According to internal correspondence from NATO Headquarters obtained by Onet news outlet, Tomasz Szatkowski, before being recalled as Poland’s Ambassador to NATO, was on the shortlist for the position of deputy secretary-general of the alliance. Szatkowski had a strong chance but lost it when the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled him amidst a cloud of scandal.
Within NATO’s leadership, beyond the secretary-general, there is the so-called first deputy secretary-general and eight deputy assistant secretary-generals, each with very specific areas of responsibility. The first deputy position is prestigious but holds less power compared to the assistant secretary-generals who oversee distinct strategic areas.
Szatkowski was a candidate for the assistant in charge of defense investments, a key role given its influence over financial allocations within the alliance. Onet reports that he entered the competition with the knowledge and, if not outright approval, at least without opposition from the leadership of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry reportedly engaged in confidential discussions with Jacek Siewiera, the head of the presidential National Security Bureau, proposing a deal to President Andrzej Duda. The arrangement suggested the current government would support Szatkowski’s candidacy in exchange for the president’s consent to recall several ambassadors.
However, the situation was complicated by the government’s apparent support for another candidate, Adam Bugajski. Despite Bugajski being considered a “top specialist and a good candidate,” his lack of experience as a deputy defense minister or as an ambassador to NATO was seen as a disadvantage compared to Szatkowski.
Ultimately, the public exposure of the two candidacies, followed by Szatkowski’s scandal-tainted recall, doomed the chances of both Polish candidates. In a last-minute development, Szatkowski’s successor at NATO, Jacek Najder, informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Poland was withdrawing support for Szatkowski. An anonymous deputy ambassador from a NATO allied country told Onet that such an act of publicly withdrawing support through a scandal was unconventional and undermined the usual lobbying efforts for one’s candidates.
In response to inquiries from Onet, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on personnel matters. Adam Bugajski also refused to comment.
According to Onet, both Szatkowski and Bugajski lost the competitions they participated in, with the positions being filled by diplomats from Denmark (for innovation) and Finland (for defense investments). This was particularly striking as Finland only joined NATO a year ago, compared to Poland’s 25 years of membership.
