POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER MELLER TO RESIGN

UNCLAS WARSAW 000231 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PL SUBJECT: POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER MELLER TO RESIGN ¶1. (SBU) Polish Foreign Minister Stefan Meller all but confirmed during a February 13 press conference that he intends to resign his post, citing frustration over his diminishing authority over Polish foreign policy. Meller denied press speculation that he might step down for health or family reasons, but allowed that he was weighing resignation because of ongoing problems in coordinating policy with the president's and prime minister's chancelleries. The foreign minister indicated that he was reluctant to say more until after his foreign policy report to parliament February 15. ¶2. (SBU) Meller, a career diplomat with no party affiliation, was appointed foreign minister after the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party failed to form a coalition with Civic Platform (PO) -- which had been widely expected to take the MFA portfolio. From the outset, it was evident that Meller is viewed as an outsider by PiS officials (Meller was excluded from the National Security Council, for example) and MFA officials often complain about their ministry being circumvented or cut out entirely by the premier's and president's staffs. ¶3. (SBU) Perhaps reflecting PiS's scattershot approach to such decisions, speculation about Meller's successors includes a wide field of possible candidates. Among these are PO foreign policy specialist and MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (who has denied these rumors),current Defense Minister Radek Sikorski, Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Pawel Zalewski, and PiS MEP Wojciech Roszkowski. There have also been suggestions that one of Meller's deputies might be elevated to replace him. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: One wonders who would be interested in the MFA post, given Meller's difficulties in asserting his authority before strong and activist rivals. Indeed, the timing of Meller's departure -- or whether PM Marcinkiewicz and President Kaczynski will eventually be moved to offer Meller new assurances -- may be determined by the government's success in finding someone both qualified and willing to take the job. ASHE