Donald Franciszek Tusk[a] (born 22 April 1957) is a Polish politician and historian who has served as theprime minister of Poland since 2023, previously holding the office from 2007 to 2014. Tusk wasPresident of the European Council from 2014 to 2019 and led theEuropean People's Party from 2019 to 2022. He co-founded theCivic Platform (PO), one of the dominant Polish political parties, and has been its longtime leader – from 2003 to 2014 and again from 2021 to 2025, when it merged into theCivic Coalition (KO) party. He is the longest-serving prime minister of theThird Polish Republic.
Leading the PO to victory at the2007 parliamentary election, he was appointed prime minister, and scored a second victory in the2011 election, becoming the first Polish prime minister to be re-elected since thefall of communism in 1989.[2] In 2014, he left Polish politics to accept appointment as president of the European Council. The Civic Platform would lose control of both the presidency and parliament to the rivalLaw and Justice (PiS) party in the2015 Polish presidential election and2015 Polish parliamentary election. Tusk was President of the European Council until 2019; although initially remaining inBrussels as leader of the EPP, he later returned to Polish politics in 2021, becoming leader of the Civic Platform again. In the2023 election, hisCivic Coalition won 157 seats in the Sejm to become the second-largest bloc in the chamber. Following thepresident-appointed prime ministerMateusz Morawiecki's failure to secure a vote of confidence on 11 December, Tusk was elected by the Sejm to become prime minister for a third time.His cabinet was sworn in on 13 December, ending eight years of government by the PiS party.[3]
Having been the longest-serving prime minister of theThird Republic, Tusk oversaw in his first term the reduction and digitization of the public sector, wishing to present himself as a pragmatic liberal realist andtechnocrat. In the lead-up to the co-organization by Poland ofEuro 2012, he invested strongly in infrastructure, expanding the highway network at the cost of the rail sector. In his second term, various scandals, unfulfilled promises and a cooling of the economy in 2012–2014 as hisEuropean debt crisis-relatedausterity policies led to a drop in public support.[4] In the landscape dominated by the PiS after its electoral victories, as an influential holdout he opposed what he considered itsdemocratic backsliding. Returning to power in 2023, he has focused on reforming thejudiciary and warming relations between Poland and the EU. Since then, as PM, Tusk has continuedaid to Ukraine after theRussian invasion. In 2024, he surprised the public with his appropriation of right-wing themes, such as opposition to illegal migration, prioritizing border security, going as far as to suspend theright of asylum for those who illegally cross theBelarus–Poland border.[5]
Early life
Tusk was born and raised inGdańsk in Northern Poland.[6] He hasPolish,German (through his maternal grandmother)[7] andKashubian[8] origins, self-identifying as Polish, Kashubian and European.[9] His father, Donald Tusk Sr. (1929–1972), was a carpenter whilst his mother, Ewa Tusk née Dawidowska (1934–2009),[10][11] was a nurse.[6] His maternal grandmother's native language wasDanzig German.[12]
Tusk has described the city of his youth as "a typical frontier town" with "many borders between ethnicities". His Kashubian ancestry along with a multilingual family background shaped his early awareness that "nothing is simple in life or in history", leading him to develop a political perspective that "it is best to be immune to every kind of orthodoxy, of ideology, and most importantly, nationalism".[14]
He recalled his youth under communism as having been "so hopeless" due to its monotony, with "no hope for anything to change". He considers his young self a "typical hooligan", often getting into fights – "we would roam the streets, you know, cruising for a bruising".[14] Tusk credits his interest in politics to witnessing clashes between striking workers andriot police as a teenager.[6]
Tusk was one of the founders of theLiberal Democratic Congress (Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny KLD), which in the 1991 elections won 37 seats in the lower house of parliament.[15] The KLD later merged with the Democratic Union (UD) to become the Freedom Union (UW).[15] Tusk became deputy chairman of the new party, and was elected to the Senate in the next election in 1997.[15] In 2001, he co-foundedCivic Platform, and became deputy speaker in parliament after the party won seats in the year's election.[6]
In the shade of the upcoming expiration of PresidentAleksander Kwaśniewski's second term and his inability to stand for a third term, Tusk andLech Kaczyński were the leading candidates for the presidential elections. Although both leading candidates came from the center-right, and their two parties had planned to form a coalition government following theparliamentary elections on 25 September, there were important differences between Tusk and Kaczyński. Tusk wanted to enforce aseparation of church and state, favoured rapidEuropean integration and supported afree-market economy. Kaczyński was verysocially conservative, asoft Eurosceptic, and supportedstate intervention. Such differences led to the failure ofPOPiS coalition talks in late October.Jacek Protasiewicz headed his electoral campaign staff. Tusk's campaign motto was, "President Tusk – A man with principles; We will be proud of Poland." In the election, Tusk received 36.6% of votes in the first round and then faced Kaczyński, who got 33.1% of votes in the first round.
In the second round, Tusk was defeated by Kaczyński.
One controversy during the election was the accusation that Tusk's grandfather,Józef Tusk, had been aNazi collaborator duringWWII, having served in the GermanWehrmacht during the war. The controversy, according to theBBC, "is believed to have influenced some voters negatively".[16]
Donald Tusk (right) being appointed Prime Minister by PresidentLech Kaczyński, 9 November 2007
Tusk and his Civic Platform party emerged victorious in the2007 Polish parliamentary election, defeating incumbent Prime MinisterJarosław Kaczyński'sLaw and Justice party with about 42% of the vote to Law and Justice's 32%.[17] Tusk and his assembled cabinet were sworn in on 16 November, as he became the fourteenth prime minister of the Third Polish Republic.[18]
In the2011 Polish parliamentary election, Civic Platform retained their Parliamentary majority, giving Tusk a second term as prime minister and making him Poland's first PM to win reelection since the fall of communism.[19] In September 2014, leaders of theEuropean Union voted unanimously by selecting Tusk asHerman van Rompuy's successor forPresident of the European Council, which gave Poland its first European leadership position since thefall of the Berlin Wall. Tusk resigned as prime minister and was succeeded by Marshal of the SejmEwa Kopacz.[20]
Domestic policy
During the 2007 parliamentary election campaign and initially, when he entered office, Tusk promised to continue thefree market policies, streamline the bureaucracy, enact long-term stable governance, cut taxes to attract greater foreign business ventures, encourage Polish citizens living overseas to return to Poland, and privatize state-owned companies.[21] While in office, Tusk changed his views on the role of taxation in the functioning of the state and his government never cut any taxes.[22] Instead, it raisedVAT from 22% to 23% in 2011,[23] increased the tax imposed on diesel oil, alcohol, tobacco and coal,[24][25] and eliminated manytax exemptions.[26][27][28] The number of people employed inpublic administration also grew considerably.[29][30] By 2012, the value of foreign investments in Poland had not matched the peak level attained in 2006–07, before Tusk entered office.[31] The number of Poles living abroad in 2013 was almost the same level as in 2007.[32]
The construction of a more adequate and largernational road network in preparation for theUEFA 2012 football championships was a stated priority for Tusk's government.[35] On 27 October 2009, Tusk declared that he wanted to ban gambling partially.[36] During the2009 swine flu pandemic, Tusk defended his government's decision not to purchaseswine flu vaccine, citing the lack of testing by pharmaceutical companies and its unavailability to be purchased freely through the market. Tusk criticized other nations' responses to the pandemic. "The eagerness of some countries seems to be excessive and disproportionate to the real epidemiological situation," Tusk stated, referring to the pandemic's relatively low fatality rate.[37]
Tusk was moderately conservative on social issues for a long time. He was opposed to legalizing abortion on demand, believing that current Polish legislation on abortion at that time (which allowed for legal abortion only when the pregnancy threatens the woman's life or health, when the fetus is seriously malformed, and when the pregnancy results from rape or incest) protected human life best.[38] Tusk had publicly stated that he opposedeuthanasia.[39]
In June 2022, Tusk changed his stance on abortion, supporting a bill that would legalize abortion up to 12 weeks.[40]
In foreign policy, Tusk sought to improve relations severely damaged during the previousKaczyński government, particularly with Germany and Russia. While he criticized the words of German politicianErika Steinbach with regard to her opinion over theexpulsion of Germans from Poland following World War II, Tusk has stressed the need for warm relations with Berlin.[41] Tusk also advocated a more realistic relationship with Moscow, especially in regard to energy policy.[41] Under Tusk's premiership, Russian bans on Polish meat and agricultural products were lifted, while Poland reversed its official policy of disagreement on a European Union-Russian partnership agreement.[42] On 26 February, 2008 under his government Poland was one of the first countries torecognize independence of Kosovo, becoming the first Slavic nation to do so.[43]
During a speech delivered to the Sejm in the first weeks of his premiership, Tusk outlined a proposal to withdrawmilitary units from Iraq, stating that "we will conduct this operation keeping in mind that our commitment to our ally, the United States, has been lived up to and exceeded".[44] The last Polish military units completed their withdrawal in October 2008.[45]
Prime Minister Tusk with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, February 2008
In regard to U.S. plans of hostingmissile defense shield bases in the country, Tusk hinted skepticism toward the project, saying that their presence could potentially increase security risks from Russia, and rejected U.S. offers in early July 2008.[46] By August, however, Tusk relented, and supported the missile shield, declaring: "We have achieved the main goal. It means our countries, Poland and the United States will be more secure."[47] Following PresidentBarack Obama's decision to scrap and revise missile defense strategy, Tusk described the move as "a chance to strengthen Polish-US co-operation in defense..." He said: "I took this declaration from President Obama very seriously and with great satisfaction."[48]
Tusk announced that Polish soldiers would not take military action in Libya, although he voiced support for the2011 military intervention in Libya and pledged to offer logistical support.[49][50]
Contrary to the condemnation of foreign governments and the leadership of theEuropean Union, Tusk supported Hungarian Prime MinisterViktor Orbán in his efforts of implementing a new controversialconstitution. Tusk stated that the Hungarian constitution's democratic controversies were "exaggerated" and that Hungary had "a European level standard of democracy".[51] Tusk's support for the Hungarian government garnered a rare show of solidarity with the opposition Law and Justice, which also publicly displayed support for Orbán's efforts.[52]
In early 2012, Tusk announced his support for committing Poland to signing the internationalAnti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). In response, websites for theChancellery,Sejm andPresidency were hacked in mid-January.[53] FollowingAnonymous's claim of responsibility for the web attack, Tusk remained undeterred by internet protests, authorising the Polish ambassador in Japan to sign the agreement, yet promised that final legislation in the Sejm would not go ahead without assurances regarding freedom to access the Internet.[54] Despite the government's guarantees, mass protests erupted in late January, with demonstrations held inWarsaw,Kraków,Wrocław andKielce.[55][56] Further web attacks were reported on the website of Foreign MinisterRadek Sikorski.[57]
European policy
Tusk at the European People's Party Congress inHelsinki, Finland, on 8 November 2018
In continental policy, Tusk strongly supported greater political and economic integration within theEuropean Union, strongly backing the implementation of theLisbon Treaty, standing in stark contrast to President Lech Kaczyński's vehement opposition.[58] Tusk repeatedly stated his government's intention in bringing Poland into theEurozone. Originally wanting to introduce the euro by 2012, Tusk envisaged in 2009 a starting year of 2015 as "a realistic and not overly-ambitious goal".[59] However, during theEuropean sovereign debt crisis, Tusk and his government displayed less optimism in joining the monetary union under contemporary economic circumstances, leading to Finance MinisterJan Vincent-Rostowski calling any move "unthinkable".[60] Despite not being a member of theeurozone, Tusk pressed that Poland, along with the other non-eurozone states of the EU, should be included in future euro financial negotiations.[61]
While being a constituent member of theWeimar Triangle with fellow states Germany and France, Tusk showed displeasure over German ChancellorAngela Merkel's and French PresidentNicolas Sarkozy's dominating roles in eurozone negotiations, remarking to Italian newspaperCorriere della Sera in January 2012 that "this should not translate into a lasting political monopoly: things cannot be left to only two capitals of Europe".[64]
Constitutional reform
After being elected prime minister, relations between Tusk and President Lech Kaczyński were often acrimonious due to different political ideologies and the constitutional role of the presidency. Using presidential veto powers, Kaczyński blocked legislation drafted by the Tusk government, including pension reform, agricultural and urban zoning plans, and restructuring state television.[65]
In his premiership, Tusk has proposed various reforms to thePolish constitution. In 2009, Tusk proposed changes to the power of thepresidency, by abolishing the presidential veto. "The president should not have veto power. People make their decision in elections and then state institutions should not be in conflict," said Tusk.[66] Tusk again reiterated his desire for constitutional reform in February 2010, proposing that the presidential veto be overridden by a simple parliamentary majority rather than through a three-fifths vote. "Presidential veto could not effectively block the will of the majority in parliament, which won elections and formed the government," stated Tusk.[67] Further constitutional reforms proposed by Tusk include reducing theSejm from a membership of 460 to 300, "not only because of its savings, but also the excessive number of members' causes blurring certain plans and projects"[67] Similarly, Tusk proposed radical changes to theSenate, preferring to abolish theupper house altogether, yet due to constitutional concerns and demands from the junior coalitionPolish People's Party partner, Tusk proposed reducing the Senate from 100 to 49, while including former presidents to sit in the Senate for political experience and expertise in state matters.[67] Parliamentary immunity for all members of the Sejm and Senate would also be stripped, except for in special situations.[67] In addition, Tusk proposed that the prime minister's role in foreign policy decisions would be greatly expanded.[68] By decreasing the president's role in governance, executive power would further be concentrated in the prime minister, directly responsible to thecabinet and Sejm, as well as avoiding confusion over Poland's representation at international or EU summits.[69] The opposition conservative Law and Justice party deeply criticized Tusk's constitutional reform proposals, opting in opposing legislation for the presidency to garner greater power over the prime minister.[70]
In an interview with theFinancial Times in January 2010, Tusk was asked if he considered running again as Civic Platform's candidate for that year'spresidential election. Tusk replied that although the presidential election typically drew the most voters to the polls and remained Poland's most high-profiled race, the presidency had little political power outside of the veto, and preferred to remain as prime minister. While not formally excluding his candidacy, Tusk declared, "I would very much like to continue to work in the government and Civic Platform, because that seems to me to be the key element in ensuring success in the civilizational race in which we are engaged."[71] A day after the interview, Tusk formally announced his intention of staying as prime minister, allowing his party to choose another candidate (and eventual winner),Bronisław Komorowski.[72]
On 31 January 2017, Tusk wrote an open letter to 27 EU heads of state or government on the future of the EU before theMalta summit.[82] In this letter, he stated theTrump administration presented a threat to the EU on a par with a newly assertive China, an aggressive Russia and "wars, terror and anarchy in the Middle East and Africa".[83]
On 9 March 2017, Tusk was re-elected for a second term to run until 30 November 2019.[84] He received 27 of 28 votes; the one vote against him came fromBeata Szydło, the Prime Minister of Poland.[85] Tusk's actions in the wake of the2010 plane crash that killed then-Polish President Lech Kaczyński provoked opposition from Poland's governingright-wing party—critics said that Tusk's centrist government did not sufficiently investigate the cause of the crash.[84][86] Szydło refused to sign the EU statement issued at the end of the council's meeting in protest at Tusk's reelection, though other EU leaders spoke in favor of him; Prime MinisterMark Rutte of the Netherlands called him "a very good president",[86] and European Commission PresidentJean-Claude Juncker andGerman chancellor Angela Merkel both made statements supporting the vote.[84] Donald Tusk maintains there will be no winners fromBrexit and the two years following the triggering of Article 50 will be a time of damage limitation.[87]
In February 2018, Tusk urged Turkey "to avoid threats or actions against any EU member and instead commit to good neighbourly relations, peaceful dispute settlement and respect for territorial sovereignty".[88] Tusk also expressed concern over theTurkish invasion of northern Syria in 2018.[89] In response to the death of ChineseNobel Peace Prize laureateLiu Xiaobo, who died of organ failure while in government custody, Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker said in a joint statement that they had learned of Liu's death "with deep sadness".[90]
On 6 February 2019, Tusk held talks withIrish PremierLeo Varadkar in Brussels to discuss Britain's departure from theEuropean Union, stating that there was a "special place in Hell for those who promotedBrexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely".[91][92] Tusk opened his statement by saying there were 50 days to go until the UK's exit from the EU: "I know that still a very great number of people in the UK, and on the continent, as well as in Ireland, wish for a reversal of this decision. I have always been with you, with all my heart. But the facts are unmistakable. At the moment, the pro-Brexit stance of the UK Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, rules out this question. Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for Remain. I say this without satisfaction, but you can't argue with the facts."[91]
On 24 August 2019 inBiarritz for theG7 Summit, Tusk addressed reporters regarding Brexit, stating "one thing I will not cooperate on is no deal". He also said he hoped thatBoris Johnson would not go down in history as "Mr No Deal".[93][94] In September 2019, Tusk said that the EU should open accession talks with both Albania and North Macedonia.[95]
Tusk condemned the2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria. He reprimanded Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan for threatening to send millions of Syrian refugees to Europe and denounced the Turkish operation in northern Syria as destabilizing the region, which he demanded to halt.[96]
Writing of his tenure as President of the European Council,LSE political scientistSara Hagemann said "he set the tone for a liberal and progressive agenda at a time of significant threat from populist and pro-Russian voices in Europe".[97]
In July 2021, Donald Tusk returned to Warsaw, actively reengaging in Polish politics as leader ofCivic Platform. As of May 2022, Tusk was among the leading figures considered by the opposition for the potential future prime minister role,[98] however his overall net approval among the general population was reported as 24.4% in the same period.[99]
In 2023, Tusk organized and ledsignificant anti-government protests in Warsaw. The first demonstration, aimed at opposingdemocratic backsliding in Poland, occurred on 4 June, marking the 34th anniversary of Poland'ssemi-free elections in 1989. Turnout was estimated at 300,000–500,000, making the event one of Poland's largest demonstrations since thefall of communism in 1989.[100] A subsequent protest, dubbed the “March of a Million Hearts” took place on 1 October, likewise attracting hundreds of thousands in an effort to galvanize opposition support ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 15 October.[101]
In the2023 Polish parliamentary election, Tusk'sCivic Coalition finished as the second-largest bloc in the Sejm. Between them, Civic Coalition and two other opposition parties,Third Way andNew Left, took 54% of the vote, winning enough seats to allow them to take power.[103] On 10 November, Civic Coalition, New Left, the Polish People's Party andPoland 2050 formally signed an agreement to support Tusk as their candidate for prime minister. PresidentAndrzej Duda nominated PiS incumbentMateusz Morawiecki for another term as prime minister. However, Morawiecki fell short of the support needed to stay in office, as PiS and its allies were 40 seats short of a majority. With this in mind, Tusk publicly announced the agreement before the new Sejm convened to show he and the opposition stood ready to govern.[104]Morawiecki's cabinet was sworn in on 27 November, but was widely expected to lose a confidence vote.[105] Under the constitution, if Morawiecki did not win a confidence vote within two weeks of being sworn in, the Sejm had the right to designate its own nominee for prime minister, and Duda was required to appoint the person so designated. On paper, the four parties who signed the agreement had the votes to designate Tusk as the Sejm's candidate. Morawiecki's cabinet lost a vote of confidence in the Sejm on 11 December by 190 votes to 266.[106][107] The Sejm subsequently nominated Tusk as its candidate for prime minister, by 248 votes in favor and 201 against.[108] Tusk's cabinet was sworn in on 13 December.[109]
Upon assuming office, Tuskdismissed the top executives fromTelewizja Polska, the nominally independentpublic service broadcaster, at that point considered "a propaganda machine for the PiS government”, promising to "turn Polish state media into a source of reliable information”.[110] The dismissals resulted a sit-in protest of PiS supporters at the premises of the national broadcaster, as well as a spat between Tusk and PresidentDuda. Stanley Bill, who serves as a professor of Polish Studies at the University of Cambridge, stated that Tusk might have been driven by an additional personal motive, as the state-controlled broadcaster's narrative had been continuously demonizing him during PiS rule.[111][112]
In February 2024, responding toprotests by European farmers, Tusk said he would push for changes to theEuropean Green Deal.[113] In March 2024, he insisted that Poland would go its own way "without European coercion".[114] In January 2025, he blamed the European Green Deal for highenergy prices in the EU.[115]
He is promoting the development of civil nuclear power in Poland[116] and has signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with Japan,[117] Canada,[118] Czech Republic,[119] Sweden[120] and France.[121] He announced the updated partnership between Poland’s state-owned companyPolskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) and a consortium led by American firmsWestinghouse andBechtel[122] for advancing the three-unit AP1000® project in Choczewo, Pomeranian Voivodeship.[123] He invited private financial investor for the construction of a second power plant.[124]
Tusk's administration oversaw the arrests of MPsMariusz Kamiński andMaciej Wąsik, both tried for exceeding authority since 2015.[125] President Duda had issued pardons to both of the accused, who continued to serve as ministers and members ofSejm as their trials proceeded. The pardons became embroiled in a legal battle due to the pardoning taking place before the final verdict, with theSupreme Court of Poland ultimately ruling them invalid due to occurring before sentencing. Both MPs stayed in thePresidential Palace in an attempt to have Duda shield them, however police arrested the convicts upon entering presidential premises, highlighting tensions between prime minister and president.[126]
In April 2024, Tusk opposed theEU Migration Pact, stating "we will protect Poland from the relocation mechanism".[127]
In October 2024, Tusk announced plans to temporarily suspend the right of migrants to seek asylum in Poland, citing abuses in the context of hybrid warfare activity carried out by Belarus and Russia, resulting in theEU border crisis.[128] The plan, included in the government's new migration strategy, was initially considered controversial but ultimately met with approval from other EU leaders.[129]
In January 2025, Tusk supported proposals to reduce benefits paid by Poland toUkrainian refugees, limiting eligibility to those actually living in the country.[130]
In February 2025, Tusk unveiled plans for economic deregulation to spur growth, appointingInPost CEORafał Brzoska to lead the advisory team, although Brzoska later abandoned the project.[131][132] In May of the same year, Tusk announced plans to introduce 100 new laws that would have helped deregulate the Polish economy, but those plans were later scrapped.[133]
Meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, 2024
On 22 January 2024, Tusk arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine on a working visit and met with Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy. He stated that all those who chose neutrality in theRusso-Ukrainian War and did not support Ukraine deserved "the darkest place in political hell", calling for the "full mobilization" of the West.[134] Tusk has supported efforts to strengthen European strength in the face of Russia, proclaiming "there is no reason for the EU to be weaker than Russia" after a string of comments made by then-US presidential candidateDonald Trump saying that he would let Russia do "whatever the hell they want" to NATO countries who do not satisfy spending commitments.[135]
In May 2024, Tusk criticized theInternational Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu alongsideHamas leaders, saying, "an attempt to show that the prime minister of Israel and the leaders of terrorist organizations are the same, and the involvement of international institutions in this, is unacceptable." The leaders ofIsrael and Hamas are suspected of committingwar crimes in the Gaza war.[136]
Tusk and Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi during an official meeting in Warsaw on 22 August 2024
In August 2024, Tusk stated that Ukraine's membership in theEuropean Union would not be possible without resolving the question of Polish victims of theVolhynian Genocide and their proper remembrance, echoing the words of Defense MinisterWładysław Kosiniak-Kamysz spoken a few days before at a press conference. The Prime Minister's statement came as a reaction to the then-Ukrainian Foreign MinisterDmytro Kuleba who suggested that this issue should be left to historians.[137][138]
In January 2025, Tusk guaranteed safe passage for senior Israeli officials to travel to an event marking the 80th anniversary of theliberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by Soviet troops, despite an arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court.[139]
In February 2025, Poland was Europe's leadingdefence spender, allocating 4.7% of its GDP to military expenditure and significantly exceeding NATO's target threshold. Tusk emphasised maintaining strongU.S.-European relations while advocating forincreased European defence capabilities. He ruled out sending Polish troops to Ukraine as part of a post-ceasefire peacekeeping force, diverting from French PresidentEmmanuel Macron's idea.[140]
In March 2025, Tusk emphasized the need for a united and well-armed Europe, proposing the creation of a European “Defense Bank” to finance military investments. He highlighted the paradox of "500 million Europeans asking 300 million Americans to defend them from 140 million Russians".[141]
On 3 August 2025, Tusk criticized theIsraeli blockade of theGaza Strip that led to thefamine,[142] writing on X that "Poland was, is, and will be on Israel’s side in its confrontation with Islamic terrorism, but never on the side of politicians whose actions lead to hunger and the death of mothers and children."[143]
During Tusk's term, the2025 presidential election took place, where concerns were raised about the actions of some members of certain local electoral commissions.[144] Based on these concerns, along with other members of the ruling coalition, he partook inelection denial about the presidential election.[145][146]
Personal life
Donald Tusk married Małgorzata Sochacka in 1978 inGdańsk, while both were students. The couple has two children, a son Michał (born 1982) and a daughter Katarzyna (born 1987), as well as five grandchildren.[6] They primarily live inSopot.[147]
His son Michał worked as a spokesman and consultant for theOLT Express airline owned by a shadow bankAmber Gold, which was later revealed to be aPonzi scheme operating during Tusk's first tenure as prime minister. In 2017 Michał Tusk testified before a parliamentary investigative commission regarding the matter.[148]
Tusk belongs to theKashubian minority in Poland. In an interview with the Israeli newspaperHaaretz in December 2008, he compared his own family history to the Jewish experience, describing the Kashubian minority as a people who, "like the Jews, are people who were born and live in border areas and were suspected by theNazis and by theCommunists of being disloyal".[149]
Tusk speaksPolish,Kashubian, German, and English.[150] In 2014, at the time he was appointed President of the European Council, he was criticized for his poor English and lack of knowledge of French.[151] However, he underwent intensive language training in advance of assuming the role,[152] rapidly mastering English.[150] In January 2019, Tusk gave a seven-minute speech only inRomanian at theRomanian Athenaeum inBucharest at the ceremony that marked the beginning of Romania'sEU Council Presidency,[153][154] receiving loud applause.[155][156][157]
Tusk's religious views became a subject of debate during his 2005 presidential campaign. To avoid further speculation, shortly before the election he requested aCatholic marriage ceremony with his wife Małgorzata, whom he had married in a civil ceremony 27 years prior.[158][159]
On 12 December 2019, Tusk published his memoirSzczerze (Honestly), reflecting on his memories from the five-year tenure as President of the European Council.[160]
Honours and awards
TheCharlemagne Prize of the city ofAachen was awarded to Tusk on 13 May 2010 for his merits in the further unification of Europe and for his role as a "patriot and great European". He dedicated the prize to the people killed in aplane crash of a Polish Air Force Tu-154 in April 2010 including the Polish president Lech Kaczyński. The eulogy was given by German chancellor Angela Merkel.[161]
In May 2012, he received theWalther-Rathenau-Preis "in recognition for his commitment to European integration during Poland's Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2011 and for fostering Polish–German dialogue". In her speech German chancellor Merkel praised Tusk as "a farsighted European".[162] In the same year, he also received theEuropean Prize for Political Culture.[163] In December 2017, he was awarded an honorary doctorate at theUniversity of Pécs, Hungary, in recognition of Tusk's "achievements as a Polish and European politician, which are strongly connected with Hungarian, regional and European history".[164] On 16 December 2018, Tusk was awarded an honorary doctorate at theTU Dortmund University, Germany, "in recognition of his services to European politics and his contribution to the debate on European values".[165] In 2019, he was awarded an honorary doctorate at theUniversity of Lviv, Ukraine, which he accepted on the fifth anniversary of theRevolution of Dignity.[166]
^"Polish state TVP Info channel off air as Tusk reforms kick in".BBC News. 20 December 2023.Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved3 March 2024.In recent years, TVP's main evening news broadcasts, and TVP Info, became a propaganda machine for the PiS government, and the new coalition, led by pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk, had promised voters to turn state media into a platform for "reliable information"
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