Tough-talking Donald Tusk set to take over as EU president
EU's new Polish president will use expertise on eastern issues to deal with Russia over Ukraine
Poland's Donald Tusk takes over as European Council president today, the first person from the former Soviet-dominated east to take a top Brussels role, with a mandate to revive the economy and deal with a resurgent Russia.
With his direct, forceful manner, the 57-year-old former prime minister promises a contrast with Herman van Rompuy, the outgoing council chief and the first person to hold the post.
Former Belgian premier Van Rompuy was a conciliatory figure during his five years at the head of the council of all 28 EU leaders, known for writing Japanese haiku poems and once described as having the "charisma of a damp rag".
But Tusk will be a different proposition, with his roots in Poland's anti-communist Solidarity trade union, at a time when the European Union faces a mounting challenge from Russia over Ukraine. "He speaks for himself, and often says exactly what he thinks," a European diplomat said.
Tusk completes the EU's new top trio for the next five years, alongside Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the union's executive branch the European Commission, and foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.
The choice of Tusk for a strategic job that involves coordinating the EU's heads of government and representing the bloc abroad underscores the rise of the former Warsaw Pact countries 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and 10 years after they joined the union.