A “special moment” for Poland
Expert: “Donald Tusk understands the situation in eastern Ukraine better than any of his colleagues, and realizes that Putin’s efforts to corrupt Europe will lead to its decline”![](/sites/default/files/main/articles/02122014/1reut_0.jpg)
Former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk officially took over as President of the European Council on December 1, replacing in this position former Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy. Signally, it marks the first time that a leading role in the EU went to a representative of a former Communist Eastern bloc country.
A kind of relay transmission from Van Rompuy to Tusk was held at the European Council building in the morning. Before this ceremony, the new President of the European Council succeeded the outgoing one in Twitter. Van Rompuy said goodbye to his readers telling them: “Today marks the end of my mandate as European Council President. Thank you for following me during the past years.” He said he was handing his Twitter account over to Tusk, who would now speak via the microblog in his place. For his part, Tusk said he was “looking forward to engaging with people on Twitter.”
By the way, a British journalist said that Tusk had very good command of English. Besides, he made it clear that his bellicose policy toward Russia would continue after his election to the European Council’s leadership. “Vladimir Putin and Russia now see the EU as a problem. We have to understand, and I think we are close to this understanding, that Russia is not our strategic partner, but rather our strategic problem,” Tusk was quoted as saying by the British publication.
How Tusk, now that he has become President of the European Council, can help resolution of the crisis in the Donbas or defend the Ukrainian agenda for meetings of the Council of the EU?
COMMENTARIES
Volodymyr OHRYZKO, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kyiv:
“I personally had the pleasure to communicate with Tusk officially and unofficially. He has pro-European views and went through great personal and national trials. Tusk is well aware that a European choice does not come easy, it has to be fought for.
“Both as head of the Polish government for many years and as a politician, he understands that Ukraine is very important for Poland. Indeed, Ukraine is literally a strategic partner of his nation, for our loss will make Poland the next in line for defeat. This has been repeatedly proven by history. So, drawing the right conclusions from this history, Tusk will certainly keep Ukraine as a permanent item on his agenda. I think it is a positive thing for us, and we should use, to the fullest extent possible, Tusk’s Ukrainian sympathies and willingness to support Ukraine.”
When dining with a Financial Times reporter, the Polish prime minister said frankly that Russia is the EU’s strategic problem. So far, it seems that none of other newly appointed European senior officials have spoken on the matter...
“He is clearly right about it. This is a strategic problem, a strategic challenge, as I have been saying for a long time, and now the West really should not look for formulas of restoring partnership, etc., but look for the answer to the question how to contain Russia, how to prevent this strategic challenge from developing into a strategic nuclear threat.
“Putin is openly threatening Western countries, and I am honestly finding very alarming this liberal approach to Russia, evident in statements of many European politicians. We should not talk about recovering the irrecoverably lost, but rather discuss ways to put Russia in its place.”
The British journalist noted that in comparison to his predecessor Van Rompuy, who had to cope with the effects of the financial crisis, Tusk faced even more difficult challenges: the Ukrainian crisis, the stagnant economy in the euro zone, and fears of a possible British exit from the EU. The European Council president replied with a smile: “I think I was born to difficulties.” How would you comment on it?
“Any leader who comes to a position should not say ‘I am not ready for these challenges.’ Otherwise, it would mean their political fiasco. Of course, his list of problems is longer than these three issues you mentioned. Still, I think he was just destined to go down this difficult but very positive path, to not only overcome these challenges, but also to make sure that the EU will begin to expand to countries like Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. That will make sure that the EU finally took all truly European countries into its fold. This seems to me to be the most important achievement of his career, and I would like to see his career extremely successful on this point.”
Pawel ZALEWSKI, a member of the Polish-Ukrainian Forum, Warsaw:
“First of all, it is a signal that Poland is an important EU member. Moreover, the country has more than just economic potential, already well-known in the EU, as it is an eastern member of the union as well, which plays an important role in the context of the Eastern Policy of the European community.”
What hopes are the Poles placing on Tusk’s presidency of the European Council?
“We understand that the post of President of the European Council is not a position in which one is a representative of their country. Tusk will represent European interests when serving in this position. However, the luck had it that the interests of the EU coincide with the Polish interests. The EU needs deepening integration, which is a Polish interest as well, because we believe that an integrated EU would be able to better withstand the threats now facing Poland as well.
“The first threat is economic. The Polish economy is strongly linked to the wider European one. Over 70 percent of Polish exports go to the EU. Secondly, the security of Poland is threatened as well, and we are very dependent on the degree of integration of the EU, because an integrated EU will be able to withstand aggressive policies of Putin. The luck had it that European interests in Poland align with our interests.”
What can Ukraine expect from Tusk’s time in his new office? Will he help us resolve the crisis in the Donbas?
“I do not think there is a crisis in the Donbas. This is a much larger crisis. Tusk understands that security and development of Europe depends on what happens in Eastern Europe, in Ukraine and Russia. This is a man who has devoted a lot of his political career to Ukraine’s integration with the EU. Integration with the EU means Ukraine adopting European standards, as Poland did. Example of Poland has shown how useful the adoption of EU standards is. This did not resolve all the problems, but provided a good direction. If Ukraine introduces reforms building the rule of law instead of state corruption, and European standards are implemented in the economy, it will build a Ukraine with better living standards for its residents. It happened this way in our country, and Tusk is a man who understands all this. In my opinion, he will be considered an asset for the Ukrainians as well.”
How much will Tusk be helped in his work as president of the European Council by the fact that he and Angela Merkel had ancestors in the same city, I mean Gdansk? It is clear that decision-making in the EU depends greatly on the voice of Germany.
“Personal relations between European leaders are important but not the all-important. The most important thing is to convince the EU public on points which he feels to be important, for example, that the EU should support reforms in Ukraine, and Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia. It is obvious that personal relationships can help, but they are no substitute for talking to the public, for a democratic government must take public opinion into account. If the public insists on certain beliefs, the government cannot act against them. Obviously, it is important that Tusk has good relations with Merkel, but most importantly, the Germans, Italians, French, and other EU nations have realized that their future, both economic and political, depends on what happens in Eastern Europe.”
Let us hope, then, that Tusk will help them better understand it.
“Tusk understands the situation in eastern Ukraine well, probably better than any of his colleagues, and realizes that Putin’s efforts to corrupt Europe will lead, if successful, to its decline.”