Poland's Asia and Pacific Museum director sacked ahead of elections

Joanna Wasilewska has been removed from her position as director of the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, just before Poland's parliamentary elections in October. Authorities in the region point to issues with unpaid rent and financial discrepancies, which Wasilewska disputes or asserts have been settled. Many observers interpret her dismissal as a politically charged act of revenge for opposing interference in the museum's programming. This incident adds to a growing list of tensions between the museum community and the conservative Law and Justice party. Notably, in April, Jarosław Suchan was succeeded by lesser-known painter Andrzej Biernacki at Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź. Additionally, Janusz Janowski, lacking museum experience, was appointed by Culture Minister Piotr Gliński in 2021, and Piotr Bernatowicz, with minimal relevant background, took charge of Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art in 2019. Alicja Knast was ousted from the Silesian Museum in Katowice in 2020 due to alleged financial mismanagement, which she denied. The article was updated on 11 August 2025 to correct the name of Suchan's successor.