With 27 votes in favour and one against, Donald Tusk has been re-elected for two and a half years as president of the European Council by the EU heads of state and government meeting in Brussels on Thursday 9 March. His re-election provoked Poland to obstruct the publication of the conclusions from this summit.
To the great dismay of the Polish government, the choice for the president of the European Council was made in 30 minutes. After an unfruitful attempt to change the agenda for the meeting, Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydło was the only European leader to speak out against the candidature of her compatriot Donald Tusk when Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat asked if there was a consensus for this candidate.
Szydło's words were expressed in the same spirit and the same tone as the letter she had sent her counterparts the day before the summit (see EUROPE 11741). Upon arriving at the meeting, she immediately stated: "Nothing without us. Nothing without our agreement. I think it's worth recalling in this building the principal rule that builds" the European Union. "This is a question of principle": a candidate cannot be chosen by "force", against the opinion of their member state of origin, she argued strongly before and after the meeting. Among those close to her, there was even offence taken at a "diktat from Berlin".
This attitude did not result in the desired effect. Among the 27, some member states said they did not want "to become hostage to the domestic politics of Poland", as the leaders of Lithuania and Luxembourg said just before the start of the meeting. Before even arriving in Brussels, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel had clearly given her support to the EPP Group candidate.
After Szydło's words, Muscat announced that, in line with the Treaties, the European Council would move on to the vote. The result was indisputable: 27 votes in favour of Tusk, although a qualified majority would have been enough. The Polish government hoped that some at least might abstain, like Hungary or the UK. This was not the case, however.
After the vote, Tusk told the 28 member states that he would work "with everyone, without exception, because I am sincerely committed to working for a united Europe". He also thanked the leader for giving him their trust, especially in regard to these "unusual circumstances" surrounding the election, to use his own terms. Speaking to press, he promised "to protect the Polish government against any political isolation".
Not wanting to recognise her defeat, the Polish prime minister decided to give new form to these "unusual circumstances" by opposing the adoption of the conclusions by the European Council (a procedure which requires unanimity). From a legal point of view, this has no impact on Tusk's election. On Thursday evening the situation thus remained blocked, the way out being publication of the conclusions in the form of a statement from the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. The experts from the Council were unable to certify if this approach would delay the launch of enhanced cooperation on the European Public Prosecutor.
"It is certain that I will not accept any document from this summit" as this is "not valid", Szydło said angrily. This attitude amazed Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel, who said he was not impressed by what seemed to be a "bad tempered" response after the vote and in the framework of which Poland found itself totally isolated.
What are the consequences for the unity of the 27? This "bad temper" seems set to last. The Polish government does not intend to stop there, and after taking into account the possibility of walking out of the meeting, is now preparing to lead the battle for a deep "reform" of the EU, with the Rome summit at the end of March as the starting point (see other article).
This reform is all the more necessary, in Szydło's view, as "the European Council looks after the special and topical interests of a small group" and as "the politicians in Brussels have lost sight of the interests of the member states and Europeans". However, the meeting in Rome and Tusk's re-election are supposed above all to give "an image of stability, coherence and continuity" in the EU, as France's President François Hollande stated.
Tusk wanted to draw a line under this episode and issued a warning: "It is important to be careful about the bridges we burn because once they are burned, they cannot be crossed again". He continued by saying that he wants to address this sentiment to all the member states and particularly to Poland. Sometimes we let emotions get the better of us as we are only human, but we must show responsibility, especially when it is about the future of the EU, he said.
Asked about the future of relations with the Polish government, Merkel said: "We will see how this evolves". She hoped it would be possible to work again in a reasonable way. (Original version in French by Jan Kordys with Sophie Petitjean, Élodie Lamer, Emmanuel Hagry and Pascal Hansens)