Poland's return to the mainstream is a boon for the EU
ft.comDec 11, 2023
Poland: Donald Tusk to Become Prime Minister
The Facts
Donald Tusk is set to become Poland's new prime minister after successfully being nominated by the Polish parliament on Monday evening. He will address the chamber on Tuesday before being sworn in alongside Poland's new coalition government by President Duda on Wednesday.
This follows a failed vote of confidence by current Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki earlier in the day, which came after his Law and Justice (PiS) Party failed to win a majority in the country's October elections.
The Spin
Narrative A
The likely return of Tusk to the wheel of Polish politics is a sign of relief to Europe and the EU following eight years of hard-right governance. Having become a thorn in the side of the European project, Poland has a chance to recover and regain its role as a key state within the continent. Bordering Ukraine, the return of normality to Warsaw is an enormous boost to the region, ensuring greater strength against ill-intended actors.
Narrative B
Despite vowing to bring Poland back from the brink of relations with the EU, the prime minister-to-be will have a hard time juggling the plethora of ideologies found within his wide-reaching coalition. Despite having been given the first opportunity to form a government, the numbers meant that Morawiecki was always destined to fail. Time will only tell if Tusk can maintain stability in Poland, and it remains to be seen whether this will lead to a realignment of recent policies.