Sikorski-Kaczyński row heats up

over foreign policy looked set to boil over again last week when Polish media reported that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski had dismissed an ambassador without consulting the president.

According to unofficial sources quoted by daily Gazeta Wyborcza, the Foreign Ministry sacked Zdzisław Ryn from the post of Polish ambassador to Argentina. The move was expected to exacerbate tensions between Sikorski and Kaczyński concerning the scope of their respective foreign policy-related prerogatives.

According to the Polish Constitution, the president is responsible for nominating ambassadors as well as signing dismissal papers. On top of that, Ryn was regarded to be a "presidential" ambassador associated with controversial Catholic priest Tadeusz Rydzyk and his Radio Maryja media empire.

For his part, Sikorski claimed that Ryn had resigned on his own. The foreign minister also maintained that he had asked the president for a formal dismissal of the ambassador but had not received any reply.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, Sikorski also has plans to close a number of Polish embassies and consulates in Africa, Asia and South America and, as yet, hasn't asked for presidential permission.