Donald Tusk He participated in the general elections held on Sunday with the determination to give direction. Europe to someone Poland turned into an ultra-conservative area by the government Law and Justice (PiS). He leads the liberal opposition and identifies with the hope of saving his radicalized partner. NATO And EU Poland has escaped the anti-European drift it fell under the monolithic power of PiS for eight consecutive years. Article by Andrzej Duda, the party that, in addition to the head of government, also controls the presidency under Mateusz Morawiecki.
If he eventually gets the mandate to form a government from Duda, he will need allies. But for now, his campaign has gained support even from the public. left Although Polish belongs to the family of popular Europeans and is sponsored by German Manfred WeberHe does not underestimate his closeness to right-wing populism, although not with PiS, which shares the same group with Vox and the Italian far right in the European Parliament. Giorgia Meloni.
Urban votes, feminism and movements played in their favor abortionists There are those who see in this the possibility of reversing the current practical ban. It has also mobilized voters who have traditionally supported PiS but have seen how systematic conflict with Brussels has led to dossiers, sanctions and even the blocking of post-pandemic European funds for Poland.
distant figure
Be born Gdańsk in 1957 And Prime Minister of Poland between 2007 and 2014He is still perceived by Polish voters as a distant figure, or as the PiS leader assures: Jaroslaw Kaczynski As the “representative of Brussels and Berlin”. The main reason for this is that he left national politics in 2014. President of the European Councilwith the support of the then Chancellor Angela Merkel. This led PiS to accuse him of following the “consent” line, like the German conservative leader. Vladimir Putin. In the eyes of PiS, he represents fear of Moscow as well as submission to Brussels and Germany.
What should have been a source of pride for Poland, which saw its leader at the top of Brussels, was a betrayal of national interests for PiS. It was reminded that after Russia invaded Ukraine, it cut the Army budget under its rule in the Government and did not support the policy of aid to families, retirees and farmers supported under the PiS Administration.
Beyond all these accusations, competition Kaczynski, Tusk’s defeat at the ballot box in the general elections brought him to the head of the Government. Before this, he had experienced defeat against his twin brother. Lech KaczynskHe fought against her in the 2005 presidential election but ultimately lost i.
From rivalry to hostility
This political rivalry turned into personal hostility as a result of the disaster. SmolenskThe Russian airport where the presidential plane crashed, carrying Lech Kaczynski and 95 people, including MPs, senior military personnel and Church representatives. There were no survivors. This was a national trauma in Poland’s recent history. Jaroslaw and Lech briefly shared power as prime minister and president. The crash occurred in dense fog, but the PiS leader continues to claim that the incident was precipitated by an alleged “Russian conspiracy” or that Tusk facilitated the incident due to negligence in travel preparations.
Tusk, Outside of Polish politics Since you went to Brussels. The presidency of the European Council was followed by the leadership of the Popular Party of Europe. The PO then entered a phase of weakness in which new leadership was not consolidated. The last person to try was the current mayor of Warsaw. Rafal Trzaskowki, He is a charismatic politician and attracts young voters. However, the mayor lost to Duda in the 2021 presidential election. It was not yet clear whether one or the other would now lead the general classification fight. In the end, Tusk imposed his candidacy against the views of the mayor’s supporters, but with the aura of someone who had previously defeated Kaczynski over Jaroslaw at the ballot box.
Everything indicates that this is the right strategy. Sunday’s general election recorded a 73% turnout; this was a record figure since the fall of communism and the first elections to the Sejm (assembly of nations) in 1989. Tusk mobilized a much broader voter base than that represented by the PO. His conciliatory profile and the ability to instill optimism in the face of the reactionary conservatism identified with the Kaczynski surname.
He is married to historian Malgorzata Tusk and has two adult children, including a daughter who is a well-known fashion blogger. Tusk is a proud Kashub, a Slavic minority from the Gdansk region. As an adult, he discovered his roots, which inspired him to learn the language.