Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07WARSAW355
2007-02-14 16:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Warsaw
Cable title:  

KACZYNSKIS SEEK TO SOLDIER ON DESPITE CRACKS IN

Tags:  PGOV PREL PL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7843
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHWR #0355/01 0451611
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 141611Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3203
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKW/AMCONSUL KRAKOW PRIORITY 1573
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000355 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2032
TAGS: PGOV PREL PL
SUBJECT: KACZYNSKIS SEEK TO SOLDIER ON DESPITE CRACKS IN
LAW AND JUSTICE

REF: WARSAW DAILY EMAILS

WARSAW 00000355 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Kenneth Hillas, DCM, for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000355

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2032
TAGS: PGOV PREL PL
SUBJECT: KACZYNSKIS SEEK TO SOLDIER ON DESPITE CRACKS IN
LAW AND JUSTICE

REF: WARSAW DAILY EMAILS

WARSAW 00000355 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Kenneth Hillas, DCM, for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. There is a crisis atmosphere within the
government as President and Prime Minister Kaczynskis' most
loyal political lieutenants are squabbling publicly. Even
for the Kaczynskis, who have overseen a government buffeted
by crisis (much of their own making),the resignations last
week of Minister of Interior Ludwik Dorn, MOD Radek Sikorski,
Chief of Poland's National Police, Marek Bienkowski and
Presidential Advisor for Foreign Affairs Andrzej Krawczyk,
have left their government in disarray. This is the latest
episode of a familiar story with the Kaczynskis, namely
stoking political "crisis," and then having to scramble when
the story spins out of their control. End Summary.


2. (C) Press reports of Ludwik Dorn's plans within the
government are unsettled and reflect the shifting nature of
the latest political tempest in Warsaw. Dorn abruptly, and
from all reports unexpectedly, resigned on February 7 from
his post as Minister of Interior, but vowed to stay on as the
Deputy Prime Minister. His refusal to cite the reasons for
his departure, other than a vague reference to "differences
of opinion with the PM," naturally unleashed a torrent of
speculation as to why "the third twin" would have walked away
from his job at the head of one of the ministries key to the
PiS law and order platform. Dorn took the unusual step,
particularly in the tight knit circle of Kaczynski advisors,
to publish a letter in which he complained about suggestions
that he had not been sufficiently aggressive in investigating
fraud. Dorn vowed to stay away from the government until his
name was cleared from such charges, leading the press to
speculate on February 14 that he was going to resign as
Deputy PM and even leave the Law and Justice party (PiS) he
helped establish with the Kaczynski brothers.


3. (U) What seems increasingly clear is that Dorn had a
different view from PM Kaczynski and Minister of Justice
Zbigniew Ziobro (another Kaczynski insider) with respect to
how police investigations were being conducted and,

specifically, to which ministry the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBS) should report. Ziobro and Kaczynski
apparently argued for shifting the responsibility over from
Dorn's Interior Ministry to Ziobro's Justice Ministry. PiS
officials and party spokesman, Adam Bielan, admit that the
rift between Dorn and Ziobro was behind Dorn's decision to
walk away.


4. (U) The Dorn resignation grabbed headlines away from
Radek Sikorski's resignation, a scant 48 hours earlier, from
the Ministry of Defense, spurred by Sikorski's frustration
with the role played by Antoni Macierewicz, a Kaczynski
insider, who operates the new military counter intelligence
service nearly wholly free from the minister's influence.
New MOD Aleksander Szczyglo has begun cleaning house,
starting with the F-16 program manager. Added to this are
allegations of corruption on the part of the Deputy Chief of
the Military Property Agency, and the resignation of that
agency's leadership.


5. (C) The Presidential Chancellery is also in disarray
after the quick resignation of Andrzej Krawczyk, the
President's Advisor for Foreign Affairs, compounded by the
lack of a replacement for Szczyglo's former position as
Presidential Chancellery Chief of Staff. President Kaczynski
reportedly felt he had no choice but to ask for Krawczyk's
resignation, owing to the zero tolerance atmosphere within
PiS of any official who dealt with the former communist
authorities. Another Chancellery official told Pol Internal
Chief on February 13 that she was the "sole voice" to object
to Krawczyk's departure on "the basis of a single piece of
paper being waved in front of his face," and not on the basis
of a fuller examination of the charges that he collaborated.


6. (C) The problems within PiS are exacerbated by ongoing
tensions within the coalition. PiS officials believe they
were manipulated by Roman Giertych and the League of Polish
Families (LPR) when Giertych wrestled additional government
appointments in exchange for LPR's support of Slawomir
Skrzypek, PiS's candidate for the chairmanship of the Polish
National Bank. Samoobrona's chief, Andrzej Lepper, is still
grabbing headlines for his role in a sordid sex scandal, and
for critical comments about Poland's possible role in Missile
Defense, delivered in Moscow to Russian Vice Premier
Alexander Torszyn. The coalition is also tested by the
routine and sometimes stinging criticism of ministers by
Przemyslaw Gosiewski, one of PM Kaczynski's most trusted
lieutenants, who is a Minister without portfolio in charge of
the Council of Ministers. In this position, he is the chief

WARSAW 00000355 002.2 OF 002


whip for pushing the government's legislative agenda.
Politically, he is widely viewed as the PM's mouthpiece,
stoking what many see as the PM's penchant for "permanent
revolution."


7. (C) Comment: The Kaczynski's primary focus on law and
order issues may have created the crack within their inner
sanctum of advisors, by forcing PM Kaczynski to choose sides
in the Dorn/Ziobro feud. Dorn and Ziobro are perhaps their
two closest advisors, valued both for their competence and
their loyalty. PM Kaczynski and Dorn may each have
overplayed his hand, assuming that the other would back down;
the public airing of their differences is highly unusual but
symptomatic of the government's disarray. Dorn's departure
from government is a bigger blow to the Kaczynski's, who
viewed the ambitious, worldly Sikorski with some suspicion
and Krawczyk and Bienkowski as technocrats. The new cabinet
ministers are likely to take some time to get up to speed on
a variety of issues important to us. New Minister of
Interior Kaczmarek is by all accounts a strong replacement
for Dorn, but will need time to understand the complexity of
some issues affecting us, such as the prospective purchase of
military property for a new consulate in Krakow, where he
will be a key player. End Comment.
ASHE