High expectations as Poland marks end of right-wing rule

Tusk tasked with repairing EU relations, media

Centrist political veteran Donald Tusk got the nod on Monday to be the country’s next prime minister, marking the end of eight years of right-wing nationalist rule and a dramatic shift in the European political landscape.

Tusk's alliance secured a majority in October elections with a promise to restore Polish democracy and the country's relationship with European allies.

“This is a wonderful day, not for me, but for all those who have deeply believed over these years that things will get even better, that we will chase away the darkness, that we will chase away evil,” Tusk said, addressing the Polish people on Monday night. “From tomorrow, we will be able to right the wrongs so that everyone, without exception, can feel at home,” he added.

But with interest and expectations running high, Tusk faces the daunting task of repairing relations with the European Union, depoliticizing the judiciary, restoring the independence of the media, and bolstering the rights of women and minorities — all without alienating the many who sympathize with the old guard.

Prominent among the obstacles is President Andrzej Duda, who has two more years in office and remains loyal to the outgoing Law and Justice Party. Duda sought to delay a political transition by first tapping Law and Justice leader Mateusz Morawiecki to serve another term as prime minister. Although Law and Justice remains the largest party in Parliament, it is well short of a majority, and Morawiecki’s proposed Cabinet lost a vote of confidence on Monday.

That cleared the way for lawmakers to vote in favor of Tusk as the next prime minister. His government is expected to be endorsed in a further parliamentary vote, enabling him to take his place among European leaders at gatherings later this week.

Congratulations poured in from across the continent on Monday night, as Warsaw's Palace of Culture was illuminated in the colors of the Polish flag.

There is a sense of “now we can just be back to normal, in the sense of what the state is and that public institutions are respected,” said Malgorzata Bonikowska, president of Center for International Relations in Warsaw.

But walking back eight years of Law and Justice Party rule won’t be quick.

Tusk served as Poland’s prime minister from 2007 to 2014. He is also known throughout Europe as a former president of the European Council who helped hold the 27 nations of the EU together during the rocky period of Brexit.

That record will make his task somewhat easier as he seeks to get Poland back on good terms with the EU.

“Your experience and strong commitment to our European values will be precious in forging a stronger Europe, for the benefit of the Polish people,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted Monday on X, formerly Twitter.

One of Tusk’s priority objectives: unblock billions in grants and loans that were withheld while Poland challenged the primacy of EU laws and allowed politics to influence the selection and disciplining of judges.

But making amends isn’t just about championing the EU. Poland is supposed to restore the independence of its judiciary.

Duda has threatened to veto legislation aimed at undoing judicial reforms that allowed Law and Justice to stack the courts with loyalists. Even Monday, as Law and Justice was forced to relinquish its hold over the government, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled that fines issued against the country by the Court of Justice of the European Union were unconstitutional.

Tusk could cut a deal with Brussels to unblock some of the money while he makes a goodfaith effort to restore judicial independence.

But granting the funds as a goodwill gesture could backfire, said Aleks Szczerbiak, professor of politics at the University of Sussex. “Then Law and Justice can just say, ‘All of this milestone stuff was nonsense. They were withholding the money just because they didn’t like us. And now that we’ve gone, they’re giving over the money.’”

A similar challenge awaits with the media.

Tusk has said he would need "24 hours" to transform public television. In reality, changing the media environment will take time.