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Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk 2025.jpg
Tusk in 2025
Prime Minister of Poland
Assumed office
13 December 2023
President Andrzej Duda
Karol Nawrocki (Elect)
Deputy
  • Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
  • Krzysztof Gawkowski
Preceded by Mateusz Morawiecki
In office
16 November 2007 – 22 September 2014
President
Deputy
Preceded by Jarosław Kaczyński
Succeeded by Ewa Kopacz
President of the European Council
In office
1 December 2014 – 30 November 2019
Preceded by Herman Van Rompuy
Succeeded by Charles Michel
Leader of the Civic Platform
Assumed office
3 July 2021
Preceded by Borys Budka
In office
1 June 2003 – 8 November 2014
Preceded by Maciej Płażyński
Succeeded by Ewa Kopacz
President of the European People's Party
In office
1 December 2019 – 1 June 2022
Preceded by Joseph Daul
Succeeded by Manfred Weber
Deputy Marshal of the Sejm
In office
18 October 2001 – 18 October 2005
Serving with others
Marshal
Preceded by Jan Król
Succeeded by Bronisław Komorowski
Deputy Marshal of the Senate
In office
20 October 1997 – 18 October 2001
Serving with others
Marshal Alicja Grześkowiak
Preceded by Zofia Kuratowska
Succeeded by Kazimierz Kutz
Personal details
Born
Donald Franciszek Tusk

(1957-04-22) 22 April 1957 (age 68)
Gdańsk, Poland
Political party
  • Civic Platform (since 2001)
  • Freedom Union (1994–2001)
  • Liberal Democratic Congress (1990–1994)
Other political
affiliations
Poland:
Civic Coalition (since 2018)
European Union:
European People's Party (2014–2022)
Spouse
Małgorzata Sochacka
(m. 1978)
Children 2
Education University of Gdańsk
Awards
Signature

Donald Franciszek Tusk (born 22 April 1957) is a Polish politician and historian. He has been the Prime Minister of Poland since December 2023. He also held this important role from 2007 to 2014.

From 2014 to 2019, Tusk was the President of the European Council. This is a top job in the European Union. He also led the European People's Party, a big group of political parties in Europe. Donald Tusk helped start Civic Platform (PO), which is one of Poland's main political parties. He has been its leader for a long time. He is the longest-serving prime minister in Poland since 1989.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Donald Tusk grew up in Gdańsk, a city in Northern Poland. His family has Polish, German, and Kashubian roots. He sees himself as Polish, Kashubian, and European. His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a nurse.

His grandfather, Józef Tusk, was held in a concentration camp during World War II. Later, he was forced to join the German army. He then joined the Polish forces fighting with the Allies. Tusk says his family's history taught him that "nothing is simple in life or in history." This helped him avoid extreme political ideas.

He studied history at the University of Gdańsk and finished in 1980. During his university years, he was part of the Student Committee of Solidarity. This group worked against Poland's communist government.

Starting a Political Career

Tusk helped create the Liberal Democratic Congress (KLD) party. In 1991, this party won seats in the Polish parliament. Later, the KLD joined with another party to form the Freedom Union. Tusk became a deputy leader of this new party.

In 1997, he was elected to the Senate of Poland, which is like an upper house of parliament. He became its deputy speaker. In 2001, he co-founded Civic Platform (PO). This party is a center-right group. He was elected to the Sejm (the lower house of parliament) again and became its deputy speaker.

Presidential Election in 2005

In 2005, Donald Tusk ran for President of Poland. He was one of the main candidates. Tusk wanted to keep the church and state separate. He also supported Poland joining more closely with Europe and having a free-market economy.

He won the first round of voting. However, he lost in the second round to Lech Kaczyński.

First Time as Prime Minister (2007–2014)

Tusk L Kaczynski 2007
Donald Tusk (right) being appointed Prime Minister by President Lech Kaczyński, 9 November 2007

In the 2007 Polish parliamentary election, Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform party won. They defeated the party of the current Prime Minister, Jarosław Kaczyński. Tusk became the Prime Minister of Poland on 16 November 2007.

In the 2011 Polish parliamentary election, Civic Platform won again. This made Tusk the first Polish Prime Minister to be re-elected since 1989. In September 2014, leaders of the European Union chose Tusk to be the next President of the European Council. This was a big step for Poland. Tusk then resigned as Prime Minister, and Ewa Kopacz took over.

Policies as Prime Minister

When he first became Prime Minister, Tusk promised to support free markets. He also wanted to make government simpler and lower taxes. His government focused on building better roads for the UEFA Euro 2012 football championships, which Poland co-hosted.

Tusk also worked to improve Poland's relationships with other countries. He wanted better ties with Germany and Russia. He also decided to bring Polish soldiers home from Iraq.

Obama Poland Tusk (2)
Prime Minister Tusk with Barack Obama, June 2014

Tusk supported Poland joining the Eurozone, which uses the euro currency. However, during a financial crisis in Europe, this plan was put on hold. From July to December 2011, Poland led the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During this time, Poland supported Croatia joining the EU.

Leading the European Council (2014–2019)

President Trump's Trip Abroad (34502607780)
Tusk meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump, May 2017

Donald Tusk became the President of the European Council on 1 December 2014. In this role, he worked to unite Europe against Russia's actions in Ukraine. He also tried to manage the large number of migrants coming to Europe.

Before the UK's vote to leave the EU (called Brexit), Tusk warned about the serious problems that could happen. After the UK voted to leave, he took a firm stance on their departure. He said there would be no winners from Brexit.

In March 2017, Tusk was re-elected for a second term as President of the European Council. He received almost all the votes from EU leaders. He continued to work on important European issues.

Return to Polish Politics (2023–Present)

Marsz Miliona Serc – Tusk, Trzaskowski, Kołodziejczak (cropped)
Donald Tusk at the March of a Million Hearts, 1 October 2023

In July 2021, Donald Tusk returned to Polish politics. He became the leader of Civic Platform again. In 2023, Tusk led large protests in Warsaw against the government. These protests aimed to support democracy in Poland. One protest, called the "March of a Million Hearts," brought hundreds of thousands of people together.

2023 Parliamentary Election

In the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, Tusk's Civic Coalition became the second-largest group in parliament. Together with two other opposition parties, they won enough seats to form a new government. On 10 November, these parties officially agreed to support Tusk as their candidate for Prime Minister.

The previous Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, could not get enough support to stay in power. On 11 December, the parliament voted for Donald Tusk to become Prime Minister for the third time. His new government officially started on 13 December 2023. This ended eight years of rule by the previous party.

Domestic Policies

Since becoming Prime Minister again, Tusk has focused on improving the rule of law in Poland. He also wants to strengthen Poland's relationship with the EU. His government has continued to provide aid to Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

In 2024, Tusk surprised many by taking a strong stance on border security. He supported measures against illegal migration at the border with Belarus. In October 2024, he announced plans to temporarily stop migrants from seeking asylum in Poland. This was due to concerns about border security.

In February 2025, Tusk announced plans to make economic rules simpler to help Poland's economy grow.

Foreign Policies

Donald Tusk, Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2 (2024)
Meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, 2024

In January 2024, Tusk visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He called for strong support for Ukraine from Western countries. Tusk believes Europe needs to be strong against Russia.

In August 2024, Tusk said that Ukraine could not join the EU without solving issues related to Polish victims of the Volhynian Genocide. This issue is about remembering historical events.

In February 2025, Poland became Europe's top defense spender. Tusk stressed the need for strong ties with the U.S. and for Europe to build its own defense. He also said Polish troops would not go to Ukraine for peacekeeping.

Donald Tusk and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara (2025)
Tusk with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, 12 March 2025

In March 2025, Tusk suggested creating a European "Defense Bank." This bank would help pay for military investments across Europe. He highlighted the need for Europe to defend itself.

Personal Life

Donald Tusk married Małgorzata Sochacka in 1978. They have two children, a son named Michał and a daughter named Katarzyna. They also have five grandchildren.

Tusk is part of the Kashubian minority in Poland. He speaks Polish, Kashubian, German, and English. When he became President of the European Council, he worked hard to improve his English. In 2019, he gave a speech in Romanian, which was well-received.

In 2019, Tusk published his memoir called Szczerze (Honestly). It shares his experiences as President of the European Council.

Awards and Recognition

Donald Tusk has received many awards for his work.

  • In 2010, he received the Charlemagne Prize. This award is given for helping to unite Europe. He dedicated it to those who died in a plane crash in Poland in 2010.
  • In 2012, he received the Walther-Rathenau-Preis for his work on European integration.
  • He has also received honorary doctorates from several universities.

Some of his other awards include:

  • PER Order of the Sun of Peru - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross Order of the Sun (2008, Peru)
  • Den kongelige norske fortjenstorden storkors stripe.svg Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2012, Norway)
  • Presidential Order of Excellence (Georgia, 2013)
  • EST Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana - 1st Class BAR.svg Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2014, Estonia)
  • Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 1st 2nd and 3rd Class of Ukraine.png The First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2019, Ukraine)
  • ribbon bar Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2021, Japan)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Donald Tusk para niños

  • First Cabinet of Donald Tusk
  • Second Cabinet of Donald Tusk
  • Third Cabinet of Donald Tusk
  • History of Poland (1989–present)
  • List of political parties in Poland
  • List of politicians in Poland
  • Politics of Poland
  • List of Poles
  • 2005 Polish presidential election
  • 2005 Polish parliamentary election
  • 2007 Polish parliamentary election
  • 2011 Polish parliamentary election
  • 2023 Polish parliamentary election
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