Sawt Falasteen - Poland's Tusk urges West to support Ukraine, slams war fatigue

The experienced former EU chief's government is expected to win a confidence vote later Tuesday and oust the right-wing populists who frequently clashed with Brussels on the rule of law.

In his address to lawmakers Tusk vowed to restore Poland's credibility in the bloc and urged the "free world" to show firm support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

"I can no longer listen to some European politicians, from other Western countries, who speak of being fatigued by the Ukraine situation," Tusk told the parliament.

"The attack on Ukraine is an attack on us all," he added, pledging to double down on efforts to help Kyiv "from day one".

Tusk also promised to end the stalemate at Poland's border with Ukraine where Polish truckers have been blocking checkpoints and demanding the reintroduction of entry permits for their Ukrainian competitors.

Following the speech, Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Tusk's read on the situation was "impeccable".

Zelensky tweeted his "congratulations" Monday after Tusk was tapped as premier.

- 'Stronger Europe' -

Speaking to the lower house of parliament -- which is controlled by his multi-party pro-EU alliance -- Tusk also expressed a vote of confidence in the European Union.

"We are all the stronger, all the more sovereign when not only Poland is stronger but also the European Union," Tusk told lawmakers.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also congratulated him on Monday, tweeting: "I look forward to working with you."

"Your experience and strong commitment to our European values will be precious in forging a stronger Europe."

Tusk, who previously served as prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and was president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019, has promised to unblock billions of euros in EU aid that have been frozen because of long-standing tensions between Brussels and the outgoing government.

Tusk also presented his roster of ministers. Poland's former top diplomat Radoslaw Sikorski is to make a comeback and lead the foreign ministry again.

The new government would also include former Polish ombudsman Adam Bodnar, a vocal critic of the previous administration's judiciary overhaul. Tusk chose him as his justice minister.

The confidence vote comes on the heels of the outgoing conservatives' failure to form a government of their own for lack of viable coalition partners.

The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party won the most seats in October's general election but failed to win a majority.

- 'Right all of the wrongs' -

Still, PiS prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki was given the first crack at forming a new government and his proposed cabinet failed to muster enough backing in parliament Monday.

While Tusk's Civic Coalition came second in the ballot, it secured a majority by joining up with two smaller pro-EU opposition political groups, the Third Way and Left.

Describing the right-wing administration as years of "darkness", Tusk said Monday that his government would work to "right all of the wrongs".

His arch-nemesis, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, fired back by accusing Tusk of being a "German agent".

Freedom hero and Nobel Prize winner Lech Walesa -- known for despising the PiS -- hailed that Poland was "back on the path of development".

But the next government will face daily battles with the PiS which "will continue to fight", political analyst Jaroslaw Kuisz told AFP, adding that "there won't be any miracles."

Controversial judicial reforms and appointments, which the EU said undermined democratic values, were at the heart of tensions between PiS ministers and Brussels.

PiS still has a firm ally in Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is due to step down ahead of a presidential election in 2025 but he could use blocking tactics between now and then to veto legislation.

T.Khatib--SF-PST