09WARSAW782, POLISH PARLIAMENTARY LEADER: “COMMUNICATION” KEY

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09WARSAW782	2009-07-29 15:00	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Warsaw

VZCZCXRO9337
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DE RUEHWR #0782 2101500
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 291500Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8683
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0270

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000782 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PHUM PINR PL
SUBJECT: POLISH PARLIAMENTARY LEADER: "COMMUNICATION" KEY 
TO GOOD RELATIONS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ashe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Newly elected Chairman of the Sejm Foreign Affairs 
Committee Andrzej Halicki (Civic Platform, PO) told the 
Ambassador July 28 that communication between the U.S. and 
Poland was key to maintaining excellent bilateral relations. 
His remark came in the context of prospective ratification of 
the Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement (BMDA) and the 
supplemental Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).  In this 
connection, Halicki said Poles eagerly awaited the results of 
the U.S. review of missile defense policy and foresaw no 
problem with ratification of either agreement, which he 
thought would pass with wide margins.  Halicki went on to 
assert more broadly that Polish officials in both the 
executive and legislative branches of the government welcomed 
close cooperation and dialogue with the U.S. on a variety of 
issues.  In particular, Halicki hoped to expand contacts 
between the Sejm (Parliament's lower chamber) and the U.S. 
Congress. 
 
¶2.  (C) A primary goal of Halicki's chairmanship is formation 
of a sub-committee focused on "eastern" issues, including 
implementation of the EU's Eastern Partnership.  He did not 
offer details but expected a small group of 6-8 deputies to 
coordinate closely with GoP officials, as well as with their 
Sejm colleagues and the members of the European Parliament, 
to ensure that Poland's approach to Russia and other members 
of the former Soviet Union was balanced and focused on common 
interests.  Halicki also mentioned that he had led a small 
delegation to Moldova last week to meet with legislative 
counterparts.  While there he participated in meetings with 
FM Radoslaw Sikorski, who was visiting Moldova at the same 
time, to encourage Moldovan officials to conduct free, fair, 
and credible elections 29 July. 
 
¶3.  (C) On Polish domestic issues, Halicki related that a 
growing number of elected officials would like to consolidate 
future elections in Poland.  Currently, Poles voted in 
separate local, parliamentary, and presidential elections, 
but this was inefficient, costly, and lowered overall voter 
turnout.  Politicians from across the political spectrum 
would like to combine the three elections into a single 
event, but this would require constitutional changes. 
Nonetheless, Halicki observed that parliamentary elections 
were currently scheduled for the latter half of 2011, 
precisely in the midst of Poland's EU presidency.  This was a 
prospect that the PO, in particular, wished to avoid, but he 
stressed that there were no plans to call early elections. 
Looking ahead to next year's presidential race, Halicki said 
there would be no real surprises in terms of the half-dozen 
or more likely candidates, but he mentioned that leftist 
parties, in particular, were interested in nominating a 
woman.  PM Donald Tusk would probably be among the candidates 
because, according to Halicki, he was bored in his current 
position and was simply biding his time until he could run 
for president. 
 
¶4.  (C) Halicki predicted that the Sejm would not pass 
property restitution legislation until 2011 at the earliest. 
Budgetary constraints and presidential elections would 
preoccupy the Tusk Government next year, while planning for 
the EU presidency would consume the government's attention in 
the run up to 2011. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) BIO NOTES:  Halicki previously worked for an 
American public relations firm in the early 1990s and speaks 
English well.  He lived in Mosul, in northern Iraq, for four 
years during the 1970s because his father, now deceased, 
worked as an engineer there.  He has relatives in Toronto, 
Canada and has visited the U.S.  Halicki seems genuinely 
interested in forging closer ties to the U.S., particularly 
with Congress, but, like many Polish officials, seems 
concerned that the U.S. does not always consider Polish 
sensitivities. 
ASHE

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