In sea change for Poland, a new government is sworn in.

The President of Poland swore in the new administration under Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday. This was the final stage in a power transfer that, after eight years of nationalist control, represented a significant shift in the country’s political landscape.

When Tusk was appointed, there were years of disagreements between Warsaw and Brussels under the previous administration, led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party. The selection of Tusk has increased expectations that ties with the rest of the European Union will become more harmonious.

Tusk, a moderate who served as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019, claimed to obtain billions of euros for Poland in a speech he delivered to the Polish parliament on Tuesday. The EU has frozen these billions of euros due to concerns about the rule of law during his tenure as president of the European Council.

Both the authority to veto bills held by President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS and the fact that judges were nominated under PiS changes that opponents say weakened the independence of the courts might make his work more difficult.

In the past, Duda has expressed his disapproval of Tusk in a manner that is quite critical; nevertheless, on Wednesday, after the swearing-in ceremony, he adopted a constructive and conciliatory tone.

“Please be aware that I am open to cooperation,” stated the president. “We come from different political camps, but I have found out that on important issues, such as security, we can come to an understanding.”

According to Tusk, who is 66 years old, his administration will prioritize the restoration of the rule of law and respecting the Constitution. Additionally, his government considers Duda partially accountable for policies that it believes have harmed the independence of the judiciary.

“Faithfulness to the provisions of the constitution will be the trademark of our government,” Tusk stated, adding that he believed the desire of voters to see the rule of law re-established was the reason for the record turnout in an election on October 15th.

THE IMMINENT CHALLENGES
Although they were victorious in the election, they lacked the required majority to form a government. This enabled Tusk to form a government, which parliament subsequently approved on Tuesday.

An example of the difficulties that Tusk will have to deal with is the decision that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal made on Monday, which said that the judicial reform legislation that Poland needed to approve to gain access to EU money contradicted the constitution.

It came to the same judgment regarding the fines imposed by the highest court in the European Union (EU) before it reached a final ruling, referred to as interim measures.

Spending at the eleventh hour by the previous administration has also contributed to the stress on the budget, making it more difficult for Tusk to fulfill his commitments during the campaign.

In preparation for the European Union meeting that will take place on Thursday and Friday, Tusk is anticipated to fly to Brussels.

Additionally, Tusk will lend his support to Ukraine’s effort to eventually become a member of the bloc, in addition to his efforts to unlock finances for Poland.

Tusk stated on Tuesday that Poland will lobby for continuous support, which comes at a time when Kyiv is becoming increasingly concerned about the commitment of its Western friends to supporting its defense against Russia’s incursion.

The potential exists that Hungary would not provide the go-ahead for Ukraine to begin EU membership discussions at a conference in Brussels. This would be a disappointing development for Ukraine.