What Will New Poland's Government Change in Relations with Ukraine and EU?

The eight-year rule of the party Law and Justice (PiS) in Poland has come to an end.

The new government was formed by a coalition with the liberal Civic Platform, the right-wing Polish Peasants' Party and Poland-2050, and New Left. Donald Tusk, who promises radical changes in the country, became the new Prime Minister.

Yurii Panchenko, European Pravda's editor, discussed with the political analyst of Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Michał Potocki, what changes Ukraine can expect. Read the key points of this conversation in the article – Support for Ukraine Without Concessions: What Poland Will Be Like under Prime Minister Tusk.

It is surprising that the new government of Donald Tusk includes many long-known politicians who were in office before 2015 since Civic Platform lost those elections because of them.

It can be hoped that the new government will try to address the problems accumulated in recent months in relations with Ukraine.

However, rapid solutions should not be expected, especially regarding the grain crisis. This is particularly true because the Ministry of Agricultural Policy will be headed by a politician from the Polish Peasants' Party (PS, Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe), for whom agricultural policy is a key issue.

Moreover, the border blockade will also be the responsibility of a politician from the Polish Peasants' Party. Progress can be expected here, but it may still require quite difficult negotiations.

On the other hand, I do not think that the new authorities will disappoint Ukraine, as many PiS politicians do now.

They will be able to approach these problems more calmly, critically and find a solution that would be beneficial to both Poland and Ukraine.

Also, I wouldn't believe in a breakthrough in memory policy issues.

One of the priorities of the new government is to solve the problems with the financing from European funds, currently blocked due to the rule of law issues.

Donald Tusk has very good relations in Germany, and he has very good relations in the European Commission. It will be easier for him to negotiate the unblocking of funds than for any other Polish politician.

The summit in Brussels on 14-15 December, crucial for the European future of Ukraine, may also be decisive for Poland. Since Tusk will go there as the new Prime Minister and will start negotiations on unblocking funds.

And, of course, Tusk's victory will finally put an end to the alliance between Poland and Orban's Hungary.

This alliance practically fell apart after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Although there is an exception – Orban could still rely on Warsaw's support in anti-Brussels policies. Now everything will be different.

What policy will Law and Justice pursue regarding Ukraine while in opposition?

I do not think that this policy will become openly anti-Ukrainian, but it can be assumed that politicians and groups that have always been sceptical about Ukraine will pop up. Such politicians may voice certain anti-Ukrainian slogans to distinguish themselves from the government.

Moreover, the new government will almost certainly close the cases, where it is simply necessary to prove the violation of the law by PiS politicians.