Donald Tusk, the new head of Europe - Telegraph EU Donald Tusk, the new head of Europe Tusk has also long been a proponent of free markets, privatisation and minimal government interference - a stance that should made him a natural ally of the UK Donald Tusk, president of the European Council Photo: AFP By Matthew Day, in Warsaw and Bruno Waterfeld in Brussels 7:00AM BST 31 Aug 2014 Initially reluctant to leave national politics, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister was persuaded by his wife Malgorzata for the “prestige, better money and less problems at work” that come with a top Brussels job at the top of EU officialdom renowned for its “gravy train” pay and perks. Mr Tusk currently earns 240,000 zloty a year, a salary that is worth just €60,000 (£47,500) a year, making him one of the lowest paid EU leaders. In the EU post, he will earn over five times with a pay and perks package worth well over €300,000 a year, including a personal motorcade of five limousines.

That Mr Tusk could step into some of Europe’s biggest shoes has surprised many in Poland. Unlike Radek Sikorski, his ardently Europhile foreign minister, he has never made any public declaration of seeking a job in Brussels - even last month saying that he intended to stay in Poland - and has never really outlined in depth his views on Europe. Senior EU officials have described a growing consensus building around Mr Tusk, who is supported by Germany, as the star of his main rival, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Danish prime minister and daughter-in-law of Lord Kinnock, wanes. “It is a progressive consensus. Her name is Angela Merkel,” joked a Brussels ambassador. Earlier last week, perhaps seeking to curry favour in Berlin, David Cameron added his support to Mr Tusk’s bandwagon. Related Articles Merkel under pressure to ditch 'blackmailing' Cameron in EU president row 02 Jun 2014 The Prime Minister backed Mr Tusk to please the German chancellor and also in the hope that the centre-Right Pole will act as a counter-balance to the federalist ambitions of Jean-Claude Juncker, the incoming president of the European Commission.

The 57-year-old prime minister’s prospects for a European role are mainly hindered by his weakness at English. Although improving, Mr Tusk rarely speaks English in public and when he does it comes with a strong Polish accent. Although Mr Tusk’s commitment to the EU has grown over his seven years in office as Poland prospered from union membership, the 57-year-old Polish leader has retained a pragmatic stance on European policy and is committed to its reform. Mr Tusk has also long been a proponent of free markets, privatisation and minimal government interference - a stance that should made him a natural ally of the UK. Despite this, Poland and the UK have clashed in Europe with the two falling out over Mr Cameron call for limits on EU freedom of movement rights that benefit millions of Poles working in Britain. His relationship with Mrs Merkel, has been a mixed blessing domestically, leading to accusations from nationalists circles that he is too close to a country that was for long Poland’s traditional enemy but her blessing counts for a lot in Brussels. Mr Tusk’s instinct to form strong bonds with Germany may stem from his own background.

Although born in the northern city of Gdansk, his family hail from the Kaszuby region of Poland, a small distinctive area not far from the city where, for years before the Second World War, Polish and German culture entwined and national divisions blurred. One of Mr Tusk’s grandfathers was even forced to join Hitler’s armies in 1944 after spending time in a concentration camp. This fact was picked up by his opponents, and used in an attempt derail his political career - but the attempt failed and Mr Tusk went on to become a dominant force in Polish politics. As leader of the economically liberal Civic Platform party, he became prime minister in 2007 after inflicting a heavy defeat on his bitter foe Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Credited with bringing order and stability after the turbulent Kaczynski years, which were punctuated by frequent scandals and arguments with Poland’s neighbours, the softly-spoken Mr Tusk made Polish history in 2011 by becoming the first prime minister to be re-elected since the fall of Communism. But since then his star had waned.

His government has been dogged by scandal and accusations that it is doing too little to reform the economy, and to the chagrin of its supporters Civic Platform now trails Mr Kaczynski’s Law and Justice party in the opinion polls. Sensing that the departure of Mr Tusk will hasten the demise of Civic Platform, Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he hoped his rival would get the job because it would mean “he will not be here”. Rafal Pankowski, an expert on Poland’s political Right, also said he feared Tusk leaving Poland could inflict a hammer blow on his party, which faces a general election next year. “Without him it is difficult to imagine how the party will survive and maintain the same level of support,” he commented. “There is no successor who has the same track record as he does. He holds the party together.” Donald Tusk – Europe Decides Portfolio → Commission President, European Council President Donald Tusk EPP Donald Tusk has ruled himself out of the running for the top jobs in Brussels this time – but his political skills, noted in particular by Angela Merkel, may encourage him to reconsider if support emerges for him to take the presidency of the European Commission or European Council.

Tusk has been the Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He is credited not only with helping Poland be one of the few European countries to grow during the economic crisis but of transforming his country’s European reputation after the turbulent Kaczyński years. Born in 1957 in Gdańsk, Tusk – the son of a carpenter and a nurse – became involved in the Solidarity movement in his home city, founding the Independent Students Union. After the fall of communism he founded the Liberal Democratic Congress (KLD), a pro-market, pro-European, pro-privatisation party that won eight per cent of the vote in the 1991 election. Tusk himself became a Member of Parliament. In 2001, with Polish politics in a process of reformation, Tusk helped form the Civic Platform (PO) party, becoming its leader in 2003. By 2007, he was Prime Minister, and in 2011 he became the first post-communism Polish leader to be re-elected.

On a European stage, his prominence grew during Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2011, notably for his defence of the rights of non-members of the single currency in debates on the euro crisis (arguing that those with a treaty commitment to join the currency could not be excluded from shaping how that currency would be governed). While he has continued to be a defender of Polish interests, notably on climate change and energy, Tusk has shown a pro-European and collaborative approach in EU debates, in contrast to his predecessor. In 2010, he won the Charlemagne Prize, his citation praising his role as a “patriot and great European”. His recent cabinet reshuffle in Poland – widely seen as a way to consolidate his own power – along with his commitment to fight the next national election and his lack of foreign language skills are all seen as reasons to dismiss his candidacy. However, he is well-regarded and could emerge from the shadows as a compromise candidate – and one that is not simply the lowest common denominator.

Donald Tusk | prime minister of Poland | Britannica.com prime minister of Poland Alternative Title: Donald Franciszek Tusk Donald Tusk Donald Tusk, in full Donald Franciszek Tusk (born April 22, 1957, Gdańsk, Poland), Polish politician who was the first prime minister of Poland to serve two consecutive terms (2007–14) since the fall of communism in 1989. Donald Tusk (left) speaking with a Polish army general, 2008. Alik Keplicz/AP Early life and start of political career The son of a carpenter and a nurse, both of whom were slave labourers during the Nazi German occupation of Poland, Tusk grew up as part of the Kashubian ethnic minority in the port city of Gdańsk , the birthplace of the Solidarity movement. After showing promise as a football (soccer) player, he studied history at the University of Gdańsk, where he became an anticommunist student leader in the 1970s. Tusk’s political awareness had been dramatically awakened at age 13 when he witnessed police shooting at striking workers.

He joined Solidarity in 1980, becoming one of the movement’s prominent young intellectuals . After the imposition of martial law in 1981, Tusk worked as a chimney painter and cofounded a cooperative, one of the few avenues of private enterprise open to Poles at the time. In the process he became a devotee of free-market capitalism and would eventually embrace the economic theories of F.A. Hayek and classical liberalism , as well as look to Western conservatives Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as role models. In 1989, as Solidarity began to fragment (the product of political and personality clashes within the movement following its assumption of power and the demise of the communist state), Tusk cofounded the free-market-oriented Liberal and Democratic Congress (KLD) party. He entered the Sejm (lower house of Poland’s legislature) in 1991. After the KLD failed to meet the threshold for representation in the 1993 parliamentary election, it merged with the Democratic Union Party (UD) in 1994 to become the Freedom Union (UW). In 1997 Tusk was elected to the Senate.

Then in 2001 he formed another centre-right market-oriented party, Civic Platform (PO), was again elected to the Sejm, and became its deputy speaker. In 2005, as the parties on the left in Poland waned in influence, the PO finished second in Sejm elections to the Law and Justice party (PiS), whose candidate, Lech Kaczyński , defeated Tusk in that year’s presidential election. First term as prime minister The tables were turned in 2007, when scandals forced the PiS to call an early legislative election and the PO, having secured a pluralist victory (with some 40 percent of the vote), joined the Polish Peasant’s Party (PSL) in coalition rule, with Tusk as the prime minister. Despite the difficulties of cohabitation with President Kaczyński, Tusk’s popularity swelled as he “reset” Poland’s relations with both Russia and Germany .

He also implemented strongly pro-business and pro- European Union (EU) policies that benefited the Polish economy, which, robustly bolstered by EU funds, survived the global economic downturn of 2008–09 and the resulting euro-zone debt crisis to continue to grow while the economies of other EU member countries were badly shaken. Tusk also demonstrated a steady hand during Poland’s first-ever tenure in the presidency of the EU in 2011. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The stability Tusk seemingly brought to Poland was never more visible or necessary than when the country was plunged into despair following the airliner crash in April 2010 near Smolensk , Russia, in which President Kaczyński perished along with a number of other major government and military figures. After initially declaring his interest in the presidency, Tusk removed his name from consideration in the special election in an attempt to maintain continuity for the country and also to see that his party’s policy objectives continued to be realized.

Bronisław Komorowski , an associate of Tusk’s, won the special election for the presidency, solidifying the PO’s grip on power, which was further reinforced when Tusk led his party to victory in the 2011 legislative election, becoming the first government returned to office in Poland since 1989. Second term as prime minister and beyond Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? Much of the political debate in Poland in early 2012 centred on Tusk’s plans to reform the pension system, which called for an increase over time of the retirement age from 65 for men and 60 for women to 67 for both. That reform was deeply unpopular with voters and led to a serious conflict between the PO and its partner in the ruling coalition, the PSL, which was unhappy about both the substance of the proposal and the PO’s lack of consultation with it prior to the plan’s introduction. After weeks of wrangling, the PSL agreed to a retirement age of 67 for both men and women in return for the PO’s agreeing to the possibility of early retirement on a partial pension under certain conditions.

The reform was then passed by the Sejm (parliament) and signed into law by the president. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Among the numerous scandals during 2012 that contributed to an overall decline in popular support for the PO was one involving Tusk’s son, Michael, who worked for the Polish discount airline OLT Express, which went bankrupt , followed by its parent company, Amber Gold, a parabank (unlicensed financial institution offering banking services) that was responsible for a widespread Ponzi scheme . In an attempt to reverse the PO’s waning popularity, Tusk reshuffled his cabinet more than once in 2013. In March the government survived PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński ’s attempt to bring it down with the aid of an iPad message. During debate on what became a failed no-confidence vote, the PiS leader employed the device to play a prerecorded speech by potential prime minister Piotr Gliński, who could not address the Sejm in person because he was not a member. There was also trouble for Tusk within his own party.

In April he sacked Minister of Justice Jarosław Gowin, officially because of Gowin’s controversial accusation that German research centres were importing foreign embryos for experimentation; Gowin had begun to use his position as the head of a new faction within the PO to challenge Tusk’s leadership of the party. Tusk faced the challenge head-on by calling early elections for the leadership, which he won in August , capturing almost 80 percent of the vote, while Gowin was supported by some 20 percent of PO members. Ultimately, Gowin and two other members of the conservative group departed the PO, leaving it with a razor-thin parliamentary majority. In August 2014 the leaders of the European Union voted unanimously to select Tusk to succeed Herman Van Rompuy as the president of European Council. With his term at the head of the Council set to begin in December, Tusk resigned as prime minister in the second week of September.

Polish PM elected as EU chairman - Radio Poland :: News from Poland Polish PM elected as EU chairman PR dla Zagranicy Peter Gentle 30.08.2014 19:43 Poland's prime minister Donald Tusk has been chosen to be the next president of the European Council, one of the EU's top jobs. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (L) European Council President Herman van Rompuy (C) and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini (R) after they were elected to the EU top jobs during European leaders extraordinary summit at EU council headquaters in Brussels: photo - EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET "The European Council has elected PM Donald Tusk as the next President of the European Council & Euro Summits,” outgoing council president Herman Van Rompuy tweeted on Saturday evening. Tusk emphasised balancing fiscal discipline with economic growth and addressing the UK's demand for reforms as his top priorities at a press conference following the announcement. "No reasonable person can imagine the EU without the UK," he said. It was also announced at the summit in Brussels that Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini is to take over from Catherine Ashton as EU foreign policy chief.

The 57 year-old centre-right leader of the ruling Civic Platform has led the coalition in Warsaw since 2007 and has been a 'hawk' on Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. (L-R) Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, French President Francois Hollande and President of Romania Traian Basescu during a family picture session at a Special Meeting of the European Council at EU Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 30 August: photo - EPA/JULIEN WARNAND Tusk is the first politician from the 'new member states' that entered the bloc in 2004 from the central and eastern European region. UK PM David Cameron gave his support to Tusk's candidature earlier this week and Germany's Angela Merkel is known to be a supporter. EU leaders picked the new European Council president to succeed Herman Van Rompuy in the role, which includes being EU summit chairman and broker of compromises.

Others in the frame were thought to be centre-right Latvian prime minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Denmark's social democrat leader, Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. Thorning Schmidt said on Saturday she was not in the running for the job. “I am not a candidate, as I have said repeatedly” she told reporters. Former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker was chosen as president of the European Commission, another key EU post, two months ago. Support Before the decision was announced on Saturday evening, members of the European Parliament from the christian-democrat European People's Party (EPP) – of which Tusk's Civic Platform is a member – said they gave their backing to the Polish prime minister for the role. “The European People's Party want Donald Tusk to fill the role of council president,” MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski told reporters. The EPP is the largest voting bloc in the European Parliament but Tusk's candidacy still needs the backing of the social-democrats.

Photo dated 19 May 2014 showing Pope Francis (L) with Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk (R), during a private audience at the Vatican: photo - EPA/CLAUDIO PERI Earlier, the leader of Poland's largest opposition party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, joked that he would welcome the prime minister and his arch rival becoming European Council president: “The further he is from Poland the better,” he said, but then added, “but seriously, we support Poland. We want Donald Tusk to become President of the European Council as Poland will be a higher position within the European Union,” Kaczynski said during a press conference on Saturday. Successor Speculation has been rife in the Polish media as to who will take over from Tusk to lead the Civic Platform-led government. The favourites mentioned include defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak and to be speaker of the lower house of parliament Ewa Kopacz, with Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz endorsing her Civic Platform colleague. “I think that Ewa Kopacz would make a good prime minister but let's just keep our fingers crossed,” the mayor said on Saturday morning.

Donald Tusk is the first politician from the CEE members to be elected for a top role in the EU and has shown a tough stance on Russian sactions: photo – PAP/Radek Pietruszka Civic Platform are currently trailing in opinion polls, after seven years in power, behind Kaczynski's Law and Justice (PiS) and face a general election next year. When asked who should take over from Tusk as prime minister, former Solidarity leader and president of Poland Lech Walesa hedged his bets, saying: “There are around 37 million [adult] Poles who would make a good PM”. (pg) source: IAR/PAP/Reuters Donald Tusk (Politician) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Donald Tusk Male Born Apr 22, 1957 Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) party. Tusk was officially designated as Prime Minister on 9 November 2007 and took office on 16 November.

His cabinet won a vote of confidence in the Sejm on 24 November 2007. He is currently the longest serving prime minister of the Third Republic of Poland.… Read More related links Eu Agrees To Extend Russia Sanctions Until Mid 2017 In A Signal To Trump Yahoo News - Dec 16, 2016 ' By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to extend economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine until mid-2017, though some wanted a longer timespan over fear U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would ease pressure on Moscow. The decision was expected and the formal process to extend the sanctions on Russia\'s defense, energy and financial sectors will take place early next week. \"Some of our colleagues would prefer maybe 12 months... Eu Presses Russia On Syria And Ukraine Yahoo News - Dec 15, 2016 ' European Union leaders piled pressure on Russia on Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians in Syria while taking steps to save a historic cooperation pact with Ukraine and extending sanctions against Moscow.

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Brexit: May Says Tusk Letter Justifies Expat Stance Bbc News Google News - Nov 30, 2016 ' BBC News Brexit: May says Tusk letter justifies expat stance BBC News Britons living around Europe would have been left \"high and dry\" if the rights of EU citizens to stay in the UK had been guaranteed, the PM has said. Theresa May said EU leaders\' remarks showed it was \"absolutely right\" for the UK not to have actedÂ ... Brexit \'may never happen\', claims Polish foreign ministerThe Week UK PM defends not \'giving away\' guarantee for EU citizens before Brexit talksBelfast Telegraph ... Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Donald Tusk. CHILDHOOD 1957 Birth Born on April 22, 1957. TEENAGE 1976 19 Years Old Tusk graduated from Nicolaus Copernicus High School No. 1 in GdaÅsk in 1976.

TWENTIES Show Less He then enrolled as a student of history at the University of GdaÅsk, from which he graduated in 1980 under professor Roman WapiÅski with an M.A. thesis on JÃ³zef PiÅsudski. … Read More Tusk also speaks German and English.<br /><br /> At the beginning of the Solidarity era, Tusk was involved in student politics in GdaÅsk. He helped found the Solidarity Student Committee at the university, and later the local Independent Students Association. Read Less This positioned him at the forefront of student politics in 1980, and he was influential in founding the Independent Students Union (NZS), the Solidarity affiliate, that year. … Read More He became a journalist, involved with pro-Solidarity organs like Samorzadnosc, as well as Kashubian publications. He collaborated with the Free Trade Unions of the Coastal Region as well as Kashubian leader Lech BÄ dkowski. Tusk's activities blacklisted him from employment at state-operated firms under the Communist government, so Tusk spent seven years working at the Swietlik co-operative.

Read Less THIRTIES 1991 34 Years Old Tusk was one of the founders of the Liberal Democratic Congress (Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny KLD), and became its president in 1991. … Read More In this party â which backed free markets, European integration, and privatization of state industry. In the 1991 elections, the KLD won 8% of the vote and 37 seats in the Sejm with the slogan, "Neither the right nor the left, just straight to Europe." Tusk was one of the candidates, making him a member of the First Sejm of the Third Polish Republic. Conservative parties formed a loose coalition in the Sejm, and Jan Olszewski became prime minister. Read Less 1992 35 Years Old Tusk did not enter the government, and was involved in the so-called "Nocna Zmiana" ("Night Shift") change of government during the night of 4â5 June 1992.KLD stayed in opposition until Hanna Suchocka became prime minister in 1992.

… Read More Suchocka's government quickly became unpopular, and KLD's popularity fell with it. In the 1993 elections, the party received only 4%, under the threshold and keeping it out of the Sejm for the next term. Read Less FORTIES Show Less Tusk lost his seat as well and would be out of Parliament until 1997. … Read More In 1994, the KLD merged with the Democratic Union (Unia Demokratyczna) to become the Freedom Union (Unia WolnoÅci, UW). Tusk became vice-chairman of the new party. Read Less Tusk was elected to the Senate in the next election in 1997, with his UW party supporting the Solidarity (AWS) government of Jerzy Buzek. … Read More He served as deputy speaker of the Senate in that term. Read Less 2001 44 Years Old In the run-up to the 2001 elections, Tusk lost a leadership campaign in the UW party to BronisÅaw Geremek.

… Read More With the party in disarray and the previous parliament's AWS/Solidarity coalition breaking apart, Tusk, Andrzej Olechowski, and Maciej PÅaÅ¼yÅski founded Civic Platform (PO), taking many party members with him. The party would win 65 seats in that year's election, becoming the largest single opposition party. Tusk became deputy speaker of the Sejm. Read Less 2003 46 Years Old While PÅaÅ¼yÅski was founding chairman of the party, Tusk took over in 2003, and has been leader ever since. (The Freedom Union party won no seats. … Read More It later changed its name to the Democratic Party.) Read Less Show Less Tusk was the party's official candidate for the 2005 presidential election. … Read More He was defeated in the second round by a margin of 46:54 by Lech KaczyÅski.

He represented the constituencies of Gdynia-SÅupsk (2001â2005) and GdaÅsk (2005â2007). Since 2007 he has been an MP for Warsaw.<br /><br /> Tusk's political position emphasizes strong support for a free market economy with minimal government interference and cooperative relationships with other EU members. Read Less … The Civic Platform's electoral victory also pushed Law and Justice's junior coalition partners, the League of Polish Families and Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland out of the Sejm altogether. Following the election, Tusk engaged in coalition talks with the Polish People's Party, emerging with a solid working parliamentary majority. Read Less On 9 November, President Lech KaczyÅski, who had defeated Tusk in 2005's presidential election, asked Tusk to form a government. … Read More Tusk and his assembled cabinet were sworn in on 16 November, becoming the fourteenth prime minister of the Third Republic. Tusk and his newly assembled cabinet survived a vote of confidence in the Sejm several days later on 24 November.

In the 2011 parliamentary election, Civic Platform retained its place as Poland's most popular party. Read Less Polish presidential election, 2005 … Read More Prime Minister of Poland (vote of confidence) <br /><br /> 2007 <br /><br /> 2011 <br /><br /> 2012 <br /><br /> 2014 <br /><br /> Donald Tusk and his wife, MaÅgorzata, have two children: a son, MichaÅ (born 1982) and a daughter, Katarzyna (born 1987). He also has one grandson, MikoÅaj (born 2009) by his son MichaÅ. Tusk's family belongs to the Kashubian minority in Poland. They reside in Sopot near GdaÅsk. Read Less FIFTIES Tusk was officially designated as Prime Minister on 9 November 2007 and took office on 16 November. … Read More His cabinet won a vote of confidence in the Sejm on 24 November 2007.

Read Less Tusk and his Civic Platform party emerged victorious in the 2007 parliamentary election, defeating incumbent Prime Minister JarosÅaw KaczyÅski's Law and Justice party. In the 2007 parliamentary election campaign and at an early stage of his rule Tusk promised to continue the free-market policies, streamline the bureaucracy, enact long-term stable governance, cut taxes to attract greater foreign business ventures, lure foreign-working Poles back to Poland, and privatize state-owned companies. … Read More Later on in his rule, Tusk changed his views on the role of taxation in the functioning of the state and his government has never cut any taxes. Instead, it raised the value-added tax from 22% to 23% in 2011 and has increased the excise imposed on diesel oil, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and coal as well as eliminated many tax exemptions. The number of people employed in the public administration has also grown considerably. As of 2012, the value of foreign investments in Poland had never reached its heights from 2006â2007, before the Tusk's take-over.

The number of Poles staying abroad in 2013 was almost the same as in 2007. Read Less 2008 51 Years Old The country has not contracted, even despite the 2008 financial crisis during his term. Show Less On 27 October 2009, Tusk declared that he wants to partially outlaw gambling. … Read More There are some concerns on Internet censorship, as Tusk wants to ban Internet gambling and monitor Internet connections and money transfers. Read Less During the 2009 swine flu pandemic, Tusk defended his government's decision not to purchase swine flu vaccine, citing the lack of testing by pharmaceutical companies and its unavailability to be purchased freely through the market. … Read More 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. The government's decision drew harsh responses from opposition members in the Sejm.<br /><br /> Donald Tusk is moderately conservative on social issues.

He is opposed to legalizing abortion on demand, believing that Poland's current legislation on abortion (which allows for legal abortion only when the pregnancy threatens the mother's life or health, when the fetus is seriously malformed, and when the pregnancy results from rape or incest) protects human life best. Tusk has publicly stated that he opposes euthanasia and the legalization of marijuana.<br /><br /> In continental policy, Tusk has strongly supported greater political and economic integration within the European Union, strongly backing the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, standing in stark contrast to President Lech KaczyÅski's vehement opposition. Tusk repeatedly stated his government's intention in bringing Poland into the Eurozone.

Originally wanting to introduce the euro by 2012, Tusk envisioned in 2009 a starting year of 2015 as "a realistic and not overly-ambitious goal." However, during the European sovereign debt crisis, Tusk and his government displayed less optimism in joining the monetary union under contemporary economic circumstances, leading to Finance Minister Jan Vincent-Rostowski calling any move "unthinkable." Despite not being a member of the eurozone, Tusk pressed that Poland, along with the other non-eurozone states of the EU, should be included in future euro financial negotiations. Read Less In his premiership, Tusk has proposed various reforms to the Polish constitution. In 2009, Tusk proposed changes to the power of the presidency, by abolishing the presidential veto. "The president should not have veto power. … Read More People make their decision in elections and then state institutions should not be in conflict", said Tusk. Read Less Show Less In an interview with the Financial Times in January 2010, Tusk was asked if he considered running again as Civic Platform's candidate for that year's presidential election.

… Read More 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 that "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 civilisational race in which we are engaged". 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), BronisÅaw Komorowski. Read Less The Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen 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 a plane crash of a Polish Air Force Tu-154 in April 2010 including the Polish president Lech KaczyÅski.

… Read More The eulogy was given by German chancellor Angela Merkel.<br /><br /> He was also awarded an Economy Raspberry Award (similar to the Golden Raspberry Award in movies) by the Puls Biznesu ("Business' Pulse") and organizacja PracodawcÃ³w RP (Polish Employers Confederation) awarded to the persons who had negative influence in Polish economy, destroyed entrepreneurship and damaged quality standards of capital market. Read Less 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. … Read More Further constitutional reforms proposed by Tusk include reducing the Sejm 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".

Similarly, Tusk proposed radical changes to the Senate, preferring to abolish the upper house altogether, yet due to constitutional concerns and demands from the junior coalition Polish 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. Parliamentary immunity for all members of the Sejm and Senate would also be stripped, except for in special situations. In addition, Tusk proposed that the prime minister's role in foreign policy decisions would be greatly expanded. By decreasing the president's role in governance, executive power would further be concentrated in the prime minister, directly responsible to the cabinet and Sejm, as well as avoiding confusion over Poland's representation at international or EU summits. 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. Read Less Show Less Between July and December 2011, Poland under Tusk's government presided over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Under its presidency tenure, Poland supported and welcomed Croatia's entry into the European Union through the Treaty of Accession 2011.

… Read More While being a constituent member of the Weimar Triangle with fellow states Germany and France, Tusk showed displeasure over German Chancellor Angela Merkel's and French President Nicolas Sarkozy's dominating roles in eurozone negotiations, remarking to Italian newspaper Corriere 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." While supporting Franco-German efforts to solve the crisis, Tusk believed the effort should be continental-wide, with EU states using their own initiatives.<br /><br /> In foreign policy, Tusk has sought to improve relations severely damaged during the previous KaczyÅski government, particularly with Germany and Russia. While criticizing the words of German politician Erika Steinbach with regard to her opinion over the expulsion of Germans from Poland following World War II, Tusk has stressed the need for warm relations with Berlin. Tusk also advocated a more realistic relationship with Moscow, especially in regard to energy policy. Under Tusk's premiership, Russian bans on Polish meat and agricultural products have been lifted, while Poland reversed its official policy of disagreement on a European Union-Russian partnership agreement.

Read Less In October 2011, Tusk's Civic Platform won a plurality of seats in the Polish parliamentary election, meaning that Tusk became the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of Communism in Poland. Show Less The construction of a more adequate and larger national road network in preparation for the UEFA 2012 football championships has been a stated priority for the Tusk government. In May 2012, he, moreover, received the Walther-Rathenau-Preis "in recognition for his commitment to European integration during Poland's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2011 and for fostering Polish-German dialogue". … Read More In her speech German chancellor Angela Merkel praised Tusk as "a farsighted European". Read Less 2013 56 Years Old In February 2013, he received the Gold Medal award of the Fondation du MÃ©rite europÃ©en from Jean-Claude Juncker for his efforts to overcome domestic skeptics especially of the then anti-EU Polish president, and to promote a more pro-EU agenda by the Polish Government.

Donald Tusk, Politician • Biography & Facts Donald Tusk Politician Donald Franciszek Tusk ([ˈdɔnalt franˈt͡ɕiʂɛk ˈtusk] (13px ); born 22 April 1957) is a Polish politician who has been President of the European Council since 1 December 2014. Previously he was Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014, having also been co-founder and chairman of the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) party.Tusk was officially designated as Prime Minister on 9 November 2007 and took office on 16 November. His cabinet won a vote of confidence in the Sejm on 24 November 2007. He was the longest serving Prime Minister of the Third Republic of Poland. In October 2011, Tusk's Civic Platform won a plurality of seats in the Polish parliamentary election, meaning that Tusk became the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of communism in Poland.Tusk began his public career as an activist in his home town of Gdańsk, supporting Solidarity and organizing his fellow university students.

With the exception of one four-year stretch, Tusk has served in the Third Republic parliament continuously since its first elections in 1991. He was Vice Marshal (deputy speaker) of the Senate from 1997 to 2001 and Vice Marshal of the Sejm from 2001 to 2005.On 30 August 2014, it was announced at an extraordinary EU Council meeting that Tusk would be the next President of the European Council. On 9 September, Tusk submitted his resignation as Prime Minister. Personal facts Polish Prime Minister Replaces Top Cabinet Officials - The New York Times The New York Times Europe |Polish Prime Minister Replaces Top Cabinet Officials Search Continue reading the main story WARSAW — Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland on Wednesday overhauled his cabinet apparently in an effort to bolster his flagging poll numbers, replacing Poland’s top finance official and changing environment ministers in the middle of a United Nations climate conference his country is hosting. Mr. Tusk said he was appointing Mateusz Szczurek, an economist and former banker, as finance minister, replacing Jacek Rostowski, who had served in the role since Mr.

Tusk was first elected prime minister in 2007. Mr. Rostowski is the architect of a planned overhaul of the pension system that has alarmed some investors. That plan was approved on Tuesday by the cabinet. The prime minister also said he would replace his environment minister, Marcin Korolec, with Maciej Grabowski, a former deputy finance minister. Mr. Tusk’s center-right Civic Platform party and its coalition ally, the agrarian People’s Party, enjoy a slight majority in Parliament. While his government has been struggling, dropping behind the opposition Law and Justice party in the polls, it is not facing new elections until 2015. United Nations climate talks are taking place in Warsaw. The government said Mr. Korolec would remain in office through the end of conference, being held under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change . The talks, which conclude this weekend, are aimed at bringing about a new international agreement to replace the frayed 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Maciej Muskat of Greenpeace Poland said Mr. Tusk’s move showed that he “is not sincere about the need for an ambitious climate deal.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Mr.

Tusk has already drawn considerable criticism from environmentalists for holding a world coal summit meeting at the same time as the climate talks. As part of a broader cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Tusk also merged the ministries handling transportation and regional development on Wednesday, just days after the transport minister, Slawomir Nowak, resigned amid questions about his ownership of a $6,600 wristwatch. The prime minister also replaced officials responsible for sports, education, science and administration. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy Michal Baranowski , director of the Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a research group, said the reshuffle reflected Mr. Tusk’s realization that it was time to inject new energy into the government. He noted that Mr. Szczurek, the new finance minister, is 38 years old and comes with no particular political baggage, while Mr. Rostowski, 62, has been in his role since 2007. Widespread concern about the state of the economy has damaged the government’s standing, he said, while debate over Mr.

Tusk’s pension reform plan, which critics have likened to the “nationalization” of private savings, has proved deeply divisive. Mr. Korolec sought to reassure delegates at the climate conference, saying in a statement that he would retain the portfolio of Poland’s chief representative to the talks. “I’ll be able to fully concentrate on the process of climate negotiations, without other responsibilities related to daily responsibilities of running the Ministry of Environment,” he said. Mr. Grabowski, the new environment minister, pledged to begin work on the exploitation of Poland’s shale gas resources, which are thought to be substantial. “There is a chance for us to be a leading country in this respect in the coming months,” Mr. Grabowski said at a news conference, Reuters reported. There has been disappointment in Warsaw, which gets most of its energy from coal , at the failure of an expected shale gas boom to materialize. A number of major energy companies have given up on Poland after arriving with high hopes for recovering shale gas by means of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, stymied by local opposition, bureaucracy and lower-than-expected reserves.

A version of this article appears in print on November 21, 2013, on Page A8 of the New York edition with the headline: Poland: Prime Minister Shuffles Cabinet Positions. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Donald Tusk: Carpenter's Son Takes Poland to Europe's Top Table Donald Tusk: Carpenter's Son Takes Poland to Europe's Top Table People | Reuters | Updated: September 01, 2014 14:57 IST EMAIL PRINT COMMENTS Warsaw: The son of a carpenter, Donald Tusk came of political age in the cauldron of Poland's "Solidarity" movement, which presaged the fall of communism a quarter of a century ago. His appointment as president of the European Council, a long way from the shipyards of his native Gdansk on the Baltic Sea, heralds the rise of Poland to the top table of European policymaking, though critics have questioned his suitability to manage the multilingual art of the classic Brussels compromise. Tusk becomes a symbol of the country's transformation, and of the shifting balance of power in Europe. He himself spoke of the bloc harnessing the energy of "this ambitious and energetic region", with its experience of dealing with Moscow.

"This would change Poland's international standing spectacularly," Pawel Swieboda, head of the Polish DemosEurope think-tank, said shortly before Tusk's widely anticipated confirmation. "To be honest, with the exception of John Paul II, no Polish man has ever assumed such high office." Tusk, 57, is a history graduate and avid soccer fan who has been prime minister since 2007. On Dec. 1, he will take on the job of steering policy meetings of EU leaders, addressing crises from the war in Ukraine to the woes of euro zone economies and issues of immigration, intolerance and inequality affecting the EU's 500 million citizens. Responding to questions about his lack of French and limited English and how that would affect his ability to follow the polyglot Belgian Van Rompuy in brokering compromise in Europe, he promised to polish up his English by December. "Don't worry," he quipped in response to a question from a British newspaper. He does, notably, speak good German. Van Rompuy, for his part, praised Tusk as one of the continent's longest-serving elected leaders and a man who had won the respect of his peers around the EU negotiating table.

STUDENT AGITATOR Supporters say Tusk brings with him a reputation as a skilled mediator between the competing political camps and personalities within his conservative Civic Platform party, a talent that may stand him in good stead as he tries to marshal consensus among the 28 leaders of the EU member states. Some critics also point to his strong consolidation of power within his party and recent hard line on Russia as bad omens. "As head of his party, he eliminated all potential competitors and stymied intellectual debate, which is a warning sign for anyone wondering what he might be like in charge of the Council," said political scientist Kazimierz Kik. Kik said Tusk's appointment was "illogical, from the viewpoint of the EU's interests and international aspirations, as it would damage the EU's relations with Russia even further". Though he did seek to build warmer relations with Moscow, and has been cautious about the damage to Poland's economy from a trade war, the Ukraine crisis has seen Poland join other ex-communist eastern states in seeking firm action against Russia. Tusk has managed to improve relations with Germany to a degree unprecedented in the two countries' fraught modern history.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to be an early supporter of his candidacy for the EU role, although Tusk at first was reported to have set his sights on winning an unprecedented third term in a general election next year. In 1980, Tusk graduated as strikes gripped the Gdansk shipyards. He formed a student branch of the Solidarity pro-democracy labour movement that would sweep the country over the next decade before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The young Tusk spent seven years as a blue-collar worker, including a period spent painting chimneys - an experience credited with forging his commitment to the free market. After the fall of communism in 1989, Tusk entered Poland's first opposition-contested parliament, and has remained in politics ever since. Overlooked for the leadership of the Democratic Union party in 2001, he left to co-found the centre-right Civic Platform. He ran for president in 2005, but lost partly because of charges by his opponents that his grandfather had volunteered for the German army during World War Two.

In fact, as a member of the Kashubian ethnic group like Tusk, he was drafted by the Nazi invaders, who saw the community as kin of the Germans. STRAIGHTFORWARD Tusk eventually came to power in 2007 as prime minister, won a second term in 2011 and survived a scandal in June this year over leaked audio recordings that drew accusations that the rules governing the separation of powers between government and central bank had been breached. His image as calm and rational has endeared him to many Poles, who have seen their economy grow to become the sixth biggest in the EU. Critics, however, say he has failed to challenge the special economic privileges enjoyed by groups such as miners, farmers and teachers, and has sown the seeds of a future public finance crisis by not curbing welfare payments. "Tusk is an incredibly straightforward man. People like him make friends easily," said Janusz Lewandowski, a Polish member of the European Parliament and fellow veteran of the Gdansk Solidarity movement.

"He feels at ease among European leaders." Poland and its peers among the 10 ex-communist central and eastern states that joined the EU a decade ago have long argued they should hold one of the top jobs in the bloc, and Tusk has spoken out against the danger of France and Germany monopolising the political leadership of Europe. His tougher line on Russia, however, may put him at odds with Berlin, Paris and Rome, which are worried about the cost to their economies and gas supplies if relations with Moscow deteriorate further over Ukraine. Ironically, with no obvious successor at the helm of the Civic Platform, Tusk's departure for Brussels may help condemn the party to second place in next year's election, and bring a return to power for the conservative Law and Justice party.

© Thomson Reuters 2014 Italy's Mogherini and Poland's Tusk get top EU jobs - BBC News BBC News Italy's Mogherini and Poland's Tusk get top EU jobs 30 August 2014 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Tusk (left) and Ms Mogherini flank outgoing council president Herman Van Rompuy EU leaders have appointed Italy's Federica Mogherini as EU foreign policy chief and Poland's Donald Tusk as European Council president. The announcement came in tweets from the current council president, Herman Van Rompuy, at an EU summit. Ms Mogherini, a centre-left politician, is Italy's foreign minister. She will replace the UK's Catherine Ashton. Mr Tusk, Poland's centre-right prime minister, has been Polish leader since 2007. He will chair EU summits. The full-time appointments mean that the EU's three top jobs are now filled. Mr Tusk and Ms Mogherini will work closely with the new European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Italy's PM Renzi lobbied hard for Ms Mogherini to get the foreign affairs job Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Tusk had long been considered a potential successor to Mr Van Rompuy Mr Tusk, 57, will serve for two-and-a-half years (renewable), starting on 1 December. Ms Mogherini's term, starting on 1 November, is five years. Mr Van Rompuy called Mr Tusk "one of the veterans of the European Council", the grouping of EU government leaders. He is the only Polish prime minister to have been re-elected since the collapse of communism in 1989. Mr Van Rompuy praised "the determined and confident way he has steered Poland through the economic crisis, and managed to maintain steady economic growth". As a student Mr Tusk was active in the Solidarity anti-communist movement. Mr Van Rompuy said Mr Tusk would face three major challenges: the stagnating European economy, the Ukraine crisis and "Britain's place in Europe". He said the EU leaders were convinced that Ms Mogherini, 41, "will prove a skilful and steadfast negotiator for Europe's place in the world".

He noted Italy's "long-standing tradition of commitment to the European Union". 'Huge challenges' Mr Tusk then made a short address in Polish. He said that "in December I'll be 100% ready" to speak English. Ms Mogherini, speaking fluent English, later said "the challenges are huge... all around Europe we have crises - on European soil, in Ukraine, and starting from Iraq and Syria, going to Libya". On arrival at the summit the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, a Socialist, spoke warmly of Ms Mogherini, calling himself a "fan". It was a strong indication that she would be a popular choice among MEPs. The parliament's approval is required for all 28 members of the new Commission, and the EU foreign policy chief, officially called the High Representative, is also a vice-president of the Commission. Baroness Ashton, a centre-left UK politician, has been in the job since 2009. The High Representative runs the EU External Action Service (EEAS). Italy's centre-left Prime Minister Matteo Renzi pushed hard for Ms Mogherini to get the job.

However, last month the EU failed to get a consensus on her candidacy, as the Baltic states and Poland saw her as inexperienced and too soft on Russia. She has only been Italian foreign minister since February. Poland's Tusk, Italy's Mogherini get EU top jobs Poland's Tusk, Italy's Mogherini get EU top jobs Alex Pigman Share View photos Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrives on August 30, 2014 for a European Union summit at EU headquarters in Brussels (AFP Photo/Alain Jocard ) More Brussels (AFP) - European leaders have named Polish Premier Donald Tusk the next EU president and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini to head its diplomatic service as the bloc faces a series of challenges topped by Ukraine. Tusk, who speaks only halting English and no French, is the first eastern European to hold such a senior post in the EU and is known as a tough critic of the Kremlin, especially over the Ukraine crisis. "The suspense is up, the new EU leadership team is complete," said current EU President Herman Van Rompuy moments after the announcement was made.

Van Rompuy said the new team faced three major challenges: the stagnating European economy, the crisis in Ukraine which he called "the gravest threat to continental security since the Cold War," and Britain's place in the EU. "I come to Brussels from a country that deeply believes in the significance of Europe," the centre-right Tusk told a news conference with Van Rompuy and Mogherini. He insisted that "no reasonable person can imagine the EU without the UK" and pledged to do everything possible to meet London's demands for reform. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" by Tusk's appointment and by his comments. Tusk will take office on December 1 while Mogherini, if confirmed by the European Parliament, will start her new job on November 1. Strongly backed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the 57-year-old Tusk is a pro-European free marketeer with roots in Poland's Solidarity anti-Soviet trade union who has been prime minister since 2007.

Merkel said Tusk "faced big challenges" and lauded him as "a qualified, committed and passionate European, 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, 25 years after the end of the Cold War." He will also head up summits of the countries that use the euro, despite years of questioning the wisdom of eurozone bailouts as prime minister and Poland not being a member of the single currency. - 'Polish my English' - Tusk denied his poor command of foreign languages would handicap him as EU president, a job that requires a deft touch to find compromise amid conflicting positions and prepare European leaders for often delicate summits. "Don't worry, I will 'Polish' my English and be 100 percent ready on December 1," Tusk said in English, punning on the word for his nationality and showing a command of the language one journalist openly questioned at the press conference.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said the choice of the next EU president was "a recognition of Poland's achievement and its place in Europe." Mogherini, Italy's 41-year-old foreign minister, has long been a favourite to replace Catherine Ashton as head of the EU's foreign service, hailed by her supporters as a new, younger face for Europe. "I hope I can join the new energy of the new European generation that is there not only among the EU citizens but also in the EU political leadership," Mogherini said. With leaders unnerved by Russia's latest actions in Ukraine, the nomination of Tusk to replace Belgium's Van Rompuy could send a message of resolve to Moscow as EU leaders also mull fresh sanctions. The White House congratulated Tusk and Mogherini. "As we advance security and prosperity around the world, the United States has no more important partner than Europe," the White House statement read. Mogherini's candidacy initially faced fierce resistance, with Eastern European countries -- and reportedly British officials -- criticising her as both inexperienced and too soft on Russia. She was initially sidelined at a first EU summit in July.

But six weeks later, and after Italy staunchly backed more sanctions against Russia, Mogherini, who speaks fluent English and French, was put in a stronger position. "I know the challenges are huge, especially in these times of crisis," Mogherini said. "All around Europe we have crisis." Hours before the summit, left-of-centre EU leaders meeting in Paris formally backed her as the bloc's new foreign policy chief. "I have high hopes that she will be chosen," said French President Francois Hollande, eager to see a socialist and southern European in a top role. Reblog

Question: Donald Tusk has been the Prime Minister of which country since 2007?
Answer: POLAND