Donald Tusk sworn in as Poland’s new prime minister

Poland’s president on Wednesday swore in

Donald Tusk as the new pro-EU prime minister, putting an end to eight years
of right-wing populist rule.

The ministers of the new administration were successively sworn in by the
conservative head of state, who is allied with the previous government of the
Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Tusk, who previously served as prime minister in 2007-2014, has pledged to
restore Poland’s position in the European Union after rule-of-law
infringements strained Warsaw ties with Brussels.

The former European Council president has also said that help for war-torn
Ukraine would be a priority of his government.

Tusk’s cabinet includes Radoslaw Sikorski as foreign minister — a job he has
held in the past — as well as former ombudsman Adam Bodnar as justice
minister.

The PiS won the most seats in October’s general election but failed to find
viable coalition partners and secure backing for their minority government on
Monday.

While Tusk’s Civic Coalition came second in the ballot, it forged an alliance
with two smaller pro-EU opposition political groups, the Third Way and Left,
with enough votes to oust PiS from power.

The new government will likely face daily battles with PiS lawmakers. The
party still has allies in the presidency, the central bank and the supreme
court, as well as in several important judicial and financial state
institutions.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, whose term ends in 2025, could use blocking
tactics between now and then to veto legislation. (BSS/AFP)