FM Sikorski becomes first Pole honored by Oxford’s Pembroke College
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, is the first Polish national to be named an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford.
The photo shows Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski receiving an honorary fellowship from Oxford’s Pembroke College, marking him as the first Polish citizen to receive this distinction.Photo: Phil Sills/MSZ
Ministry spokesperson Paweł Wroński confirmed the prestigious recognition on social media, highlighting that no other Polish national had received this distinction before.
Poland’s top diplomat joins esteemed Oxford fellowship alongside Tolkien
The head of Polish diplomacy expressed gratitude for being named an honorary member of his alma mater, Pembroke College at Oxford.
„Finding myself in the company of figures like Samuel Johnson and J.R.R. Tolkien is an honor that is truly humbling,” he stated (Johnson was a renowned 18th-century lexicographer and writer, while Tolkien gained worldwide fame as the author of The Lord of the Rings).
From Poland to Oxford
Radosław Sikorski is one of the best-educated politicians from Poland. In the early 1980s, during the communist era, he traveled to the United Kingdom to study English. When martial law was imposed in Poland in 1981, he applied for political asylum, which was granted in 1982.
The future Polish FM then studied at Pembroke College, Oxford (1982–1985), earning a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), which was later upgraded to an MA. In 1999, he completed the Higher Defense Course at Poland’s National Defense Academy.
Sikorski refutes Kaczyński’s claims on EU defense control
On Monday, Minister Sikorski dismissed claims made by opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński, chairman of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, assuring that no decisions had been made to transfer control over Poland’s military or defense budget to the European Union.
Earlier, Poland’s lower house of parliament (Sejm) backed a European Parliament resolution on strengthening EU defense, recognizing the East Shield program as critical for regional security – a move opposed by PiS and the far-right Confederation party.
The initiative includes fortifications along Poland’s eastern border as part of a broader EU strategy aimed at enhancing European defense capabilities and reducing reliance on the United States.
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Source: IAR/X/@sikorskiradek/@RzecznikMSZ/@OficjalnyJK
