This Tuesday, Donald Tusk invoked great values such as solidarity, freedom, tolerance, democracy – and even love – in an intense speech in which he asked the Sejm (the lower house), for which he baptized, for a vote of confidence as ” Coalition of October 15th”. The Liberal parliamentary majority, which emerged from the elections held that day and consists of the three formations of the new government, is expected to support without surprises on Tuesday evening the program and team of the Prime Minister elected the day before. The executive, due to take office this Wednesday, “will return Poland to its rightful place in Europe,” Tusk promised. The day was marred by a scandal in which a right-wing lawmaker used a fire extinguisher to extinguish a menorah, a Jewish candlestick that was lit in the chamber of parliament to commemorate the festival of Hanukkah.
After a “brutal and spectacular” election campaign and years of political degradation, Tusk attributes the autumn elections to a historic dimension. “I am convinced that October 15th will join the historical dates of our calendar, the tragic and the beautiful. “A day of peaceful rebellion for freedom and democracy, a civil rebirth,” he announced in a two-hour intervention with epic overtones. After his speech, 254 MPs (out of the 460 in the chamber) demanded to speak. Everyone seemed to have something to say to the new head of government.
Question time addressed to the Prime Minister was overshadowed by Grzegorz Braun's anti-Semitic episode, which plunged the chamber into chaos and forced a temporary suspension of the session. The lawmaker from the far-right Confederation Party caused a major scandal when he used a fire extinguisher to extinguish a menorah, a candlestick lit for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, during a ceremony in the presence of Israeli Ambassador Yacov in the Parliament Hall in Livne. From the stands, Braun later described the holiday as a “satanic cult.” The deputy was expelled from the courtroom and sanctioned, and the Presidency will inform the Public Prosecutor's Office of the matter. All factions rejected the facts.
In his morning speech, Tusk recalled, partly lyrically, from the podium the words of the Polish Pope John Paul II about solidarity and reinterpreted them: “I cannot imagine politics without love.” The leader dedicated his speech to those who took part in the helped found the Solidarity Union, which hastened the fall of communism, and promised to help “revive the spirit of authentic solidarity and respect for the rights of a community of diverse people.” ” That, he said, is the essence of the “positive political phenomenon” that they are building with the consent of three forces: the Citizens' Coalition led by his center-right party Civic Platform; Third Way, which includes the Christian Democrats Polska 2050 and the Agrarian Party PSL brings together; and the Lewica Social Democrats (left).
In a gesture that was sharply criticized by the ultra-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), the new prime minister also read out the political manifesto of a man who sacrificed himself in protest against the policies of the outgoing ultra-conservative government. “Using a suicide note to justify your policies is the meanest thing you can do,” criticized former Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, who preferred to describe the new executive as “a coalition of revenge and chaos.”
“Help Ukraine with determination”
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After arguing for a new policy based on positive emotions to end the “conflict” phase, Tusk outlined his political priorities, starting with international relations and the war in Ukraine. His government will work to be “a strong ally of NATO and the United States,” he said. “I guarantee you that the new coalition will return Poland to its rightful place in Europe,” he added, opting for a strong Poland and Europe. PiS has repeatedly accused him of being a puppet of the EU (including Germany and Russia). Before the Sejm, the former President of the European Council assured: “Any change to the Treaties that harms us is doomed to failure.” I want to tell you that no one in the EU will get me down.”
“We have to talk about Ukraine,” said Tusk solemnly, who also wants to repair relations with his invaded neighbor after tensions between Warsaw and Kiev due to the grain crisis. “This government will make it its mission to demand loudly and decisively that the West provides Ukraine with decisive assistance in this war.” This is not incompatible with the defense of “Polish interests,” he assured, as his team is already doing. to clear the blockade of truck drivers on the border with Ukraine.
Aid to Kyiv will be the focus of this week's meeting of EU leaders, where Tusk will open his mandate. European partners are trying to avoid the veto of the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultra-conservative Viktor Orbán, a Kremlin ally. “By a strange coincidence, politicians who attack the foundations of Western democracy are also anti-Ukrainian,” said Tusk, who declined to name names or countries but promised to be assertive against those who threaten European unity.
Continuing on the eastern flank, the Civic Platform leader assured that he would keep the border with Belarus sealed. “The Polish border and people can be protected at the same time,” he said.
Before introducing his government team, Tusk highlighted measures such as the 30 percent increase in teachers' salaries and the maintenance of PiS social programs. At the same time, the executive will set up a finance council “that will assess spending so that our potentially generous social policies do not endanger the state's financial stability,” the Liberal leader explained.
Minister with experience
Tusk has entrusted important ministries to loyal and experienced figures with whom he governed in his previous terms (2007-2014). Government officials must make clear and quick decisions to clean up Jaroslaw Kaczynski's illiberal system. “The PiS government must be held accountable,” affirmed the new prime minister. “I have heard voices that the coalition is out for revenge. “Adam Bodnar becomes Minister of Justice, among other things, to show that corruption and the destruction of institutions do not go unpunished,” he assured, recalling the “independent and impartial” status of the law professor who was an ombudsman.
Bodnar’s task is also to “restore the rule of law”. In addition to restoring the independence of the judiciary, Tusk promised: “I will bring from Brussels the billions of euros that businessmen and local governments expect.” The Prime Minister, who chaired the European Council (2014-2019) and the European People's Party (2019-2022). He assured that he, together with veteran Radoslaw Sikorski, who is returning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is already preparing “visits” for this purpose. He has also announced that he will meet in Estonia with the heads of state and government after his trip to Brussels this week will meet heads of government of the Baltic countries.
Tusk has guaranteed cooperation between government partners despite their differences. As he has acknowledged, there are differences of opinion on issues such as voluntary abortion, but the Prime Minister has committed to ensuring that women who were crucial to his election victory “feel radical improvements immediately, including on the right”. for safe and legal abortion.”
The executive branch, which will take office this Wednesday before President Andrzej Duda, includes newly created departments such as equality, which will be staffed by Lewica MP Katarzyna Kotula. The Prime Minister has assured that women's rights and equality are his priority. In the cabinet he will lead, there will be a third of female ministers, but none will hold the most senior positions, such as deputy minister, nor will she be responsible for major departments such as finance, defense or home affairs.
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