The President of Parliament excluded Grzegorz Braun for this act of “racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism”. “An unacceptable thing happened, which should never happen again, it’s a shame,” said the new Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.
Donald Tusk, leader of a coalition of pro-European forces in Poland, was elected prime minister on Monday December 11 by a vote in Parliament. The election of the former President of the European Council was almost assured after the failure of the outgoing Prime Minister.
Earlier in the day, nationalist Mateusz Morawiecki presented his general policy speech to Parliament, but immediately lost the vote of confidence by 266 votes against and 190 in favor, thus paving the way for Donald Tusk’s allies to form a new government. .
Even if the coalition of pro-European forces won the legislative elections of October 15, it was to the outgoing nationalist power that President Andrzej Duda, his ally, had first entrusted the task of forming a governmentdelaying the end of the populist nationalist camp’s eight years in power by almost two months.
Tense context with Brussels
Now elected, Donald Tusk must present his own general policy speech and his government on Tuesday, and immediately submit to the vote of confidence, before taking the oath on Wednesday to complete the procedures required by the Constitution. Donald Tusk intends to be able to represent his country at the next European summit, Thursday and Friday in Brussels.
The election of Donald Tusk comes in a still tense context between Brussels and Warsaw. The Polish Constitutional Court, under the influence of the nationalist populist government defeated at the polls, ruled on Monday that the penalties imposed by European justice for non-compliance with provisional decisions of the European Court are contrary to fundamental law.
The court which, according to Brussels, no longer meets the requirements of independence, ruled that the penalties imposed following a controversial justice reform and because of the criminal operation of a coal mine “are contrary to the Polish Constitution”.
Far-right MP extinguishes Menorah with fire extinguisher in Parliament
Grzegorz Braun, a far-right Polish MP, was filmed on Tuesday December 12 emptying a fire extinguisher on a hanukkia, a nine-branched candlestick symbol of Judaism, in the middle of Parliament.
“An unacceptable thing happened, which should never happen again, it’s a shame”declared the new Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, to the press, while the President of Parliament excluded Grzegorz Braun for this act of “racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism”.
Channel TVN24 broadcast footage of Braun with a red fire extinguisher putting out the fire and causing smoke or mist in the area. Parliamentary work was temporarily suspended. After the incident, the candles were relighted.
Right all the wrongs
Grzegorz Braun, pro-Russian member of Konfederacja (“the Confederation”), has in the past claimed that there was a plot to turn Poland into a “Jewish state”.
In October, Poland’s pro-European coalition won a parliamentary majority, defeating the populist Law and Justice (PiS) and Konfederacja (far-right) parties combined. In his speech to MPs on Tuesday, newly elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on the world to “total mobilization” in favor of Ukraine in the face of the Russian offensive and assured to work “effectively in favor of Kyiv”.
Describing the outgoing nationalist administration as years of “darkness”Mr. Tusk said on Monday that his government would strive to “right all wrongs”.