Master in German philology and History. Author of scientific publications about the origins of European integration in the first half of the 20th century and on diplomatic relations. Last publication: Giovanni Paolo II e l’UE; Rome 2020.
Active in the anti-communist democratic opposition in Poland from 1980 to 1989, member of the clandestine structures of the trade union “Solidarność”.
Jan Tombiński joined the diplomatic service in July 1990 after the change of the political system.
During the diplomatic carrier, he executed, among others, posts of Ambassador of Poland to Slovenia (1995-1998), to Bosna-Hercegovina (non-resident 1996-1998), and to France (2001-2007). From 2007 to 2012, he served as the Permanent Representative of Poland to the European Union. During his tenure, Poland carried out its first Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In 2012, Jan Tombiński was appointed Head of EU Delegation in Kyiv/Ukraine, where he served during the Maidan Revolution and the first phase of Russian military aggression against Ukraine (2014-2016). Afterward, he worked as Head of the EU Delegation in Rome (2016-2020) with duties covering the Holy See, UN Agencies, the Republic of San Marino, and the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Upon completion of the mandate for EEAS in 2020, Jan Tombiński returned to Polish diplomatic service and worked at the Diplomatic Academy.
In March 2022, he was appointed EU High-Level Adviser on Diplomatic and European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova.
Member of the administrative council of the Jean Monnet Foundation (Lausanne) and of the Senate of the Ukrainian Catholic University (L’viv).