| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2016-2017 |
| Content Type | Overview |
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Summary: Reports and analyses of the appointment of Donald Tusk for a second mandate as President of the European Council, despite the opposition of Poland's own government. Further information: Reports suggested in October 2016 that Poland's government was unlikely to support Donald Tusk in his bid to renew the mandate as head of the European Council, following a statement from Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party. Despite some indications that the European socialists could be interested in the European Council leadership, media reports also highlighted the lack of appetite across the other Member States to remove Mr Tusk from his position. On 4 March 2017, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed a note to the Maltese presidency of the Council of the European Union in which it formally presented the bid of Jacek Saryusz-Wolski as Poland's candidate for European Council President. This was soon rejected by Manfred Weber - leader of the European People's Party (EPP) - stating that Donald Tusk was the political group's only candidate for that office. He also criticised Poland's governing party for pursuing a domestic political vendetta at the European level. Donald Tusk was re-elected by the European Council on 9 March for a second term of two and a half years, from 1 June 2017 to 30 November 2019. He was also re-appointed as President of the Euro Summit for the same period. The decision was not unanimous, as Poland voted against Mr Tusk's bid - the only country to do so. A spokesperson to the governing PiS party later stated the decision did not bode well on the European Union, as precedent had been set where the EU selected a candidate which was not supported by his own country. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | European Council |
| Keywords | Donald Tusk |
| Countries / Regions | Poland |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
