PM Donald Tusk (left) with Radosław Sikorski - a "natural candidate" for the EU's top foreign policy job: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka
"I will say it openly - Poland has gained such significant influence in foreign policy, that the so-called high representative would be within the scope of our interests,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.
Following the European Parliament elections last Sunday, member states are currently haggling over jobs on the European Commission and head of its foreign policy unit, otherwise known as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The 51 year-old Radoslaw Sikorski, deputy lead of Poland's ruling Civic Platform party, “is a natural choice” for the role of EU foreign minister, Donald Tusk said.
Sikorski was a leading figure in EU talks with Ukraine as the Viktor Yanukovych regime fell and was caught on camera in February pleading with Ukrainian protest leaders to accept a peace deal after scores died in demonstrations in Kiev, otherwise there would be “martial law and you will all die”.
Prime Minister Tusk also said that Poland was also “very interested” in several European Commission posts - for the last five years, Janusz Lewandowski has occupied the role of budget commissioner – though this process will “gain momentum after the president of the European Commission has been elected,” he said.
Under new rules, the European Parliament will have a role in choosing the president of the European Commission, part of the EU's legislative branch, though the European Council, made up of the 28 prime ministers of the member states, will also have a say.
So far, the largest bloc in the new parliament, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has put forward former Luxenbourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker for the role, with no other candidates emerging so far to take over from Jose Manuel Barroso as EC chief.
UK prime minister David Cameron and Dutch PM Mark Rutte are said to have expressed reservations about Juncker securing the post at the informal EU summit on Tuesday.
“This could still turn into an inter-institutional fight pitting the European Parliament against the council [of prime ministers],” one senior EU official told the Financial Times at the start of what could be weeks of deal-making over who gets the top jobs in Brussels. (pg)