Poland's pro-EU Tusk wins parliament backing to return as premier

WARSAW

Polish pro-EU government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday, marking an end to eight years of rule by right-wing populists.

Tusk pledged to restore Poland's position in the European Union after rule-of-law infringements strained Warsaw ties with Brussels, and said help for war-torn Ukraine would also be a priority in an address to lawmakers.

"The attack on Ukraine is an attack on us all," he said, promising to double down on efforts to provide Kyiv with more aid "from day one".

"I can no longer listen to some European politicians, from other Western countries, who speak of being fatigued by the Ukraine situation," Tusk told the parliament.

A former premier and European Council president, Tusk is expected to be sworn in by the Polish president during a ceremony on Wednesday, allowing him to travel to the bloc's summit meeting later this week.

The vote of confidence in the Polish parliament was delayed on Tuesday amid chaos triggered by a far-right lawmaker who used a fire extinguisher to smother a Hanukkah menorah in the parliament lobby.

Tusk denounced what he called an "unacceptable" act and a "disgrace" by the lawmaker Grzegorz Braun, who has been temporarily barred from proceedings and could face criminal charges.

Earlier on Tuesday Tusk also promised to resolve the dispute involving Polish truckers who have been blocking border crossings at Ukrainian border to campaign for reinstating EU permits for their competitors, which were suspended following Russia's invasion.

Following the speech, Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Tusk's read on the situation was "impeccable".

Zelensky tweeted his "congratulations" Monday after Tusk was tapped as premier.