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Donald Tusk re-elected to European Council presidency

EU leaders have confirmed Donald Tusk for another term as European Council president - despite at...
Newstalk
Newstalk

16.47 9 Mar 2017


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Donald Tusk re-elected to Euro...

Donald Tusk re-elected to European Council presidency

Newstalk
Newstalk

16.47 9 Mar 2017


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EU leaders have confirmed Donald Tusk for another term as European Council president - despite attempts by his native Poland to block his candidacy.

Mr Tusk's home country was the only one of the 28 member states to vote against him, a French diplomatic source told the AFP news agency.

Poland's prime minister, Beata Szydlo, had written to Theresa May and other European leaders, urging them to oust Mr Tusk during the vote - which came on the first day of an EU leaders' summit in Brussels.

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Ms Szydlo has accused her countryman of interfering in domestic politics. Mr Tusk himself served as the country's PM from 2007 to 2014.

Mr Tusk, whose initial term expires at the end of May, will play a key role in the Brexit negotiations and will now stay in the job until November 2019.

After being confirmed as president again, he tweeted: "Grateful for trust & positive assessment by #EUCO (European Council). I will do my best to make the EU better."

The row between Mr Tusk and Ms Szydlo's Law and Justice Party had led to Warsaw proposing a challenger - Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski.

Before the vote, Theresa May said she would not reveal who she would side with, but a spokesman said the PM believed Mr Tusk was "doing a good job."

Mrs May is attending her final EU leaders' summit before the triggering of Article 50 and the formal commencement of Brexit negotiations.

Mrs May is expected to trigger the process before the end of the month.


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