Euractiv.com — European Union plans to present a united front in the face of Brexit were thrown into disarray on Thursday, after Poland was overruled in its opposition to the reappointment of Donald Tusk as European Council president.
Isolated Poland had put forward a rival candidate to former Polish Prime Minister Tusk, the little-known MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, but was outvoted 27-1 by other member states at Thursday’s EU summit meeting in Brussels.
Even Hungary, thought to be Warsaw’s only ally, and Poland’s other Visegrad group partners abandoned Poland.
That drew a furious response from current Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło. She confirmed that she would veto the conclusions of the meeting of EU leaders.
“Tusk was not a candidate proposed by his country of origin,” Szydło said, “He is not a good president of the European Council.”
Szydło torpedoed the image of unity planned for the 60th anniversary of the treaty of Rome with a blistering press conference.
“If the EU is to be reformed and we are to have unity, we should closely reflect on this decision,” she said. “The migration crisis, the financial crisis and Brexit did not happen without reason.”
Summit conclusions are traditionally made on the basis of consensus among all member states, but in exceptional circumstances the president of the Council, Donald Tusk, can issue his own conclusions.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande both backed Tusk before the vote.
Despite reports that Britain was torn over whether to support Poland, Prime Minister Theresa May voted for Tusk.
Tusk is a member of the European People’s Party, which, in a break with tradition, currently holds all the presidencies of the European Council, Commission and Parliament.
Poland’s failure to endorse the summit joint statement reportedly led to a confrontation over dinner on Thursday evening, with Mr Hollande saying that richer Western nations were helping to pay for Poland’s development.
Prime minister Szydlo then accused the French president of trying to blackmail her country. She said it was unacceptable for Francois Hollande to threaten to stop funds because Poland was “not behaving properly”.
“Am I supposed to take seriously the blackmail of a president who has a 4% approval rating and who soon won’t be president?” she said.
Ms Szydlo also warned partners, Poland would not accept a multi-speed Europe.
