Summary of the blog
Speaking in the Polish parliament this morning, incoming prime minister Donald Tusk said the October election “will go down in history as the day of peaceful rebellion for freedom and democracy”.
In his speech, Tusk spoke out against xenophobia and said “we can protect the Polish and European border and be human at the same time”.
The incoming prime minister also said “we will demand full mobilisation of the west to help Ukraine” but noted that “we must remain assertive when it comes to the interests of, among others, Polish farmers”.
Tusk presented his ministers, which include the well-known former ombudsman Adam Bodnar as minister of justice. Radosław Sikorski is to return as foreign minister.
He also emphasised his goal of making Warsaw a player on the European stage, pledging: “I can guarantee you that we will make Poland return to its rightful place.”
The new leader said “the time has come for Poland to be happy”.
As the Polish parliament prepared for a vote in confidence in the new government, MP Grzegorz Braun, a member of the far-right Konfederacja, used a fire extinguisher inside the parliament building to put out candles lit for Hanukkah.
His actions drew widespread condemnation inside and outside Poland.
Tusk said the far-right politician’s action was a “disgrace”.
Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, said the incident brought “shame..”
Mark Brzezinski, the US ambassador in Warsaw, said he was “outraged by the nasty antisemitic act”.
MPs from the Konfederacja party condemned Braun’s behaviour.
Updated
Sejm to go ahead with vote of confidence
The Polish parliament has rejected a proposal to postpone a vote of confidence in a new government. Two hundred and fifty MPs voted against.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
The EU has finally come up with a detailed plan to extract profits from the frozen Russian cash held in European banks it believes will address legal concerns of several member states including France, Germany and Italy.
A proposal has been drawn up that could generate more than €4bn in a 12-month period to ringfence any cash generate by bonds that come to fruition or interest earned on cash.
In a two-part process, the proposal will need to be approved by European leaders with a second legal measure then drawn up to access the cash, which would be used to assist on reconstruction programmes.
The Belgian government has announced plans to tax the profits of the money held in Euroclear in Brussels, with proceeds also ringfenced for Ukraine. EU officials say the latest proposal would involve the post-tax funds held in Euroclear and other EU financial institutions.
Updated
Far-right MP condemned by own party after extinguishing Hanukah candles
Fellow members of Poland’s far-right Konfederacja party have condemned the behaviour of the MP Grzegorz Braun, who put out Hanukah candles with a fire extinguisher in parliament today.
Uchwała KP Konfederacja z 12 grudnia 2023 r.:
— Konfederacja (@KONFEDERACJA_) December 12, 2023
Klub Poselski Konfederacja potępia zachowanie posła Grzegorza Brauna.
Updated
The far-right Polish MP Grzegorz Braun has said his action today was “spontaneous”.
His decision to put out Hanukah candles in the parliament building with a fire extinguisher has drawn international criticism.
A Polish member of parliament extinguishes a Chanukkiah that was lit in the parliament building today.
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) December 12, 2023
Antisemitism in Poland in the year 2023. Very sad. pic.twitter.com/aXAWc04F4V
Updated
'No place for antisemitic attacks,' Warsaw mayor says
Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, has called the far-right MP Grzegorz Braun’s behaviour “scandalous”.
He added:
There is no place for antisemitic attacks neither in the Polish parliament nor in Poland in general. I trust that the prosecutor’s office will think similarly.
Skandaliczne zachowanie Grzegorza Brauna w Sejmie. Dobra, stanowcza, szybka reakcja Marszałka @szymon_holownia. Nie ma miejsca na antysemickie ataki ani w polskim parlamencie, ani w Polsce w ogóle. Ufam, że podobnie uzna prokuratura.
— Rafał Trzaskowski (@trzaskowski_) December 12, 2023
Updated
American ambassador 'outraged by the nasty antisemitic act'
The US ambassador in Warsaw, Mark Brzezinski, has spoken out about the incident at the Polish parliament.
I am outraged by the nasty antisemitic act committed today by one of the Polish members of parliament.
The United States stands against antisemitism and this outrageous act must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
Poland has experienced the atrocities of the Holocaust throughout its history, and this disgusting act of hatred reminds us all why we must remain vigilant and fight antisemitism every minute of every day.
Jestem oburzony paskudnym antysemickim czynem, którego dzisiaj dopuścił się jeden z polskich parlamentarzystów. Stany Zjednoczone sprzeciwiają się antysemityzmowi, a ten skandaliczny akt należy potępić z całą surowością. Polska w swojej historii doświadczyła okrucieństw…
— Ambasador Mark Brzezinski (@USAmbPoland) December 12, 2023
Updated
Here are more photos of the incident today at the Polish parliament, where a far-right MP used a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles just before a confidence vote in a new government.
Updated
Candles were lit (again) in the Polish parliament, after far-right MP Grzegorz Braun put them out with a fire extinguisher.
Members of parliament from Law and Justice, the former ruling party, have asked to postpone the Sejm session until tomorrow.
MPs will now take a break and then vote whether they want to postpone.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
A far-right Polish MP’s decision to (literally) extinguish Hanukah candles in the parliament building led a key session to be interrupted as parliamentarians were preparing for a vote of confidence in a new government.
Now, many MPs who had requested time to ask incoming prime minister Donald Tusk questions decided to withdraw their requests.
This means that the confidence vote could still go ahead this evening.
Assuming the vote takes place, Duda and his cabinet would be sworn in by Poland’s president tomorrow at 9am.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
In footage circulating online, far-right Polish MP Grzegorz Braun puts out Hanukah candles with a fire extinguisher in the parliament building.
Those around him can be heard saying: “you should be ashamed.”
He responds: “Those who take part in acts of the satanic cult should be ashamed.”
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Polish far-right MP Grzegorz Braun, who used a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles today in the Polish parliament, is doubling down on his actions.
Over the past hour, he re-posted a post on social media platform X complaining about the presence of Jewish symbols in the building and using an antisemitic trope that Poland is “ruled” by people serving other nations.
Updated
Tusk: 'This is a disgrace'
The Sejm is now taking a break to grapple with a far-right MP’s decision to use a fire extinguisher to target a Hanukah celebration inside the parliament building – just ahead of a planned confidence vote in a new government.
Incoming prime minister Donald Tusk said of the incident:
This is unacceptable. This can’t happen again. This is a disgrace.
Updated
Here’s more footage of the incident, showing far-right Polish MP Grzegorz Braun approaching the Hanukah menorah with a fire extinguisher.
Skandaliczne zachowanie Grzegorza Brauna w Sejmie pic.twitter.com/wWTO8vGP6F
— Sebastian Napieraj (@sebastiantvn24) December 12, 2023
Updated
'Shame': Israeli ambassador reacts to Polish MP extinguishing menorah
Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, has reacted to the incident in the Polish parliament, where a far-right MP used a fire extinguisher to disrupt a holiday celebration.
SHAME. A Polish Parliament member just did this. Few minutes after we celebrated Chanukah there. https://t.co/Zap03waB6k
— Amb. Yacov Livne 🇮🇱 (@YacovLivne) December 12, 2023
Polish parliament speaker to take action against MP who targeted Jewish holiday celebration
Szymon Hołownia, the speaker of the Sejm, told reporters that a complaint will be filed with the prosecutor’s office against Grzegorz Braun, a member of the far-right Konfederacja party, Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
Braun used a fire extinguisher to put out a Hanukah menorah in the parliament.
The MP said he is inviting legislators to a “theological” debate. He will now be excluded from the Sejm session.
Updated
Far-right Polish MP uses fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles in parliament
A far-right Polish member of parliament, Grzegorz Braun, appears to have targeted a menorah, lit up for the Jewish holiday of Hanukah in the parliament building, with a fire extinguisher.
The Sejm session has been interrupted.
❗️❗️❗️Niebywały skandal. Poseł Grzegorz Braun zgasił gaśnicą menorę hanukową. @wirtualnapolska pic.twitter.com/JOxbsKCIAu
— Patryk Michalski (@patrykmichalski) December 12, 2023
Pełno dymu w Sejmie, interweniowała Straż Marszałkowska. @GrzegorzBraun_ postanowił przerwać Chanukę w Sejmie. Wideo Justyny Dobrosz-Oracz i Bartka Kłysa. pic.twitter.com/KAUFbkWfHc
— Wideo Wyborcza.pl (@WideoWyborcza) December 12, 2023
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Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, is doubling down on his opposition to the EU opening accession talks with Ukraine.
In a social media post today, he cited data from a thinktank closely affiliated with his ruling Fidesz party, and argued that “our position is based on one thing and one thing only: the will of the Hungarian people”.
Our position is based on one thing and one thing only: the will of the Hungarian people. https://t.co/M2be49B8xt
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 12, 2023
Updated
In his big speech to parliament today, incoming prime minister Donald Tusk quoted from the manifesto of Piotr Szczęsny, a Polish chemist who killed himself by immolation in protest against the policies of the (now outgoing) Law and Justice government.
On 19 October 2017, Szczęsny appeared at Plac Defilad in the centre of Warsaw, played the song “Kocham wolność” (I Love Freedom) by Chłopcy z Placu Broni from a loudspeaker, scattered leaflets with his manifesto around him, and said through a megaphone that he was protesting against the government’s violation of civil liberties.
Then he doused himself with a flammable substance and set himself on fire, shouting: “I’m protesting!” The fire was extinguished by passersby and Piotr was taken to the hospital, where he died on 29 October 2017.
In his manifesto, he raised issues such as civil liberties violations, discrimination against minorities, Poland’s marginalised role in the international arena and the use of hate speech in public debate.
He also left a “letter to the media”, which his family forwarded to the editors of the oko.press portal.
Shortly after the self-immolation, quotes from the letter appeared on walls and sidewalks in various places in Warsaw.
Today, in a symbolic move, Tusk quoted from the manifesto:
I protest against the authorities’ restriction of civil liberties. I protest against the government’s violation of the principles of democracy, in particular against the destruction of the Constitutional Tribunal and the destruction of the system of independent courts. I protest against the authorities’ violation of the law, in particular the Constitution of the Republic of Poland.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
A vote of confidence will be held this evening, paving the way for Donald Tusk’s new government to take office this week.
Here are photos from Poland’s parliament today.
For the past eight years, fear and anxiety has threaded through much of Bart Staszewski’s daily life.
As a gay man living in Poland, Staszewski – who today brought a rainbow flag to Poland’s parliament - found himself increasingly under attack by a government that had sought to depict the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to the nation and its children, fuelling prejudices and hate crimes across the country.
But since October’s election pointed to a route to power for opposition parties, Staszewski has been gripped by a wave of relief. “It’s like I’m breathing fresh air for the first time in eight years,” he said. “After years of hate against people like me, the nightmare is over.”
“This is the first time that I wake up without thinking about how they are going to attack us,” said Staszewski, a film-maker and LGBTQ+ activist. “Or will the police come with a search warrant to my home for some stupid reason, as has happened to other activists?”
Read the full story here.
Updated
Finland to reopen two border crossings with Russia
The Finnish government said today that it will reopen two crossings on its border with Russia later this week, Reuters reported.
Updated
Vote of confidence in Tusk government to take place this evening
The speaker of the Sejm has closed the list of MPs who want to ask Donald Tusk a question about his speech. There are as many as 254 applications. Each of the MPs will have a minute to ask their question.
The speaker also announced said the vote of confidence in Tusk’s newly-proposed government will take place at 7pm CET at the earliest.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Well-known activist Bart Staszewski appeared at the Sejm. He hung a rainbow flag with the Polish emblem on the parliamentary balcony. The Marshal Guard intervened.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Exasperation with Hungary’s Viktor Orban was palpable as a series of EU ministers arriving in Brussels for a pre-summit meeting warned that the EU’s “credibility” is at stake at stake.
“Washington, Beijing, Moscow is watching the union at present and it’s really, really important that we stay, our course and stick to our, our values and standards,” said Finnish European affairs minister Anders Adlercreutz.
“The stakes [this week] are really high. This is not a regional conflict, it’s an attack on the very basis of European values, and that should be on top of mind,” he added.
Laurence Boone, France’s secretary of state for Europe, told reporters on the way into a general affairs council meeting in Brussels: “The security and stability of the continent are at stake” and this week and that it is also about “sending a very, very strong signal to Russia that what happened in 2008 or 2014 will not happen again”.
Latvia foreign minister Krišjānis Kariņš said:
Today, there are really two major topic, one is the credibility of the European Union. The second is the accountability of Russia.
Croatia’s state secretary for Europe, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, said she was a “staunch supporter” of enlargement “because of its transformative power” to provide “stability, security and prosperity in our neighbourhood”.
Updated
Renew Europe says Hungary should not get frozen funds
The Renew Europe group has pushed back against an expected European Commission decision to release about a third of Hungary’s frozen EU funds.
“We are against the release of any European funds for Hungary,” said Stéphane Séjourné, president of Renew Europe, in a statement.
He added:
We have no guarantee that there will be a return to sustainable democracy in Hungary. The future of the European Union, Ukraine and Moldova cannot be held hostage by one man.
Katalin Cseh, a member of the European Parliament from Hungary’s Momentum, part of Renew Europe, said:
A decision to disburse EU funds for the Hungarian government would raise concerns about the European Commission’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
The European Parliament’s thorough assessment revealed a clear discrepancy between proposed reforms and the judicial super-milestones set by the Commission.
While some progress has been achieved under EU pressure, it is evident that Hungary does not currently meet the minimum standards of the rule of law.
'I’m still waiting for real reasons': Bettel blasts Orbán over Ukraine
Back in Brussels, Donald Tusk’s friend and former prime minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel has warned Hungary’s Viktor Orbán that the EU is not a market in which membership can be bought and sold.
Ahead of a widely expected showdown with the Hungarian prime minister, who is threatening to veto the launch of talks on Ukrainian membership of the bloc, Bettel – now Luxembourg’s deputy prime minister – warned that Hungary should remember its own journey into the EU before throwing stones.
When Hungary became a member, we have asked if Hungary was rich enough to be a member of the European Union. Maybe Hungary wouldn’t be a member today. So it’s also solidarity.
He added:
We are not in the souk to say ‘I take this’ and we don’t fix the price. There are rules and we have to stick to the rules. If there is a veto, I just would like to understand why there is a veto. It has to be justified. I’m still waiting for real reasons [from Orbán] and not the other reasons.
Szymon Hołownia, the Polish parliament’s speaker, said over 4 million Poles watched the Sejm session yesterday, calling for applause for them.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Concluding his speech in the Polish parliament, Donald Tusk pointed to a study by the Centre for Public Opinion Research [CBOS], which found that the largest number of Poles since the institute began asking the question now believe that they have an influence on what is happening in their country.
54% now say they believe they have influence, compared to 26% under Law and Justice.
“The time has come for Poland to be happy,” Tusk said.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Speaking as he presents his government, Donald Tusk said will probably meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Brussels soon.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Lithuania’s president, Gitanas Nausėda, has congratulated Donald Tusk.
Congratulations, @donaldtusk, on becoming Prime Minister of Poland!
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) December 12, 2023
Looking forward to working together at #EUCO on a stronger, safer& more prosperous Europe and supporting Ukraine together.
Wishing you the best of luck in leading Poland forward in these challenging times.
Over 265,000 people are watching Donald Tusk’s speech live on YouTube at the moment.
Updated
Tusk presents new government ministers
Donald Tusk is presenting his ministers.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, a member of Third Way, will be deputy prime minister and minister for defence.
Tusk said:
The Polish army will be well equipped, also thanks to our allies.
Krzysztof Gawkowski, a member of New Left, will be the second deputy prime minister and responsible for the ministry of digitalisation.
Tusk noted:
I don’t have to tell you how important modern technologies are also on the battlefield.
Adam Bodnar, a well-known former ombudsman, will be minister of justice.
Tusk stressed:
We will look for ways consistent with the constitution to show that corruption or the destruction of Polish institutions will not go unpunished.
Marcin Kierwiński, a member of Tusk’s own Civic Platform, will be interior minister.
Radosław Sikorski, also from Civic Platform, will be foreign minister – a role he held previously in 2007-2014.
Andrzej Domański, from Civic Platform, will serve as finance minister.
Agnieszka Buczyńska, a member of Third Way, will hold the new post of minister of civil society affairs.
Borys Budka, from Civil Platform, will be minister of state assets.
Marzena Czarnecka, an academic, will be minister for industry – and the ministry will be moved from Warsaw to Silesia.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, from New Left, will be minister of family, work and social policy.
Tusk said:
We have developed a program so that every Polish woman feels a change in the treatment of motherhood, protection of mothers and access to legal abortion.
From the very first days, we will take concrete actions to ensure that women feel an immediate change in their rights. All women will experience the improvement of life.
Jan Grabiec, from Civic Platform, will be head of the prime minister’s chancellery.
Paulina Hennig-Kloska, from Third Way, will be the minister of climate and environment.
Krzysztof Hetman, from Third Way, will be minister of development and technology.
Dariusz Klimczak, also from Third Way, will minister of infrastructure.
Katarzyna Kotula, from New Left, will be minister of equality.
Izabela Leszczyna, from Civic Platform, will be minister of health.
Barbara Nowacka, from Civic Coalition, will be minister of education.
Sławomir Nitras, from Civic Platform, will be minister of sports.
Marzena Okła-Drewnowicz, from Civic Platform, will take the new position of minister of senior policy.
Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, from Third Way, will be minister for funds and regional Policy.
Czesław Siekierski, from Third Way, will be minister of agriculture.
Tomasz Siemoniak, from Civic Platform, will be coordinator of special services.
Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, also from Civic Platform, will be minister of culture and national heritage.
Adam Szłapka, from the Nowoczesna (Modern) party, will be the minister of European affairs.
Maciej Berek will be a minister without portfolio, coordinating the legislative process.
Dariusz Wieczorek, from New Left, will be minister of science and higher education.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Polish politician Robert Biedroń is celebrating the European court of human rights decision today that the lack of any form of legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples in Poland breaches the European convention on human rights.
“We will replace discrimination and exclusion with equality. It’s time for equal rights!” he wrote.
To historyczna chwila dla osób LGBT! Europejski Trybunał Praw Człowieka nakazał Polsce uznanie praw par osób tej samej płci! 🏳️🌈 Dyskryminacje i wykluczenie zastąpimy równością. Czas na równe prawa!
— Robert Biedroń (@RobertBiedron) December 12, 2023
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Presenting his policy programme, Donald Tusk addressed the rival Law and Justice party:
You shamelessly wasted the last two months, using them to financially protect your party colleagues. The list of what you did will be publicly available, we will take care of it.
We will have to spend a lot of time cleaning after you.
He added:
The essence of the state’s responsibility is to guard the border and take care of the interests of Polish entrepreneurs, and you [PiS] have neglected both of these things.
We have a ready action plan for the coming months, also to protect small Polish entrepreneurs.
Tusk said teachers’ salaries will be increased by 30%, while salaries in the public sector will rise by 20%.
We will provide help to people where it is needed, and at the same time we will ensure a reasonable budget policy so that our social policy does not threaten the financial stability of the state.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
We can protect border and be human, Tusk says
Tusk has also touched upon the sensitive issue of migration policy, calling for both protecting borders and taking a “human” approach.
We can respect other religions and cultures, but we must be aware of the consequences of an uncontrolled movement of people.
He added:
We can protect the Polish and European border and be human at the same time.
Poland, he said, “can really be the safest place in the world”.
The incoming prime minister added:
Poland will be safe and we will achieve this ideal of a safe state. Poland can be the safest place on Earth if it does not stand alone, if it cooperates with allies and guards its borders. And no one will trade visas any more.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
'Only a united west can help Ukraine win', Tusk tells MPs
Speaking in the Polish parliament, Donald Tusk also underscored the importance of continued Polish support for Ukraine.
We also need to speak with one voice about Ukraine. This must also unite us. The attack on Ukraine is an attack on all of us.
We will demand full mobilisation of the west to help Ukraine. I can no longer listen to politicians who talk about being tired of the situation in Ukraine. They tell President Zelenskiy that they are tired of the situation. I will demand help for Ukraine from day one.
He added, however, that Warsaw will continue defending the interests of Polish farmers, signalling that Warsaw’s spats with Kyiv are not at an end.
Poland’s help for Ukraine is crucial, but at the same time we must remain assertive when it comes to the interests of, among others, Polish farmers.
We will look after Polish interests working with every Polish neighbour.
But we must remember what the war is about. That Ukrainians are fighting for something extremely important.
The new Polish leader also emphasised that Ukrainians want “to be democratic and law-abiding like western countries. And they are fighting for it now.”
He added:
By some strange coincidence, politicians who attack the foundations of democracy are anti-Ukrainian.
Only a united west can help Ukraine win in the fight for democratic values.
And in a nod to his expected role as a player on the European stage, Tusk also referred to an upcoming debate at a summit of European leaders.
In a few dozen hours, I will be going to Brussels, hoping that we will convince our allies to defend democratic values and Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Poland has 'no reason' for an 'inferiority complex in the EU', Tusk says
Donald Tusk has emphasised his intent to make Poland a major player in Europe.
Speaking in the Polish parliament, he said:
The alienated Poland is the Poland exposed to the greatest risks.
I am calling on you to help put Poland on solid foundations and to help our government do so.
He added:
I want to tell you that no one will beat me [in the game] in the EU.
Poland has no reason, Polish politicians have no reason, to feel any inferiority complex in the EU.
Poland will return to its place on the European, Tusk – a former president of the European Council – insisted.
This madness, this embarrassment of ourselves, could have cost us more than ridicule. But I can guarantee you that we will make Poland return to its rightful place.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Speaking in the Polish parliament, Donald Tusk underscored the need to work with people who have different views and underscored the importance of Poland’s alliances.
He said:
I remember the words that John Paul II once spoke in Sopot: there is no solidarity without love.
I want to show you the essence of the positive political phenomenon that we are building now, which is proof that coalition is possible, even though people may differ from each other.
Tusk added:
Poland is and will be a strong link in the Nato chain, a strong ally of the United States and will regain the position of leader of the European Union.
The new leader also stressed Poland’s place in Europe.
Poland will build the position it deserves. We are the stronger and more sovereign the stronger not only Poland, but also the EU.
He added:
The election results on 15 October are the expression of Poles’ desire for Poland to return to its rightful place in Europe.
Anyone who puts Poland at risk of being left alone with what is happening at our borders, is putting the existence of our homeland at great risk.
I ask everyone to stop pretending that our Nato and EU allies are the threat.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Lack of recognition for same-sex couples in Poland breaches convention, court rules
As Poland moves to form a new government, the European court of human rights issued a new judgment today that the lack of any form of legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples in Poland breaches the European convention on human rights.
The court considered that the Polish state had failed to comply with its duty to ensure that the applicants had a specific legal framework providing for the recognition and protection of their samesex unions.
That failure had resulted in the applicants’ inability to regulate fundamental aspects of their lives and amounted to a breach of their right to respect for their private and family life.
Judgment Przybyszewska v. Poland - Lack of any form of legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples in Poland breaches the Conventionhttps://t.co/VPRGyyFanL#ECHR #CEDH #ECHRpress pic.twitter.com/0XIOkBkTwO
— ECHR CEDH (@ECHR_CEDH) December 12, 2023
Updated
Tusk speaks out against xenophobia in major speech
In his speech this morning, Donald Tusk is laying out his principles, quoting Piotr Szczęsny, a Polish chemist who committed suicide by immolation in protest against the policies of the (now ongoing) Law and Justice government.
“I protest against the marginalisation of Poland’s role in the international arena,” he said.
The new Polish leader added:
I protest against the xenophobia introduced by the authorities into public debate.
He also addressed the issue of migration.
I protest against the hostile attitude of the authorities towards immigrants.
Tusk also spoke about media freedom.
I protest against the incapacitation of public television.
He added:
We will have different views on many issues, but we want to be a community and the work of the future government will focus on this.
We are so different, we are attached to different traditions. This is our wealth. The community is built by the rule of law and the constitution, and we should not argue about this just to be able to safely argue about other topics.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
The US ambassador in Warsaw, Mark Brzezinski, has congratulated Donald Tusk.
“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the new government – this is strategically important for both our countries,” he said.
W imieniu Stanów Zjednoczonych chciałbym pogratulować @donaldtusk wyboru na stanowisko premiera Polski @PremierRP. Z niecierpliwością czekamy na kontynuację naszego silnego partnerstwa z nowym rządem – jest to strategicznie ważne dla obu naszych krajów.
— Ambasador Mark Brzezinski (@USAmbPoland) December 12, 2023
Updated
Polish election 'peaceful rebellion for freedom', Tusk says
Speaking in the Polish parliament, incoming prime minister Donald Tusk thanked “those who have not doubted over the years that Poland can be better.”
He said the October 15 election “will go down in history as the day of peaceful rebellion for freedom and democracy. Just like in August 1980 or June 4, 1989.”
Tusk added:
Our dreams turned out to be stronger than fatigue, apathy and evil. Today is a consequence of the fact that some of you dared to take the streets.
Guardian contributor Katarzyna Piasecka reported from Warsaw
Updated
Tusk speaks in parliament
Donald Tusk is now addressing the Polish parliament, a day after it voted in favour of him as prime minister.
Over 200,000 people are watching the speech live on Youtube, underscoring the significant public interest in parliament’s proceedings over the past days.
Updated
Polish parliament session begins
The Sejm session is under way. Here is a photo of Donald Tusk in the parliament this morning. He is expected to speak soon.
Updated
The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has also congratulated Donald Tusk, underlining that “Poland is a key partner for Sweden, not least for security in Baltic Sea Region and support for Ukraine.”
Congratulations to Prime Minister @DonaldTusk and the new Polish Government. Poland is a key partner for Sweden, not least for security in Baltic Sea Region and support for Ukraine. Looking forward to discussing in the near future how we can deepen our cooperation.
— SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) December 12, 2023
Donald Tusk’s second coming: can returning PM remake Poland?
It was the young Donald Tusk’s habit, after watching or playing a game of football with friends, to make two toasts at the Pod Kasztanami bar in Gdańsk: the first to the fortunes of his club, Lechia Gdańsk, and the second to the “end of komunizm” in Poland.
Tusk, 66, is unlikely to make the annual game of football that his close circle has been playing for the last 40 years, always at noon on New Year’s Eve, but at the final whistle there is likely to be a tentative third toast offered – to Tusk’s return as prime minister and the end of Poland’s disastrous flirtation with a populism that has ploughed deep divisions in society, undermined democratic institutions and driven a wedge between Warsaw and the EU.
Tusk’s return after eight years of rule by the Law & Justice party (PiS) will be a moment of satisfaction for those raising a glass of vodka in Gdańsk; many of those playing have supported him since his time as a student organiser working with the anti-communist Solidarity movement that emerged from strikes at the local shipyards. But they will also recognise that Tusk’s second coming is far from guaranteed to succeed; communism did fall in Poland, but the performance of Lechia Gdańsk never did match the passion of its fans.
Today, a day after parliament voted in favour of making him prime minister, Tusk will present his government, an ungainly coalition of his Civic Coalition group with the agrarian conservative Third Way party and the New Left.
Although he will once again gain access to Willa Parkowa, a handsome whitewashed official residence a few hundred yards from the chancellery in Warsaw, his friends say they expect him to spend as much time as possible in his family’s modest ground-floor apartment in Sopot, a prosperous city on Poland’s Baltic coast, just north of the larger Gdańsk.
Read the full story here.
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‘True friend’: Varadkar congratulates Tusk
Irish leader Leo Varadkar has congratulated Donald Tusk, after the Polish parliament voted in favour of the longtime politician becoming prime minister.
“You were a true friend and ally to Ireland during Brexit,” Varadkar said.
Congratulations @donaldtusk on being voted for as Prime Minister by Polish parliament. You were a true friend and ally to Ireland during #Brexit. I look forward to working with you again https://t.co/K8CRIbPhxY
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) December 11, 2023
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