Diplomatic illness

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. The euphemism is designed to avoid formally offending the host or other parties. The term also refers to the period during which the diplomat illness is employed.

For example, Lech Kaczyński cited diplomatic illness to avoid a Weimar Triangle meeting in the wake of a diplomatic dispute with Germany in 2006.

References

• Glossary of Diplomatic Terms. eDiplomat. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.