Diplomatic illness

Short description: Feigning of illness to avoid social duties

Diplomatic illness is the practice amongst diplomats and government ministers of feigning illness, or another debilitating condition, to avoid engaging in diplomatic or social engagements.[1] The excuse of ill-health is designed to avoid formally offending the host or other parties.[2][3] The term also refers to the period during which the "diplomatic illness" is claimed to persist.

## Examples

* General John J. Pershing, on his return in 1926 from unsuccessful negotiations among Peru, Bolivia and Chile and suffering from ill-health, was stated by his critics to have a "diplomatic illness".[4]
* During the Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia in 1948, foreign minister Jan Masaryk was thought to have a "diplomatic illness", as he stayed out of touch with many of his former foreign contacts.[5]
* A temporary absence of Bosnian Serb leader Ratko Mladic, at a time in 1995 when Bosnian Serb forces were withdrawing near Sarajevo under an agreement with NATO, was ascribed by some sources to "diplomatic illness".[6]
* Boris Yeltsin, the then leader of the Russian Federation, was sometimes claimed to be invoking "diplomatic illness". One occasion was in 1994 on the outbreak of the First Chechen War;[7] another coincided with a 1998 summit meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States,[8] and another was in 1999 when he was due to sign a treaty with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.[9] The allegations were dubious, as Yeltsin suffered from repeated genuine bouts of ill-health.[9]
* Polish leader Lech Kaczyński cited illness to avoid a Weimar Triangle meeting in the wake of a diplomatic dispute with Germany in 2006.[10]

## Related terms

* William Gladstone referred to a "diplomatic cold" as an alternative to declining a social engagement outright.[7]
* Neville Chamberlain is reported to have contracted "diplomatic gout" in 1938.[7]
* Polite fiction

## Footnotes

1. ↑ G. Berridge; L. Lloyd (25 January 2012). The Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-137-01761-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=jvarq4iy5MoC&pg=PT79.
2. ↑ Definition in The Legal Dictionary
3. ↑ Glossary of Diplomatic Terms. eDiplomat. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.
4. ↑ Don M. Coerver; Linda Biesele Hall (1999). Tangled Destinies: Latin America and the United States. UNM Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-8263-2117-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=-VeZK81tlZcC&pg=PA75.
5. ↑ Slovak studies. Slovak Institute. 1981. p. 207. https://books.google.com/books?id=2u4PAQAAMAAJ.
6. ↑ ADRIAN BROWN. "Bosnian Serb forces withdraw heavy artillery from Sarajevo." The Irish Times. September 20, 1995.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 R. W. Holder (25 September 2008). Dictionary of Euphemisms. OUP Oxford. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-19-923517-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=_tSNa4kBx2IC&pg=PA152.
8. ↑ MITCHELL LANDSBERG. "Yeltsin regains voice, resumes work at suburban residence." AP Online. Press Association, Inc. March 18, 1998.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Goble, Paul (November 9, 1999). "Russia: Analysis From Washington -- A Diplomatic Illness?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1092764.html.
10. ↑ Kolosowska, Krysia (January 5, 2007). "A diplomatic illness?". Polskie Radio. http://www.polskieradio.pl/zagranica/dokument.aspx?iid=38728.

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Diplomacy and diplomats

Roles|

| Diplomatic
leader titles|

| Multilateral|

* Permanent representative
* United Nations
* Ambassador-at-large
* Resident representative

|

Bilateral-national|

* Ambassador
* High commissioner
* Nuncio
* Chargé d'affaires
* Head of mission
* Deputy chief of mission

Bilateral-subnational|

* Consul

Bilateral-insular|

* Resident
* Resident commissioner
* Envoy
* Agent-general

By portfolio (Attaché)|

* Agricultural attaché
* Chargé de mission
* Conseiller chargé des investissements
* Cultural attaché
* Military attaché
* Air attaché
* Science attaché
* Trade commissioner

Other roles|

* Diplomatic courier
* Queen's Messenger
* Foreign minister

Classification|

* Diplomatic rank

Offices|

* Apostolic Nunciature
* Consular corps
* Consulate
* De facto embassy
* Diplomatic corps
* African Diplomatic Corps
* Diplomatic mission
* High commission
* Legation
* Protecting power
* Exclusive mandate

Types|

* Caviar diplomacy
* Checkbook diplomacy
* Coercive diplomacy
* Commercial diplomacy
* Cultural diplomacy
* Defence diplomacy
* Digital diplomacy
* Dollar diplomacy
* Freelance diplomacy
* Full spectrum diplomacy
* Guerrilla diplomacy
* Gunboat diplomacy
* Hostage diplomacy
* New diplomacy
* Panda diplomacy
* Paradiplomacy
* Pilgrimage diplomacy
* Ping-pong diplomacy
* Preventive diplomacy
* Public diplomacy
* Shuttle diplomacy
* Stadium diplomacy

Topics|

* Appeasement
* Consular assistance
* Consular immunity
* Diplomatic accreditation
* Diplomatic bag
* Diplomatic cable
* Diplomatic credentials
* Diplomatic history
* Diplomatic illness
* Diplomatic immunity
* Diplomatic law
* Diplomatic rank
* Diplomatic service
* Diplomatic uniform
* Protocol

Documents|

* Exequatur
* Letter of credence
* Letter of protest

Other topics|

* Development aid
* Agencies
* Parliamentary delegation
* Summit (meeting)
* Twin towns and sister cities

* Category
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