Expert: Donald Tusk will have a great influence on EU policy

Last days of summer suddenly brought news from Brussels to Warsaw  - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected head of the European Council. Expert of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies Andrei Yeliseyeu believes that the time for Tusk's advance was very well chosen. 

"It is important that at this very moment the representative of Poland has become the head of the European Council. It is obvious that the EU should make important decisions on eastern policy, on the Eastern Partnership, on how to respond to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," says Yeliseyeu.

Donald Franciszek Tusk was born in 1957 in Gdansk. He is not a Pole, but a Kashubian (small ethnic group from the north of Poland, with its separate language). Member of the Solidarity, he has headed the Polish government since the end of 2007, he is the leader of the Civic Platform ruling party. 

Political opponents often criticize the government and personally Tusk for extra pragmatism. The Platform is far from rapid assessments and statements of Jaroslaw Kaczynski. However, the Polish Prime Minister spoke unequivocally about the Maidan events from the very start. "There are no extremists there, there is the best part of Ukraine, young, brave people, well-educated, who know what Europe is... This is the first time in history. These are people who gave their lives for the sake of European integration," he said during the Kiev events on February 21-22. 

"Putin will stop where Ukraine itself will let him get. Therefore Kiev should take matters into their own hands and decide if it will start to defend the territorial integrity of the country and choose a way to protect its borders," this is an April quote from Tusk when anti-terrorist operation had just began in Slovyansk. 

And Donald Tusk was one of the first European leaders to publicly call the events in eastern Ukraine a war. "We need to say loudly that no one can block our initiatives aimed at the success of the Alliance. Today, despite the Ukrainian tragedy, despite the war - because we have to accept the word - we know that September 1939 cannot be repeated," says Tusk at commemorative celebrations on September 1, 2014 in Gdansk, at the anniversary of the start of World War II, only a day after his election to the presidency of the European Council. 

By the way, this post is not formal. Expert Andrei Yeliseyeu believes that it can be objectively considered the most influential one in the EU institutions. 

"The European Council is generally the highest body of the European Union. It defines the main directions of the EU development.  It is a very important organ."

At the same time the expert recognizes that Tusk still cannot make the final decisions - the final word rests with the leaders of the most powerful countries, members of the European Council. 

"Of course, the powers of the Chairman of the Council of Europe are limited. Major decisions are still taken by EU leaders. But the chairman of the European Council decides the agenda, and it he can help to make a specific question raised. He also is responsible for the coordination of the EU activities."

Meanwhile, at Donald Tusk home the joy of electing the Pole President of the European Council is diluted with precautions over the development of internal political battles. On December 1, when Tusk officially moves to a new position, he will leave premiership. And it's not evident that the Civic Platform will easily find the equal replacement for Tusk. Therefore, for Poland the success of Tusk in the EU arena may result in new internal scandals and problems.