Why Is Poland Against Tusk?

• 03.13.2017, 12:14
•  Europe,  World

Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP

Europe stands on the path of disintegration. This statement was made by the Poland ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski after re-election of Donald Tusk as President of the Council of Europe. "The European Union is dominated by one country. Obviously, it is Germany," Kaczynski said, noting that much pressure is exerted on some politicians. At the same time Kaczynski said that Poland remains a consistent supporter of the European Union, will not come out from the Union, but in such position cannot be elected a man, whom Polish national government does not support. In his turn, Tusk urged Warsaw not to burn bridges with the EU. He noted that the EU will work with each country to try to prevent Poland's political isolation from Brussels.

On March 9 at EU summit 27 of the EU’s 28 governments voted in favor of Donald Tusk’s re-election to the post of European Council President. Poland refused to sign the final document of the EU summit about  this. The Polish authorities accuse Tusk (he held the post of the Polish prime-minister in 2007-2014), of violating a code of impartiality of international figure and interference in internal affairs of country.

Particularly Warsaw was angered with former official criticism about the Polish judicial system reform, restrictions on press freedom, rejection of migrant quotas. In addition, Jaroslaw Kaczynski believes that Tusk carries political responsibility for the death of his twin brother Lech Kaczynski in Smolensk plane crash on the 2010. In such conditions, Warsaw proposed another candidate, Polish MP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, as President of Council of Europe. However, it should be noted that his candidacy was not considered seriously by the European capitals. Generally, starting this campaign against Tusk, the Polish authorities were clearly aware that they can’t hinder the re-electionof Tusk: even Hungary, which now also carries quite eurosceptic policy, did not support this initiative of Poland. Analysts believe that, this way the Polish authorities are trying to spoil Tusk’s chances to ran in the Poland’s presidential elections after finishing his work in the EU in 2020.