The conflict between the Government and President Lech Kaczynski over whether or not the President will represent Poland at this week’s EU summit got more intense over the weekend.

The Government is rarely in agreement with the President on foreign policy and does not want Kaczynski in Brussels promoting policies at odds with the Civic Platform (PO) Government’s.

Defense Minister Bogdan Klich went so far as to announce that the President will not be able to use a government jet, saying the “pilot of the second crew is ill” on radio RMF FM. Kaczynski apparently is not welcome on board the Government’s jet.

President Kaczynski retorted, “In Poland there is a certain hierarchy…If anyone should charter a plane, because there is only one available flight crew, it should not be me.” He added that he flew jointly with the Prime Minister in September and that he “didn’t remember any problems.”

Both the President and Prime Minister want to represent Poland at next week’s summit. Prime Minister Tusk has already said the Government will represent the Polish side in Brussels and that he does not “foresee” the President’s presence. President Kaczynski meanwhile insists that matters related to the Treaty of Lisbon will be discussed at the summit and that the “Treaty does not yet have my signature.”

Last Thursday, Poland’s Cabinet, the Council of Ministers, passed a resolution declaring that the Prime Minister will select the delegation to an EU summit in Brussels. President Lech Kaczynski will not be invited to join.

Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski (PO) told news station TVN24 that the resolution has been reviewed by six constitutional scholars and that President Kaczynski cannot attend the summit “against the will of the Council of Ministers.”

More likely than not, the Constitutional Tribunal will need to rule on a division of powers between the President and Government. Polish law is somewhat vague as to the actual powers of the President and Kaczynski refuses to cede any of his to the Government.