Donald Tusk’s Chișinău visit: Strengthening Moldova ties
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in Chișinău today, September 4, for a two-day official visit.
During his visit, he will meet with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, and Prime Minister Dorin Recean. At the Parliament, Tusk is scheduled to deliver a speech at a special session starting at 6:30 PM, which will be broadcast live on Moldova 1.
Donald Tusk was welcomed at the Government Building in Chișinău by his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean. This visit occurs at a significant time for bilateral relations between Poland and Moldova, with discussions anticipated on political, economic, and security cooperation.
Political analyst Mihai Isac commented, "The Republic of Moldova is regarded as an equal partner by these countries, and such visits underscore the strengthened relations between Moldova and key members of the European Union and NATO. It is essential to recognize that Moldova's role is acknowledged internationally, and these visits publicly highlight what is achieved behind closed doors."
Donald Tusk entered politics in the 1990s with right-wing liberal-democratic and pro-free market views. His party, Civic Platform, gained prominence in the 2000s as left-wing parties declined in popularity. Over the past two decades, Tusk has faced ongoing internal conflict with the right-wing party PiS (Law and Justice), led by the Kaczyński brothers. In 2005, he lost the presidential election to Lech Kaczyński but became Prime Minister two years later. Civic Platform won the parliamentary elections in 2007 and formed a governing coalition with the Peasant Party.
Tusk served two terms as Prime Minister and is noted for his pro-business and pro-European reforms, which helped Poland navigate the 2008-2009 financial crisis while maintaining economic growth.
In 2010, Lech Kaczyński died in a plane crash in Smolensk, Russia, while en route to commemorate the Katyn massacre, where Soviet forces had executed Polish officers during World War II. The crash also claimed the lives of 90 others, including military and government officials. Following this, Poland accused Russia, and Tusk withdrew from the presidential race to maintain political stability.
In 2014, Tusk was elected President of the European Council and made an official visit to Chișinău the following year.
In 2019, during Romania's rotating presidency of the European Union, Tusk delivered a speech in Romanian at the Athenaeum.
Tusk's return to prominence occurred last year when he challenged PiS again. On October 15, his coalition secured a majority in parliament and formed a new government. Tusk has served as Prime Minister for nine months and works alongside President Andrzej Duda, who is supported by PiS and holds veto power. Internationally, Tusk's cabinet aims to enhance Warsaw's relations with Brussels. Poland, a key NATO ally on the eastern flank, supports Ukraine and Moldova. The new Polish government has reaffirmed its support for Chișinău amid Russia's hybrid war, alongside Romania, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union, at the Community Political Summit in Oxfordshire.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
