Polish president congratulates Tusk in letter

The elephant in the room was Brexit and the question of when UK Prime Minister Theresa May would formally invoke Article 50, the mechanism for leaving the EU. “He was not able to remain neutral or impartial and the heads of states of governments should have considered this”.

Of all five scenarios recently proposed by EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for the way forward after Brexit, the real scenario is No 3: “Those who want more do more”, which is another way of saying that the EU will be multi-speed. And the tactics appear to be working: if membership of the European Union remains popular among Poles, so does the government, which dominates opinion polls.

But following the row, political leaders were keen to stress the need for unity.

This gives rise to a very risky European union. “I will do that”, Szydlo said.

“We already have today a Europe of different speeds”, she said, adding that the spirit should be that things are “open for every member state to participate, there is no exclusion”. “But as well, we can not allow anyone to stop others who want to advance more quickly”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also defended the result.

Kaczynski regards Tusk as his biggest political competitor and a foe who, as Poland’s premier in 2010, was morally responsible for a Polish Air Force plane crash that killed Kaczynski’s brother Lech, then the country’s president, and almost 100 other people in Russian Federation.

European Council President Donald Tusk said he is “ready” for the judgement awaiting him when EU heads of state and government decide tomorrow (9 March) whether he will serve another term starting in May-despite the Polish government’s backing of a replacement candidate.

What does the European Council president do?

The government in Warsaw argues that the decision should be delayed because of its displeasure with Tusk, a bitter political rival.

The row with Poland has highlighted a deepening split between eastern members reluctant to cede new-found national freedoms to Brussels and the richer western states that want to deepen European Union integration in the hope it can boost prosperity and security and thus stem the rise of Brexit-inspired eurosceptics.

But his acceptance of the nomination has caused bitterness in the EPP group.

Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczinski said in 2012 he held Tusk “politically” accountable for the death of his twin brother, then Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski, who was killed along with other 95 people in a plane crash in Russian Federation in 2010. “He enjoys unanimous support from the entire party”.