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WORLD NEWSFriday 10 March 2017
Tusk gets 2nd term for top EU job despite Polish objections
GEIR MOULSON European Council President Donald Tusk, center left, speaks with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke bad” that Tusk was pushed
RAF CASERT Rasmussen, center right, during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, through over the objec-
Associated Press March 9, 2017. German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind Donald Tusk to retain tions of his home country,
BRUSSELS (AP) — Euro- one of the European Union’s top jobs ahead of an EU summit Thursday, despite staunch opposition adding that “today it ap-
pean Union leaders con- from his home country of Poland. plies to Poland, but in the
firmed Donald Tusk for a future this may apply to
second term as their presi- (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) other nations.”
dent Thursday, earning the Tusk still felt there was
wrath of his native Poland is dealing with Britain’s rope into a senseless crisis.” rift the move would create. enough unity around him
and opening up a new rift planned departure and a However, the decision Instead, the conclusions to go on for a second term
at a time when EU unity is host of other challenges. prompted Poland to re- were presented as Conclu- of 2 ½ years. The council
essential. Austrian Chancellor Chris- fuse to approve the sum- sions by the Council Presi- president is responsible for
The 27 other EU leaders tian Kern said such a dis- mit texts, and raised ques- dent “supported by 27 del- chairing summits, coordi-
overrode weeks of objec- pute would “plunge Eu- tions about how lasting a egations,” which had few nating the work of member
tions from the nationalist legal implications beyond countries and making sure
government in Warsaw, showing Poland’s displea- the 28 nations speak as
which has a long and bit- sure. Prime Minister Beata much as possible with one
ter rivalry with former Prime Szydlo said it was “very voice on the international
Minister Tusk and opposed stage.
giving him another term at “It may sound like a para-
the EU. dox because of the con-
Tusk’s supporters portrayed text, but anyway, your de-
his re-election as head cision is an expression of
of the EU Council, one of our unity today,” Tusk told
the bloc’s most prestigious leaders after his re-election.
jobs, as a sign of stability “I will work with all of you
and continuity for the trou- without any exceptions be-
bled bloc. Tusk’s future was cause I am truly devoted
dealt with in less than an to a united Europe.” Szyd-
hour as fellow leaders re- lo, however, said he could
jected the argument of Po- not be impartial when it
land, an increasingly awk- came to dealing with the
ward partner, that a deci- government in Warsaw.
sion should be delayed. And the leader of Poland’s
That spared the EU a long governing Law and Justice
debate about its lead- party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski,
ership at a time when it accused Tusk of disloyalty
to his homeland, saying
he didn’t have the right to
“function under (Poland’s)
white and red flag.”q
Putin tells German foreign minister
Gabriel he wants better ties: report
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian common goal to fully nor-
President Vladimir Putin has malize the relations and to
told the visiting German make sure all the difficulties
foreign minister that he we face are overcome.”
would like to improve ties Merkel has been a staunch
between the two countries supporter of Ukraine’s ter-
that were soured by the ritorial integrity, which has
Ukraine crisis. irked Moscow.
Russia’s annexation of A German diplomat who
Crimea in 2014 and sup- traveled with Gabriel and
port for separatist rebels in asked to be unnamed be-
eastern Ukraine put a strain cause he was not autho-
on a traditionally warm re- rized to speak publicly de-
lationship. scribed the two-hour talks
Putin on Thursday received as “lengthy, good and in-
German Foreign Minister tensive.”
Sigmar Gabriel and ex- He said Putin and Gabriel
tended an invitation for discussed bilateral issues,
Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as the conflict in
to visit Moscow. Gabriel eastern Ukraine and how
had met with his counter- to ensure compliance with
part Sergey Lavrov earlier a cease-fire agreement
in the day. between the Ukrainian
Putin told Gabriel in remarks government and separatist
carried by Russian news rebels that Germany and
agencies that that it is “our Russia brokered.q
