POLAND'S "TRUTH-TELLER" CANDIDATE FOR COE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000345

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM COE PL
SUBJECT: POLAND'S "TRUTH-TELLER" CANDIDATE FOR COE
SECRETARY GENERAL

REF: A. STRASBOURG 08

B. WARSAW 107

Classified By: Political Counselor Dan Sainz for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. Poland's candidate for Council of Europe
(COE) Secretary General has done it all. Wlodzimierz
Cimoszewicz has served as prime minister, foreign minister,
justice minister, and parliamentary speaker; he has also run
twice for president. A moderate social democrat, he is one
of the few leaders who could unify the Polish left and
challenge the current ascendancy of Poland's center-right
parties -- a likely factor in Prime Minister Tusk's decision
to seek his "exile" in Strasbourg. Cimoszewicz, whose two
children live in the United States, favors strong
trans-Atlantic relations, as well as increased engagement
with Russia and Belarus. PM Tusk may ultimately be forced to
choose between Cimoszewicz's COE candidacy and the prospect
of having a Pole with closer political views -- former Polish
PM Jerzy Buzek -- as President of the EU Parliament, since
Poles are unlikely to capture both jobs. Cimoszewicz, who
prides himself on being a "truth-teller," is charming in
private, but often comes across as arrogant and moody in
public. END SUMMARY.

WHO IS WLODZIMIERZ CIMOSZEWICZ?


2. (U) Poland's candidate for COE Secretary General,
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, is one of Poland's most prominent
and accomplished politicians. He has served as prime
minister (1996-1997),foreign minister (2001-2004),deputy
prime minister and justice minister (1993-1995),and
parliamentary speaker (2005). He ran for president twice
and, until recently, was considered a leading candidate for
president in 2010. Cimoszewicz also served twice in the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. As Foreign
Minister, he chaired the COE's Council of Ministers for six
months.


3. (U) Born in 1950 in Warsaw, Cimoszewicz received a Ph.D.
in legal sciences from Warsaw University in 1978. He was a
Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University in 1980-1981.
Cimoszewicz was a member of the Polish United Workers' Party
(PZPR) from 1971 until 1990, but did not join its successor
party, Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (SdRP). In
1999, he joined SdRP's successor, the Democratic Left
Alliance (SLD),stating that he wanted to take the new party
in a new direction. Cimoszewicz is still a member of the
SLD, but has recently distanced himself from the party in the
wake of growing fragmentation on the Left. Cimoszewicz was
first elected to the Sejm (lower house of parliament) in 1989
and served four successive terms.


4. (C) Cimoszewicz has long sought to portray himself as the
"milder" face of Poland's post-Communist Left, underscoring
the distance between himself and his controversial, often
scandal-ridden left-wing colleagues. He has repeatedly
expressed disgust with corruption and influence-trading in
Polish politics. He actively cultivates an image as a
statesman, intellectual, and center-left reformer who rises
above partisan politics. Cimoszewicz has repeatedly claimed
to be an independent politician -- one driven to tell the
truth, no matter how harsh, even to his friends. Cimoszewicz
is married and has two adult children who live in the United
States. He speaks fluent English.

POLITICAL VIEWS


5. (C) Cimoszewicz is an avid proponent of strong
trans-Atlantic relations, but has also called for recent
(right-leaning) Polish governments to exercise restraint to
avoid alienating other EU and NATO members, as well as
Russia. Cimoszewicz sharply criticized Poland's decision to
sign a Missile Defense agreement with the U.S., claiming that
it paid "too high a political price" in terms of its
relations with Russia. Cimoszewicz has advocated increased
engagement with Russia, stating that the risk of future
political instability outweighs the dangers of Russian
authoritarianism. He favors closer relations with Belarus
for similar reasons. As Polish Foreign Minister, Cimoszewicz
strongly backed Poland's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.


WIDELY RESPECTED, BUT OFF-PUTTING


6. (C) Widely respected, Cimoszewicz is not without his
quirks. In one-on-one or small-group settings, Cimoszewicz
is charming, open, and rational. In public appearances and
official meetings, however, Cimoszewicz often comes across as

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stiff, arrogant, and unwilling to compromise. As prime
minister in 1997, Cimoszewicz demonstrated little compassion
for the victims of that year's historic floods, stating
coldly that those affected should have insured themselves.
In 2005, Cimoszewicz stepped down as SLD's presidential
candidate at the last minute after he was wrongly accused of
lying on his financial statements -- although such
accusations are routine occurrences in Polish politics.
Cimoszewicz did more than pull out of the race: he withdrew
from political life for two years, retreating to his house in
the Bialowieza forest near the Belarusian border.
Cimoszewicz was elected to the Senate (the upper house of
parliament) in 2007. As the only senator on the left, he
does not caucus with other senators and is technically
considered an independent.

SURPRISING, BUT SAVVY CHOICE


7. (C) Prime Minister Tusk's March 5 nomination of
Cimoszewicz as Poland's candidate for COE Secretary General
caught many in Poland by surprise, especially SLD and the
bloc of center-left parties challenging SLD for primacy on
the left (ref B). A spokesman for Tusk, who heads the
center-right Civic Platform (PO),said the nomination proved
the governing coalition can rise above party politics.
Government officials said Cimoszewicz's political experience,
his involvement in two decades of Poland's post-Communist
transition, and his thorough knowledge of European issues,
made him the most qualified Polish candidate for the
position.


8. (C) The nomination was criticized by the opposition. On
the right, President Kaczynski has refused to support the
nomination of a former Workers' Party politician. On the
left, many feel betrayed. In the weeks before his
nomination, Cimoszewicz had been working to convince SLD and
other center-left parties to forge a common list of
candidates in June's European Parliament elections. When SLD
refused, Cimoszewicz announced he would not be a candidate.
SLD party leaders allege that Cimoszewicz had been
negotiating among left-wing parties at the same time he was
in talks with Tusk on the COE nomination. Cimoszewicz's
removal from the fray effectively ensures the left will
remain divided, at least through June's EP elections. The
nomination most likely strikes Cimoszewicz from the short
list of prominent, untainted left-wing politicians who might
have posed a threat to Tusk in the 2010 presidential
elections.

THE DIFFICULT ROAD TO STRASBOURG


9. (C) As the center-left nominee of a center-right
government, Cimoszewicz might eventually emerge as a
consensus candidate. His strong pro-U.S. positions are
tempered by his vocal criticism of Missile Defense and his
support for increased engagement of Russia. MFA personnel
tell us support from Germany and Luxembourg will play a key
role in advancing Cimoszewicz's candidacy. In fact, MFA
Deputy Director of Protocol Janusz Niesyto predicted
Luxembourg PM Juncker will end up being the kingmaker.


10. (C) According to Niesyto, neither Tusk nor FM Sikorski --
despite their success in navigating the EU bureaucracy in
Brussels -- have strong enough personal relationships with
European leaders to be able to pick up the phone and lobby
for Cimoszewicz. Even if they did, the GOP will likely have
to choose between Cimoszewicz as COE Secretary General and
former PM Jerzy Buzek, himself a PO member, as EU Parliament
President. The chances are slim that a Pole would be elected
to both positions. Although having Cimoszewicz at the head
of the COE for five years would benefit Poland, Tusk might
prefer to have a Pole affiliated with PO (and with the
European People's Party, where Tusk is working to build
Polish influence) at the head of the European Parliament.
However, Buzek faces his own challenges: Niesyto
acknowledged that Buzek's chances may have been hurt by the
rise of Italian Mario Mauro as a contender for EP President.


11. (C) One indication of lukewarm GoP support for
Cimoszewicz is the decision not to name a prominent "campaign
manager." Foreign Minister Sikorski chose former Polish
Ambassador to NATO Jerzy Nowak to orchestrate his own
campaign for NATO Secretary General, but the MFA appointed a
mid-level diplomat from its international relations
department to run Cimoszewicz's campaign. According to
Niesyto, Cimoszewicz has a network of personal friends
throughout Europe who are lobbying on his behalf.
ASHE