Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has asked the foreign minister Radosław Sikorski to suspend the deputy foreign minister Andrzej Szejna following revelations about Szejna’s alcohol abuse.
“It is not my role to determine the validity of these concerns — let’s not call them allegations but critical remarks.
“However, I request that the deputy minister be placed on leave and that the matter be urgently investigated in all aspects,” Tusk was reported as saying on March 25.
Szejna, an MP for The Left party, has confessed to battling alcoholism after Polish media reported he had attended parliamentary sessions while under the influence of alcohol
“I acknowledge that I have struggled with alcohol abuse. Thanks to the support of my family, friends and especially doctors … and a team of therapists, I have regained control over my health. I apologise to everyone affected by my problem and sincerely thank those who have supported me,” Szejna said in a statement posted on social media on March 24.
Sikorski has noted Szejna’s admission of alcohol abuse and, despite an ongoing domestic security clearance check, has granted his deputy the provision to access classified information.
As a senior diplomat, Szejna would also need NATO Cosmic Top Secret and EU Top Secret certifications.
As part of the vetting process, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) required officials to disclose any history of alcohol or substance abuse, an issue that could affect their reliability in handling classified information.
Szejna is also under investigation for alleged financial misconduct related to office expenses and travel reimbursements.
Szejna’s Left party, in the centre-left coalition backing Tusk, has supported its minister regarding his alcohol abuse. Party parliamentary caucus head Anna Maria Żukowska has said it does not plan any action against him.
“His statement that he is coping with the problem at this stage closes the case. He has admitted to his illness. We hope he remains committed to his recovery,” she said.
Left leader Włodzimierz Czarzasty, responding to initial reports of Szejna’s alcohol abuse, had previously said: “I’ve known Andrzej for 20 years and I have never seen him drunk. These are disgusting accusations. We will not respond to anonymous claims.”
According to portal Onet.pl, Tusk’s patience with Szejna was wearing thin and he did not want a repeat of the protracted saga over the dismissal of Dariusz Wieczorek, the former education minister from The Left party. He eventually resigned over his actions in revealing the name of a whistleblower against their wishes.
The Left is the smallest of the parties in the four party coalition that supports Tusk. It currently has around 20 seats in the 460 seat parliament in which the PM’s coalition holds 244 seats.
Alcohol abuse by MPs has been an issue in the Polish parliament before. In February, Ryszard Wilk, an MP from the right-wing opposition Confederation party, was escorted from parliament after appearing intoxicated and later apologised admitting he had a drinking problem.
Reacting to that incident,, Szymon Hołownia, the Speaker of the Polish parliament, proposed breathalyser tests for MPs before sessions.
