Donald Tusk

Donald Tusk co-founded his first party in 1989, entered parliament in 1991, lost his seat two years later, then spent the next decade building new coalitions on the centre-right. He co-founded Civic Platform in 2001 and lost the 2005 presidential and parliamentary races before leading the party to victory in 2007. His first term pushed digitization and infrastructure ahead of Euro 2012; his second, from 2011, made him the first Polish prime minister re-elected since communism fell, though scandals and austerity dimmed the glow by 2014. He left for the European Council presidency that year, staying in Brussels until 2021, when he returned to Polish politics as his old rival Law and Justice tightened its grip. The 2023 election delivered him a coalition majority and a third term as prime minister on 13 December, ending eight years of PiS rule.