Opposition will “support Polish government” in response to Russia-Ukraine war, says Tusk

Opposition leader Donald Tusk has pledged that his party will support the government in its efforts to strengthen Poland’s security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now is the time for national unity, not political disputes, he said today in a speech.

However, Tusk also made clear that the opposition would still seek to improve government initiatives. He also appealed to the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to end its alliances with European right-wing leaders sympathetic towards the Kremlin, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

“We need unity within Poland; anyone who wants to divide Poles will be detrimental to our security,” said Tusk. “Both those in power and the opposition are responsible for this unity…There is no time for games. People today do not have politics in their heads. We cannot afford the slightest mistake.”

Tusk, who returned last year as leader of Civic Platform (PO), Poland’s largest opposition party, pledged that his group “will support the Polish government in activities that increase Poland’s security”, reports Onet.

That does not mean it will “give up on its function” as the opposition, he added, “but all actions, opinions and deeds must be directed towards one goal – security”.

This support will include voting in favour of the government’s proposed “homeland defence act”, which will accelerate planned increases in defence spending, said Tusk. “But we will do everything [we can] to make it better than this [current] imperfect bill,” he added.

The PO leader also appealed to “Orbán’s friends in PiS” to stop “flirting with anti-European groups in the international area” and “reorient their alliances”. This is not a political issue, but “a question of security”, he argued. “Putin is using Orban to break up the EU.”

PiS has long been close to Orbán, and has in recent times also cultivated alliances with other right-wing and far-right leaders in Europe who are sympathetic towards Vladimir Putin’s Russia, including Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini. Tusk last year described this as “treason” by the ruling party.

“In the coming months, it will be decided whether Poland will be an integrated part of the West or whether we will be on the periphery as a marginal country,” said Tusk. “Never in recent years has Poland stood so close to the edge.”

But he added that “it was weight off my mind when I saw the Polish government quickly turn to the West” after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I appeal to them to maintain this pro-European turn.”

The opposition leader also expressed his support for Ukraine’s path to EU membership, a move that has also been strongly endorsed by Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally.

The Polish government has, before and since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, voiced strong support for Kyiv and provided humanitarian and military aid. Poland has also received hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine, who are being supported by the Polish authorities as well as charities and individuals.

Main image credit: Slawomir Kaminski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.