Donald Tusk heads to Brussels for talks as he bids to become Polish PM – Europe live

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What’s next for Poland?

In an opinion piece for the Guardian, political scientist Ivan Krastev writes that the outcome of the Polish election makes Europe’s turn to the right appear less irreversible.

The future is never as bright as it is portrayed in the speeches of the winners on election night. The opposition has won, but these elections reconfirmed the existence of two Polands, and this second, Kaczyński’s Poland, will not disappear. The new governing coalition will also not be an easy one. The opposition’s victory does not mean that mistrust of Germany will disappear or that Polish criticism of Germany was wrong in the first place.

But this victory does signal both a political change in Poland and a mood change in Europe. Europe’s turn to the right now looks less irreversible.

Read the full story here.

Welcome to the blog

Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.

Today we will be looking at the latest in Slovakia and Poland, where new governments are in the making following parliamentary elections.

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Donald Tusk heads to Brussels for talks

Donald Tusk, the Polish opposition politician who is now set to (once again) become prime minister, will meet with senior EU officials in Brussels today.

Poland’s opposition performed well in the country’s 15 October election, and three opposition parties have declared their intent to form a government with Tusk as candidate for prime minister.

Tusk is a well-respected figure in Europe, having previously served as president of the European Council.

“Tusk is coming to Brussels to send a strong signal that his future government will be firmly committed to the goal of restoration of the rule of law and judicial independence,” said Piotr Buras, head of the Warsaw office at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

The Polish politician, Buras told the Guardian this morning, “hopes that such a political declaration may bring a breakthrough in the talks about the RRF [Recovery and Resilience] funds for Poland which the Commission has blocked due to severe violations if the rule of law by the PiS government.”

“Due to President Andrzej Duda’s opposition to legal changes required by the Commission … Tusk can not promise that a new law expected by the Commission as a precondition to release the funds would enter into force quickly,” the think tanker noted.

So, his hope is that his political credibility and good will suffice to convince the Commission to unlock the money. This is extemely important for Poland and for Tusk himself as it has been one of his key electoral promises.

Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Coalition, speaks during the first press conference of the opposition party leaders. Photograph: Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/Shutterstock