Jerzy Pomianowski: photo - msz.gov.pl
Jerzy Pomianowski was made executive director following a meeting of the EED's board of governors in Brussels, where the foundation is to be based.
“The central idea that motivated the creation of the Endowment is Europe's commitment to advancing democracy,” EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton declared in a statement.
The EED will provide material and ideological support to pro-democracy activists and organisations, ranging from NGOs to independent media outlets and even lone bloggers.
Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski put forward the initial proposal to create the foundation in January 2011, as the Arab Spring took hold, and amid Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko's crackdown on the opposition following the December 2010 presidential election.
Although the EED's activities will encompass the Middle East, for the time being it will be largely focused on countries that are part of the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), a separate Polish-led initiative.
It is hoped that the EED will be operational over the coming six months.
Spokesman for Poland's ministry of foreign affairs Marcin Bosacki has described the foundation as “a double success” for Poland.
“In a short time, Poland implemented – from the ground up – an important project for the EU as a whole,” he affirmed.
“Moreover, a Pole – our deputy foreign minister – proved the best choice from among the several dozen candidates who applied for the position.”
Meanwhile, former Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski, who co-led an observational mission to the Ukraine last year concerning repressed opposition politicians, has said that the mission must not be allowed to fall by the wayside.
Among others figures, the mission investigated the predicament of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is currently serving a prison sentence for “exceeding her powers” in brokering a deal with Russian gas giant Gazprom.
The mission was formally supposed to end on 1 January, but Kwasniewski believes it should continue until November's EU Summit.
Meanwhile, asked whether there was hope that Tymoshenko could be released, Kwasniewski told the Polish Press Agency (PAP), that “we are working non-stop” on the matter. (nh)