Radoslaw Sikorski
Encyclopedia
Radosław Tomasz Sikorski AUD (born 23 February 1963 in Bydgoszcz), is a Polish
politician and journalist
. He served as Deputy Minister of National Defense (1992) in Jan Olszewski
's Cabinet and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998–2001) in Jerzy Buzek
's Cabinet. He was also Minister of National Defense (2005–2007) in Jarosław Kaczyński's Cabinet. He is presently Minister of Foreign Affairs
in Donald Tusk
's Cabinet since 2007.
was declared in December 1981, he was granted political asylum in Britain in 1982. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Pembroke College
, University of Oxford. During his time at Oxford, Sikorski was head of the Standing Committee of the debating society, The Oxford Union, where he organised debates on martial law, president of the University of Oxford Polish Society, member of the Canning Club, and was elected to the dining club The Bullingdon Club
, which counted among its members current British Prime Minister David Cameron
and current Mayor of London
Boris Johnson
. In 1987, Sikorski was awarded British citizenship, which he renounced in 2006 as Minister of Defence of Poland.
and The Observer
. In 1986, he travelled to Afghanistan
as a war correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He won the World Press Photo
award in 1987 for a photograph of a family killed in a bombing by the Afghan Air Force. In 1989, he became the chief foreign correspondent for the American magazine National Review
, writing from Afghanistan and Angola
. In 1990–91 he was the Sunday Telegraph's Warsaw correspondent.
From 1988 to 1992 he advised Rupert Murdoch
on investing in Poland.
Sikorski returned to Poland in August 1989. He briefly served as deputy defence minister in the Jan Olszewski
government in 1992. During this tenure, he initiated Poland's NATO entry ambitions and supported the removal of Soviet troops from Polish territory.
From 1998 to 2001 Sikorski served as deputy minister of foreign affairs in the Jerzy Buzek
government. He oversaw the consular service and issues surrounding Polish citizens abroad. He was also responsible for Asia, Africa and Latin America and was Honorary Chairman of the Foundation for Assistance to Poles in the East. In 1999, his campaign against the slander of Poland was boosted by the high-profile case of Ted Turner
's public apology for a distasteful joke made during a speech in Washington. Sikorski's appeal to Polish nationals with dual citizenship to use the passport of the country they were visiting caused some controversy among the Polish expatriate community.
From 2002 to 2005 he was a resident fellow of the American Enterprise Institute
in Washington, D.C. and executive director of the New Atlantic Initiative
. He was editor of the analytical publication European Outlook, and organised international conferences. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the American Committees on Foreign Relations.
Following this stint in the USA, Sikorski returned to Poland and was elected senator from his hometown of Bydgoszcz in 2005. He joined Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz's government as Minister of National Defence the same year. He resigned on 5 February 2007 largely in protest against the activities of the chief of military intelligence Antoni Macierewicz
. Though never a member of the Law and Justice
party, he served out the parliamentary term in the Law and Justice Senatorial Club. In the early parliamentary elections of 2007, he was elected to the Lower House (Sejm) with 117,291 votes. He was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Donald Tusk
's government on 16 November 2007. He joined the Civic Platform party and became a member of its national board in 2008.
Under Sikorski, relations between Poland and Germany have significantly improved: Minister of Foreign Affairs Westerwelle's first foreign trip was to Warsaw, and the two ministers pioneered the international response to the 2010 Belarusian presidential election. Relations with Russia have also improved: Sikorski visited Moscow in 2009 to enhance Polish-Russian cooperation; in 2010, President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov both visited Warsaw. Sikorski has overseen a wide-ranging modernisation of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, transforming the internal organisational structure and infrastructure, introducing the use of new technologies, and carrying out a merger with Poland's European Integration Committee (UKIE). On 20 August 2008, Sikorski signed a missile defence agreement with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
over the objections of Russia
. The agreement came less than two weeks after the breakout of the 2008 South Ossetian war in Georgia. "Parchments and treaties are all very well," Sikorski said, "but we have a history in Poland of fighting alone and being left to our own devices by our allies." Despite the Obama administration's later reneging on the missile defence shield, Sikorski successfully negotiated hosting a battery of Patriot missiles and the presence, for the first time in history, of American troops on Polish territory.
In March 2010, Sikorski took part in the Civic Platform Presidential primaries against the then Parliamentary Speaker Bronisław Komorowski, who went on to be elected President. Sikorski enjoys some of the highest approval and trust ratings among Polish politicians.
There was much press speculation that Sikorski would be named secretary general of NATO, a position held by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
until July 2009. In the event, NATO named Prime Minister of Denmark
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
, despite previous Turkish
objections.
The Polish House: An Intimate History of Poland, 1998 (the American edition is titled Full Circle: A Homecoming to Free Poland)
Strefa Zdekomunizowana [Commie-free Zone], 2007
. They have two children, Aleksander and Tadeusz. Sikorski rebuilt a manor
in Chobielin
, where he and his family are now based. During his time in Britain, Sikorski dated for four years the acclaimed actress Olivia Williams
, who played Ruth Lang in Roman Polański's The Ghost Writer.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
politician and journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He served as Deputy Minister of National Defense (1992) in Jan Olszewski
Jan Olszewski
Jan Ferdynand Olszewski is a Polish lawyer and political figure. He is best known for serving as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland from 1991 to 1992....
's Cabinet and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998–2001) in Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
's Cabinet. He was also Minister of National Defense (2005–2007) in Jarosław Kaczyński's Cabinet. He is presently Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Polish government department tasked with maintaining Poland's international relations and coordinating its participation in international and regional supra-national political organisations such as the European Union and United Nations. It is considered to be...
in Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
's Cabinet since 2007.
Education
Sikorski chaired the student strike committee in Bydgoszcz in March 1981 while studying at the I Liceum Ogólnokształcące. In June, he travelled to the United Kingdom to study English. After martial lawMartial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
was declared in December 1981, he was granted political asylum in Britain in 1982. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Pembroke College
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, University of Oxford. During his time at Oxford, Sikorski was head of the Standing Committee of the debating society, The Oxford Union, where he organised debates on martial law, president of the University of Oxford Polish Society, member of the Canning Club, and was elected to the dining club The Bullingdon Club
Bullingdon Club
The Bullingdon Club is a socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University. The club has no permanent rooms and is notorious for its members' wealth and destructive binges. Membership is by invitation only, and prohibitively expensive for most, given the need to pay for the uniform,...
, which counted among its members current British Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
and current Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
. In 1987, Sikorski was awarded British citizenship, which he renounced in 2006 as Minister of Defence of Poland.
Career
In the mid-1980s, Sikorski worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as The SpectatorThe Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
. In 1986, he travelled to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as a war correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He won the World Press Photo
World Press Photo
World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest....
award in 1987 for a photograph of a family killed in a bombing by the Afghan Air Force. In 1989, he became the chief foreign correspondent for the American magazine National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, writing from Afghanistan and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. In 1990–91 he was the Sunday Telegraph's Warsaw correspondent.
From 1988 to 1992 he advised Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
on investing in Poland.
Sikorski returned to Poland in August 1989. He briefly served as deputy defence minister in the Jan Olszewski
Jan Olszewski
Jan Ferdynand Olszewski is a Polish lawyer and political figure. He is best known for serving as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland from 1991 to 1992....
government in 1992. During this tenure, he initiated Poland's NATO entry ambitions and supported the removal of Soviet troops from Polish territory.
From 1998 to 2001 Sikorski served as deputy minister of foreign affairs in the Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
government. He oversaw the consular service and issues surrounding Polish citizens abroad. He was also responsible for Asia, Africa and Latin America and was Honorary Chairman of the Foundation for Assistance to Poles in the East. In 1999, his campaign against the slander of Poland was boosted by the high-profile case of Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
's public apology for a distasteful joke made during a speech in Washington. Sikorski's appeal to Polish nationals with dual citizenship to use the passport of the country they were visiting caused some controversy among the Polish expatriate community.
From 2002 to 2005 he was a resident fellow of the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
in Washington, D.C. and executive director of the New Atlantic Initiative
New Atlantic Initiative
The New Atlantic Initiative was an international nonpartisan organization dedicated to revitalizing and expanding the Atlantic community of democracies...
. He was editor of the analytical publication European Outlook, and organised international conferences. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the American Committees on Foreign Relations.
Following this stint in the USA, Sikorski returned to Poland and was elected senator from his hometown of Bydgoszcz in 2005. He joined Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz's government as Minister of National Defence the same year. He resigned on 5 February 2007 largely in protest against the activities of the chief of military intelligence Antoni Macierewicz
Antoni Macierewicz
Antoni Macierewicz is a Polish Catholic politician, anti-communist activist, member of Sejm, journalist and a former internal affairs minister, former vice-minister of national defence in Jarosław Kaczyński's government, and current parliamentary representative.-Early years and activity during...
. Though never a member of the Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
party, he served out the parliamentary term in the Law and Justice Senatorial Club. In the early parliamentary elections of 2007, he was elected to the Lower House (Sejm) with 117,291 votes. He was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
's government on 16 November 2007. He joined the Civic Platform party and became a member of its national board in 2008.
Under Sikorski, relations between Poland and Germany have significantly improved: Minister of Foreign Affairs Westerwelle's first foreign trip was to Warsaw, and the two ministers pioneered the international response to the 2010 Belarusian presidential election. Relations with Russia have also improved: Sikorski visited Moscow in 2009 to enhance Polish-Russian cooperation; in 2010, President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov both visited Warsaw. Sikorski has overseen a wide-ranging modernisation of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, transforming the internal organisational structure and infrastructure, introducing the use of new technologies, and carrying out a merger with Poland's European Integration Committee (UKIE). On 20 August 2008, Sikorski signed a missile defence agreement with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
over the objections of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The agreement came less than two weeks after the breakout of the 2008 South Ossetian war in Georgia. "Parchments and treaties are all very well," Sikorski said, "but we have a history in Poland of fighting alone and being left to our own devices by our allies." Despite the Obama administration's later reneging on the missile defence shield, Sikorski successfully negotiated hosting a battery of Patriot missiles and the presence, for the first time in history, of American troops on Polish territory.
In March 2010, Sikorski took part in the Civic Platform Presidential primaries against the then Parliamentary Speaker Bronisław Komorowski, who went on to be elected President. Sikorski enjoys some of the highest approval and trust ratings among Polish politicians.
There was much press speculation that Sikorski would be named secretary general of NATO, a position held by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as the 11th Secretary General of NATO from January 5, 2004 until August 1, 2009....
until July 2009. In the event, NATO named Prime Minister of Denmark
Prime Minister of Denmark
The Prime Minister of Denmark is the head of government in Danish politics. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of a political coalition in the Folketing and presides over the cabinet....
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
, despite previous Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
objections.
Books published
Dust of the Saints, 1989 (the Polish translation, Prochy Świętych, was first published in 1990)The Polish House: An Intimate History of Poland, 1998 (the American edition is titled Full Circle: A Homecoming to Free Poland)
Strefa Zdekomunizowana [Commie-free Zone], 2007
Awards
- World Press PhotoWorld Press PhotoWorld Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest....
competition 1987 - The SpectatorThe SpectatorThe Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
and The Sunday Telegraph 'Young Writers' award. - Odznaka Zasłużony Działacz Kultury (Polish award for the promotion of culture)
- Gazeta Polska newspaper 'Person of the Year 2005'
- Wiktor 2006 award for 'most popular politician'
- Ukrainian Order of MeritOrder of Merit (Ukraine)The Order of Merit first, second or third class, is the Ukrainian award, given to individuals for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture, military or political spheres of activity...
, first class (No. 407), 2007 - Lithuanian 'Millenium Star' medal, 2008
- Maltese National Order of MeritMedal of Merit (Malta)The Medal of Merit is a Maltese medal established by the Confederation of Civic Councils, and handed out in the years 1968-1971. It should not be confused with the Malta National Order of Merit as established by an Act of Parliament...
, grade of 'Companion', 2009 - Gold Badge of the Association of Poles in LithuaniaAssociation of Poles in LithuaniaThe Association of Poles in Lithuania is an organization formed in 1989 to bring together members of Polish minority in Lithuania. It numbers between 6,000 to 11,000 members. It defends the civil rights of the Polish minority and engages in educational, cultural and economic activities...
, 2010 - Royal Order of the Polar StarOrder of the Polar StarThe Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
of Sweden, 2011
Personal life
Sikorski is married to American journalist and historian Anne ApplebaumAnne Applebaum
Anne Elizabeth Applebaum is a journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who has written extensively about communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. She has been an editor at The Economist, and a member of the editorial board of The Washington Post...
. They have two children, Aleksander and Tadeusz. Sikorski rebuilt a manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
in Chobielin
Chobielin
Chobielin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szubin, within Nakło County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Szubin, south-east of Nakło nad Notecią, and west of Bydgoszcz....
, where he and his family are now based. During his time in Britain, Sikorski dated for four years the acclaimed actress Olivia Williams
Olivia Williams
Olivia Haigh Williams is an English film, stage and television actress who has appeared in British and American films and television series.-Early life:Williams was born in Camden Town, London, England...
, who played Ruth Lang in Roman Polański's The Ghost Writer.
External links
- Interview with Radosław Sikorski in PLUS Journal
- Interview with Radosław Sikorski in Fletcher Forum of World Affairs
- Fareed Zakaria interviews Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to discuss NATO and the Russia-Georgia conflict on CNN.
- NATO's Past, Present and Future Speech before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
- The Future of EU-Russia Relations, The New York Times
- Why the World needs a New Start, The Guardian
- Hard Talk Interview with Radosław Sikorski, YouTube
- Radosław Sikorski on Morning Joe MSNBC, YouTube
- Davos Annual Meeting 2010 – Rebuilding Peace and Stability in Afghanistan, YouTube