Donald Tusk: Polish Politics and European Council

Prime Minister of Poland (2023-Present)

• Donald Tusk assumed office as Prime Minister of Poland on December 13, 2023.
• Andrzej Duda is the President during Tusk's current term.
• Mateusz Morawiecki was the preceding Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of Poland (2007-2014)

• Tusk served as Prime Minister of Poland from November 16, 2007, to September 22, 2014.
• He served under multiple Presidents.
• Jarosław Kaczyński preceded him, and Ewa Kopacz succeeded him in this role.

President of the European Council (2014-2019)

• Tusk was President of the European Council from December 1, 2014, to November 30, 2019.
• Herman Van Rompuy preceded him, and Charles Michel succeeded him.

Leader of the Civic Platform

• Tusk assumed office as Leader of the Civic Platform on July 3, 2021.
• Borys Budka preceded him in this role.
• Tusk also served as Leader of the Civic Platform from June 1, 2003, to November 8, 2014, preceded by Maciej Płażyński and succeeded by Ewa Kopacz.

President of the European People's Party (2019-2022)

• Tusk was the President of the European People's Party from December 1, 2019, to June 1, 2022.
• Joseph Daul preceded him, and Manfred Weber succeeded him.

Deputy Marshal of the Sejm (2001-2005)

• Tusk served as Deputy Marshal of the Sejm from October 18, 2001, to October 18, 2005, serving with others.
• Jan Król preceded him, and Bronisław Komorowski succeeded him.

Deputy Marshal of the Senate (1997-2001)

• Tusk served as Deputy Marshal of the Senate from October 20, 1997, to October 18, 2001, serving with others.
• Zofia Kuratowska preceded him, and Kazimierz Kutz succeeded him.
• Alicja Grześkowiak was the Marshal during his term.

Personal Details

• Born: Donald Franciszek Tusk on April 22, 1957, in Gdańsk, Polish People's Republic.
• Political Affiliations: Civic Coalition (since 2018) in Poland; European People's Party (2014–2022) in the European Union.
• Spouse: Małgorzata Sochacka (married 1978).
• Children: Two children.
• Education: University of Gdańsk.

Early Life & Career

• Tusk was born in Gdańsk, Poland, and has Polish, German, and Kashubian ancestry.
• His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a nurse.
• His paternal grandfather was imprisoned in the Neuengamme concentration camp and later forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht, from which he defected to join the Polish Armed Forces in the West.
• He identifies as Polish, Kashubian, and European.
• Tusk studied history at the University of Gdańsk and was active in the Student Committee of Solidarity.
• He co-founded the Liberal Democratic Congress (KLD) and entered the Sejm in 1991.
• In 1994, the KLD merged to form the Freedom Union.
• He was elected to the Senate in 1997 and became its deputy marshal.
• In 2001, he co-founded Civic Platform (PO) and was elected to the Sejm, becoming its deputy marshal.

2005 Polish Presidential Election

• Tusk was a leading candidate but was defeated by Lech Kaczyński.
• A controversy arose regarding Tusk's grandfather's alleged service in the German Wehrmacht.

First Premiership (2007–2014)

• Civic Platform won the 2007 Polish parliamentary election, making Tusk Prime Minister.
• He secured a second term in 2011, becoming the first Polish PM re-elected since the fall of communism.
• In 2014, he resigned to become President of the European Council, succeeded by Ewa Kopacz.

Domestic Policy (First Term)

• Initially promised free-market policies, bureaucracy streamlining, and tax cuts, but later raised VAT and other taxes.
• Oversaw an austerity program.
• Focused on expanding the highway network for the UEFA 2012 football championships.
• Defended the government's decision not to purchase swine flu vaccine.
• Held moderately conservative views on social issues, opposing abortion on demand and euthanasia (though his stance on abortion changed in June 2022).

Foreign Policy (First Term)

• Sought to improve relations with Germany and Russia.
• Withdrew military units from Iraq.
• Supported the U.S. missile defense shield in Poland after initial skepticism.
• Supported Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's controversial constitution in Hungary.
• Supported committing Poland to signing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

European Policy (First Term)

• Supported greater EU integration and the Lisbon Treaty.
• Aimed to bring Poland into the Eurozone but later expressed less optimism due to the European sovereign debt crisis.
• Poland held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union between July and December 2011.

Constitutional Reform (First Term)

• Relations with President Lech Kaczyński were often strained, with Kaczyński blocking government legislation.
• Tusk proposed reforms to abolish the presidential veto and reduce the size of the Sejm and Senate.

President of the European Council (2014–2019)

• Promoted a unified European response to Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
• Coordinated the EU's response to the European migrant crisis.
• Warned against Brexit and later pursued a firm line on the UK's withdrawal.
• Opposed the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.
• Viewed the Trump administration as a threat to the EU.
• Was re-elected for a second term in March 2017, despite opposition from the Polish government.
• In February 2018, urged Turkey to avoid threats against EU members.
• Said there was a "special place in Hell" for those who promoted Brexit without a plan.
• Condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria.

Second Premiership (2023–Present)

• Returned to Polish politics in July 2021 as leader of Civic Platform.
• Organized anti-government protests in Warsaw in 2023.
• Advocated for enhanced LGBT rights.
• Led Civic Coalition to become the second-largest bloc in the Sejm in the 2023 Polish parliamentary election.
• Was elected Prime Minister for a third time after Mateusz Morawiecki failed to secure a vote of confidence.
• His cabinet was sworn in on December 13, ending eight years of PiS government.

Domestic Policy (Second Term)

• Dismissed top executives from Telewizja Polska, promising to turn state media into a source of reliable information.
• Pledged to push for changes to the European Green Deal in response to farmer protests.
• Oversaw the arrests of MPs Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, resulting in a legal battle over presidential pardons.
• Opposed the EU Migration Pact.
• Announced plans to temporarily suspend the right of migrants to seek asylum in Poland.
• Supported proposals to reduce benefits paid by Poland to Ukrainian refugees
• Unveiled plans for economic deregulation to spur growth.

Foreign Policy (Second Term)

• Met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and called for the "full mobilization" of the West.
• Criticized the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside Hamas leaders.
• Stated that Ukraine's EU membership would require resolving the issue of Polish victims of the Volhynian Genocide.
• Guaranteed safe passage for Israeli officials to an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
• Committed to maintaining strong U.S.-European relations while advocating for increased European defense capabilities.

Personal Life

• Married to Małgorzata Sochacka in 1978, with two children and five grandchildren.
• Belongs to the Kashubian minority in Poland.
• Speaks Polish, Kashubian, German, and English.
• Had a Catholic marriage ceremony with his wife 27 years after their civil ceremony.

Honours and Awards

• Charlemagne Prize (2010).
• Walther-Rathenau-Preis (2012).
• European Prize for Political Culture (2012).
• Honorary doctorates from the University of Pécs (2017), TU Dortmund University (2018), and University of Lviv (2019).
• Grand Cross Order of the Sun (Peru, 2008).
• Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2012).
• Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia, 2013).
• Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonia, 2014).
• The First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Ukraine, 2019).
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan, 2021).