Donald Tusk is the prime minister of Poland, from Gdańsk, leader of Civic Coalition (KO) and a former president of the European Council. His coalition came to power in 2023. He has repeatedly locked horns with President Andrzej Duda, who has blocked some two dozen laws passed by the new parliament. The coalition includes conservatives, liberals, leftists and greens; only 39% of Poles viewed the government favourably as of mid-2025.
Tusk's comparatively hands-off approach to markets has made Poland far more investible than it was under the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government. His administration has so far unlocked €21bn ($23bn) in post-covid EU aid that had been withheld owing to PiS's meddling with the courts.
In May 2025 Tusk travelled to Kyiv alongside the British, French and German leaders to stress Europe's readiness to stand by Ukraine. Poland is now grouped with Britain, France and Germany in what is sometimes dubbed the "four musketeers" of European security.
On Germany's new border controls, Tusk said he would "not accept anyone—including Germany—sending groups of migrants to Poland."
After 19 Russian drones breached Poland's airspace on the night of September 9th–10th 2025, Tusk invoked NATO's Article 4 and told parliament he called for the "full mobilisation" of NATO members. He said Poland was at its "closest to open conflict since the second world war." He closed Poland's border with Belarus ahead of Russian military exercises.
At the EU summit in Cyprus on April 23rd-24th 2026, Tusk voiced fears that Russia could attack Europe's eastern flank within "months". He declared that, given doubts about America's commitment, Europe must strengthen its common defences within NATO and the EU.
The election of Karol Nawrocki as president of Poland on June 1st 2025 was a major blow. Nawrocki, backed by PiS, can veto legislation, and Tusk's coalition lacks the three-fifths majority to override. The result effectively makes Tusk a lame duck, though he called a confidence vote for June 11th to demonstrate his coalition's majority. PiS will doubtless try to persuade right-leaning MPs to defect and bring down the government; next parliamentary elections are due in 2027.
"I'm not afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens."