Donald Tusk poised to assume role as Poland's prime minister

Donald Tusk is poised to become Poland's prime minister as Mateusz Morawiecki lost a crucial vote in parliament. Morawiecki's Law and Justice (PiS) party, a populist party, failed to secure a majority in October's elections. Despite this, President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, chose Morawiecki to lead the government. However, Morawiecki's inability to win a vote of confidence opens the door for Tusk to assume the role of prime minister. In the recent elections, Tusk's Civic Coalition (KO), along with the Third Way and the Left, formed a coalition that won a majority of seats in the parliament. Although PiS emerged as the largest party, other parties declined to cooperate, preventing them from forming a majority. Due to Duda's nomination of Morawiecki, the new government could not take office until now. Tusk, who previously served as prime minister and European Council president, will announce his cabinet on Tuesday. The coalition is highly anticipated, with Tusk vowing to address the consequences of PiS's eight-year rule. Their objectives include restoring the independence of the judiciary, unlocking €36bn of EU funds earmarked for Poland, reversing the abortion ban, and bolstering protections for the LGBT community. However, Tusk might face obstacles in enacting these plans. Duda's nomination of Morawiecki without any hopes of winning a vote of confidence suggests that Duda, in office until 2025, aims to obstruct Tusk's agenda. To become law, bills approved by parliament require Duda's signature, and he holds the power to veto them. As Tusk's coalition lacks enough MPs to override a presidential veto, challenges may arise in implementing their goals.