The dispute between the government and president on whether Lech Kaczynski had the right to summon Foreign Minister Sikorski from Brussels continues.

Sikorski had to shorten his visit to Brussels in order to comply with the president’s invitation to discuss Polish foreign policy guidelines, particularly relations with Ukraine and Russia.

PM Donald Tusk said that he wants good cooperation President Kaczynski, but stressed that his good will ‘should not be taken advantage of’.

The PM said that according to experts on the constitution, President Kaczynski has no right to summon ministers to meet him, but stressed that the government wants to avoid tension resulting from the ‘ignorance of the law’ or provocation on the part of the President’s Office.

PM Tusk did not conceal he thought cooperating with President Lech Kaczyński not easy. “If I were to describe how some of the consultations at the President’s Office look like, you wouldn’t believe me,” the PM told journalists.

Michał Kamiński from the President’s Office retorted that President Kaczynski is not a notary and will not limit himself to just signing and stamping documents.

According to him, it is PM Tusk who does not know the constitution. He stressed that nobody had ever questioned the head of state’s right to invite ministers for consultation, and that there is no need for PM Tusk to give permission to his ministers to meet the president, as this issue is already determined by constitutional norms. (mo)