WARSAW, Poland — The authorities of recent Polish Prime Minister Donald gained a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday.
The vote got here hours after the chief launched his ministers and laid out his priorities in an inaugural speech. The vote, nonetheless, was delayed after a far-right lawmaker use a fireplace extinguisher to place out candles on a Hanukkah menorah within the parliament, creating disruption and scandal as the brand new pro-EU authorities was starting its work.
Tusk and his Cabinet are subsequent anticipated to be formally sworn in on Wednesday morning by President Andrzej Duda.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows beneath.
WARSAW, Poland — Poland‘s newly elected prime minister, Donald Tusk, vowed Tuesday that his authorities will demand that the West maintain serving to neighboring Ukraine, and pledged that Warsaw could be a secure ally of NATO and a pacesetter in Europe.
In his inaugural speech to parliament, Tusk additionally known as on Poland‘s fractious political class to unite, saying it can not afford divisions whereas Russia is waging a battle of aggression throughout the border, a battle many concern might unfold if Moscow prevails.
PHOTOS: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s authorities wins confidence vote in parliament
“Poland’s task, the new government’s task, but also the task of all of us, is to loudly and firmly demand the full determination from the entire Western community to help Ukraine in this war. I will do this from day one,” Tusk mentioned in a session attended by Ukraine’s ambassador and former Polish presidents, together with the anti-communist freedom fighter Lech Walesa.
Hours later, the necessary day in parliament was disturbed when a far-right pro-Russia lawmaker, Grzegorz Braun, grabbed a fireplace extinguisher and put out candles on a menorah throughout a Hanukkah celebration. Tusk denounced the incident as a shame.
Tusk expressed his exasperation that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should maintain urging world leaders to proceed supporting Kyiv’s battle in a battle that has killed or maimed tens of 1000’s of Ukrainians. As one other winter units in, allies are rising drained. Even funds from the United States are doubtful.
“I can no longer listen to some European politicians and those from other Western countries who say they are tired of the situation in Ukraine,” Tusk mentioned. “They say to President Zelenskyy’s face that they no longer have the strength, that they are exhausted.”
Tusk was elected by parliament on Monday. His challenges embrace restoring democratic requirements in Poland, working for the discharge of European Union funding that was frozen on account of democratic backsliding by his predecessors, and in search of to handle the migration that’s inflicting political upheaval in Europe.
Tusk, a centrist chief who was prime minister from 2007-2014, is the top of a broad coalition of events that gained election in October and has promised to work collectively beneath Tusk’s management to revive democratic requirements and enhance ties with allies.
Tusk’s speech got here a day after lawmakers selected him because the prime minister after rejecting the previous premier, Mateusz Morawiecki of the Law and Justice get together. Tusk additionally launched the ministers in his new Cabinet, and the brand new authorities will face a confidence vote on Tuesday afternoon. They will likely be sworn in by President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday.
Duda, an ally of the previous authorities, had delayed the ability transition so long as he might. He was on a go to to Switzerland and didn’t attend Tusk‘s speech.
The 67-year-old Tusk has vowed to restore foreign ties strained by the Law and Justice-led government, which bickered even with allies like Germany and Ukraine and was at odds with the EU over legal changes that eroded the independence of the nation’s judicial department.
Tusk‘s Cabinet includes a former foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, taking up that role again. Adam Bodnar, a respected human rights lawyer and former ombudsman, was tapped as justice minister.
In his speech, Tusk stressed that his country on NATO’s japanese flank would honor its obligations as a Western ally.
“Poland is and will be a key, strong, sovereign link in NATO, and Poland will be a loyal, stable ally of the United States, confident of its strength and importance,” Tusk mentioned.
White House nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan congratulated Tusk in a publish on X, previously Twitter.
President Joe Biden “looks forward to continuing our work together as close allies. We value Poland’s partnership on so many issues – support for Ukraine, shared democratic values, energy – to name a few,” Sullivan wrote.
Tusk additionally mentioned Poland could be stronger by being a constructive chief within the EU, countering an argument by his predecessors that the 27-country bloc threatened Poland’s nationwide sovereignty. Tusk served as European Council president from 2014-2019 and has sturdy connections in Brussels, the bloc’s capital. He will journey there this week for an EU summit, his first journey overseas as prime minister.
Tusk additionally described migration as a difficulty requiring worldwide cooperation, noting that even the U.S. has hassle managing its border scenario by itself.
“You can really respect another person, you can respect other religions, you can respect other races, and at the same time be aware of what a great threat this turbulence is to Europe and the whole world,” he mentioned. “There is a great threat of uncontrolled migration of peoples caused by conflicts, war, poverty, hunger and climate change.”
On home issues, Tusk vowed to proceed fashionable social insurance policies launched by Law and Justice, together with money funds to households with kids, to pursue sensible monetary insurance policies and to guard the rights of ladies and the LGBTQ+ group.
He mentioned his authorities will finish the observe of mass logging within the nationwide forests and woodlands, which he known as “our sacred national resource, not a timber factory.”
