Donald Tusk beat Poland’s populists. Now Europe is looking to him for a blueprint
Donald Tusk was reelected as President of the European Council in 2017 after being the first major leader in Europe to overcome the populist wave that has swept the continent in past elections. He defeated Poland’s conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, and its populist tendencies, largely due to his excellent track record as Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014.
Tusk’s success in beating populism in Poland has generated interest among European governments who are now turning to him for political guidance and a blueprint for how to successfully resist populism. Tusk has come to embody the idea of an anti-populist leader, showing that such an electoral victory is possible.
Tusk’s strategy involves promoting inclusive approaches and inclusive identities among diverse societies and cultures. He has suggested that a populist wave can be counteracted by non-political initiatives such as economic growth, social equality, and a sense of solidarity. Tusk has also stressed the importance of a strong, unified European Union as a bulwark against rising nationalist sentiment.
He has heavily criticised the British government for their exit from the European Union, and discussed potential future scenarios of “European integration or disintegration”. In this vein, he has strongly advocated for deepening the integration between EU states, essentially making them more dependent on each other for security and economic progress.
Tusk’s poetics of anti-populism could offer a window into the construction of an integrated and influential European future. Europe is becoming increasingly divided between those who buy into populist rhetoric and those who want to remain in the EU, and Tusk’s example offers a blueprint for how to bridge this divide. His strategy of fostering inclusive identities, creating solidarity amongst EU states, and promoting integrated solutions for Europe provides an example for other governments to follow as they strive for progressive, democratic solutions for Europe.