NEW DEFMIN ALEKSANDER SZCZYGLO, A LOYAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000258

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2007
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PL
SUBJECT: NEW DEFMIN ALEKSANDER SZCZYGLO, A LOYAL
PRESIDENTIAL INSIDER

REF: A. 06 WARSAW 1630


B. WARSAW 247

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Classified By: Polcouns Mary T. Curtin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: 44-year-old Aleksander Szczyglo, Head of the
Presidential Chancellery and a loyal protege and confidante
of President Lech Kaczynski (Ref A),will succeed Radek
Sikorski (Ref B) February 7 as Poland's Minister of Defense.
By acknowledging Sikorski's concerns over the control of
military intelligence and asking for Sikorski's continued
assistance in Missile Defense negotiations, Szczyglo has
given a promising first indication of professionalism and
continuity. A member of the Kaczynski inner circle, Szczyglo
appears to be a follower rather than someone who will
initiate policy in his own right. Also, his earlier calls
for continued conscription "to instill an appropriate sense
of patriotism" indicate that he shares Kaczynski's aversion
to proposals for streamlining the Polish military as part of
overall defense reform and restructuring. Szczyglo's loyalty
to President Kaczynski should mean continued support for
presidential objectives. END SUMMARY

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Recent Reflections of Szczyglo's Character
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2. (C) Szczyglo has expressed a great sense of responsibility
for the post entrusted to him. Describing his hesitancy to
accept PM Jarek Kaczynski's February 5th nomination he
remarked, "Every responsible man hesitates in a situation in
which he bears significant responsibility for the lives of
other men." Szczyglo promised that his first act would be to
investigate the state of preparations for Poland's deployment
to Afghanistan, an apparent nod to the concern Sikorski
expressed at his farewell press conference, that MOD's lack
of control over military intelligence was hindering his
ability to ensure adequate protection for Polish troops
serving abroad and contributed to his decision to resign.
Despite media reports indicating that Sikorski and he had
clashed, Szczyglo expressed gracious respect for his
predecessor, and suggested a degree of policy continuity,
when he asked for Sikorski's help with Missile Defense
negotiations.

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Szczyglo's Biography
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3. (U) Prior to his appointment, Aleksander Marek Szczyglo
had served as Head of the Presidential Chancellery since
August 2, 2006. During the official swearing in for that
job, President Lech Kaczynski emphasized that he had known
Szczyglo for many years and called him "one of my closest
friends and co-workers." Szczyglo had previously been Deputy
DefMin since December 23, 2005, overseeing social policy and
the military intelligence services. He is a member of the
ruling Law and Justice party (PiS),serving his second
four-year term in parliament. In the previous parliament
(2001-2005),Szczyglo was Deputy Chairman of the Committee
for European Affairs and also sat on the Committee for
Constitutional Accountability.


4. (U) For several months prior to his election to Parliament
in 2001, Szczyglo was an advisor to the Chairman of the
Management Board of PKO BP Bank. From 1997 to 2000, he
worked as a department director in the European Integration
Committee (UKIE). From January to October of 1997, Szczyglo
served as Advisor to the Chief Inspector of the Main Labor
Inspectorate, and he worked 1992-1995 as Chief of Cabinet to
the Chairman of the Supreme Audit Chamber (NIK) when Lech
Kaczynski held that office. Szczyglo worked 1991-1992 in the
National Security Bureau, and 1990-1991 in the legal office
of the Solidarity's National Committee.


5. (U) Aleksander Szczyglo graduated in 1990 from the Law and
Administration Department of Gdansk University, where he was
a favorite student of then-Professor Lech Kaczynski.
Szczyglo completed postgraduate studies in administration at
the University of Wisconsin in 1996. He was born October 27,
1963 in Jeziorany in the northeast of Poland. Szczyglo is
single, although press reports about his nomination recalled
that in the past he has been seen in public with Elzbieta

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Kruk, another long-time Lech Kaczynski confidante who is now
head of the National Radio and Television Council (KRRiT) and
is also single.


6. (C) Szczyglo resembles Lech Kaczynski in temperament -
quiet and reserved. In meetings with foreign diplomats, he
sometimes can be stiff and taciturn. He speaks with the
intensity and conviction of a committed Solidarity activist
and ardent anti-Communist. When discussing military reforms
soon after the PiS government took office, Szczyglo returned
again and again to the theme of "purging" the military of all
vestiges of the pre-1989 Communist era, echoing the overall
PiS approach. While at MOD, Szczyglo also advocated
continued and even broadened military conscription --
notwithstanding the Defense Minister's public goal of moving
to an all professional force -- as a means to "educate the
youth of our nation and instill an appropriate sense of
patriotism."


7. (C) Aleksander Szczyglo is clearly a close confidante of
Lech Kaczynski. Whether he has a similarly close political
relationship with PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski is not clear.
Szczyglo is regarded as intensely loyal to Lech, who has been
his mentor both academically and professionally. According
to the media, Szczyglo is one of the few people in Poland
whom the extremely private and reserved Lech Kaczynski allows
to address him by his first name - and reportedly he can walk
into the President's office any time he wants.

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No Indication of Policy Changes, So Far
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8. (C) COMMENT. Although in the inner circle, Szczyglo seems
less an initiator of policy than a loyal supporter. We do
not expect Szczyglo to have a significant impact on the
direction of Polish foreign and defense policy - he is more
likely to focus on implementing promises already made by the
Kaczynskis such as Poland's commitment to Iraq and
Afghanistan. END COMMENT
HILLAS