Polish foreign minister steps down two days after health minister's resignation

Polish foreign minister steps down two days after health minister's resignation

/ Sejm RP (Fot. Kancelaria Sejmu/Rafał Zambrzycki)

By bne IntelliNews August 20, 2020

Poland’s foreign minister, Jacek Czaputowicz, stepped down from his role as Poland’s top diplomat on August 20, the Polish foreign ministry's spokeswoman, Monika Szatynska-Luft, said.

"The minister said earlier that the conclusion of the presidential election is a good moment for a change at the helm of Polish diplomacy and expressed the conviction that his successor will continue the current policy and contribute to further strengthening of Poland's international position," the Foreign Ministry's press office said in a statement.

President Andrzej Duda, who won a second term of office in July, was sworn in on August 6.

Politician and academic Czaputowicz held the foreign minister post since January 2018.

The announcement that he was stepping down came just two days after Polish health minister Lukasz Szumowski announced his resignation on August 18. He told a press conference he had been about to resign in February, but after the coronavirus epidemic broke out, he postponed the decision for another six months. He indicated he wanted to go back to working as a heart surgeon.

The minister told reporters that he felt he could now leave because Poland had built a system to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, and the virus had not caused the economy to crash.

However, Szumowski had also been the subject of scrutiny after allegations that friends and family had benefited from government grants and contracts.

Read in IntelliNews Pro

Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Content

Raging wildfire threatens Poland’s Biebrza National Park

Poland’s core inflation rate holds steady at 3.6% y/y in March

Polish inflation rate confirmed at 4.9% y/y in March

Raging wildfire threatens Poland’s Biebrza National Park

Poland’s core inflation rate holds steady at 3.6% y/y in March

Polish inflation rate confirmed at 4.9% y/y in March

News

Could the next Pope come from Iraq? Cardinal Sako enters list of papal candidates

Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako has entered the list of candidates for the position of Pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Putin ratifies 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin ratifies 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Iran ahead of potential US deal over Ukraine.

Raging wildfire threatens Poland’s Biebrza National Park

Biebrza National Park is Poland’s largest and is internationally known for its rare bird species.

Turkey to renovate 1,500-year-old dome of Hagia Sophia

Special process designed to avoid damaging mosaics on inner surface.

Stalemate in Kosovo's parliament as MPs again fail to elect speaker

The ruling Vetevendosje movement won the most seats in the February general election but fell short of an outright majority.

Could the next Pope come from Iraq? Cardinal Sako enters list of papal candidates

Putin ratifies 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Iran

Raging wildfire threatens Poland’s Biebrza National Park

Turkey to renovate 1,500-year-old dome of Hagia Sophia

Stalemate in Kosovo's parliament as MPs again fail to elect speaker

Dismiss

Chat with usLiveChat