined infrastructure sabotage with a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining public trust and sowing confusion about Poland’s allies and adversaries, Caliber.Az reports via Polish media. 

Sikorski accused the president of using his Independence Day address to focus on perceived threats from EU institutions while omitting any reference to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Such framing, he warned, weakens Poland at a moment of regional instability.

The minister underscored that, under Article 146 of the Polish Constitution, foreign policy is determined by the government, not the presidency. While the president represents the state abroad, Sikorski said Nawrocki’s recent remarks stray into areas outside his mandate.

Portraying EU institutions as a threat, he argued, contradicts Poland’s legal obligations and undermines a core pillar of its national security. EU membership, he said, remains central to the country’s prosperity, defence posture, and international influence.

In the statement addressed to Nawrocki, Sikorski acknowledged the president’s right to personal views but drew a sharp line between constructive criticism of the EU and rhetoric that, in his words, seeks to “discredit and destroy” it.

Sikorski stressed that the government will not permit a “Polexit,” warning that such an outcome—suggested by escalating anti-EU rhetoric—would be against the will of the Polish public.

By Sabina Mammadli