Poland’s diplomatic dispute does not affect Lithuania ties, says outgoing chargé d’affaires

Poland’s internal conflict over ambassadorial appointments has left key diplomatic posts vacant, including in Vilnius, but bilateral relations with Lithuania remain unaffected, the outgoing Polish chargé d’affaires in Lithuania, Grzegorz Marek Poznański, told LRT.lt.

Poland has been without full ambassadorial representation in several major capitals for months due to a standoff between President Karol Nawrocki and the Foreign Ministry. Nawrocki has refused to sign off on new appointments or dismissals, leaving many embassies—including in Vilnius—headed by temporary chargés d’affaires rather than permanent ambassadors.

Poznański, who completed his second posting in Vilnius on April 30, emphasised that despite Warsaw’s political disputes, “Polish-Lithuanian relations are of a strategic nature and function independently of this conflict.” He noted that while domestic disagreements in Poland can be sharp, government and opposition actions often complement each other in practice, with little impact on foreign policy direction.

Education in Polish-language schools remains a top priority, Poznański said. His departure—citing personal reasons—leaves the embassy under Deputy Andrzej Dudziński, with no resolution in sight for the broader diplomatic deadlock.

The dispute has seen around 50 ambassadors dismissed or left in limbo since March 2024, including former Ambassador to Lithuania Konstanty Radziwiłł, whose term ended last July but who has not been formally replaced. Similar vacancies persist in Riga, Brussels, and Strasbourg, where chargés d’affaires have served less than 18 months. Polish journalist Cezary Gmyz has criticised the situation as a “massacre of chargés d’affaires,” alleging Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski sought to bypass presidential approval by promoting interim officials to ambassadorial roles.

Poznański, who first served in Vilnius alongside Ambassador Urszula Doroszewska, dismissed speculation about his exit, calling it a personal decision unrelated to the broader crisis.