Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Polish statesman Donald Tusk.
Last updated on September 7, 2024.
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and was a co-founder and leader of the Civic Platform political party from 2003 to 2014. On 20 November 2019, Tusk was elected as the president of the European People's Party (EPP), Europe's largest transnational political party and on 3 July 2021 he returned to Polish politics by reassuming the leadership of the Civic Platform.
What we have to do is to definitively remove the last vestiges of power from those who treat terms such as 'liberal democracy,' 'free markets' and 'Europe' with suspicion.
If there's one country that can be trusted to understand the complexity of history, it's Israel.
Poland is quite a mediocre country in some regards. The only natural resource that we have, and with which we can compete, is freedom.
In Poland we still believe - and this certainly applies to my government - that greater competitiveness, and greater growth and savings are possible in an economy which is as sparely regulated as possible, where freedom, competition and private ownership are key values.
For Poland, the United States is the most important ally.
Communism was something so hideous that you had to be an exceptional conformist or a fool not to see the evil around you.
I spent an important part of my life participating in conflicts. But for me, conflict was not the main principle.
Poland is not a very large country, but it's also not a small country.
My family history, like that of many Polish, German and Jewish families from Central Europe in the 20th century, is complex.
If we want to protect people against dictators or repression or torture, don't you need that rule to be universal so as to not end up with a situation where we do so only when it is comfortable, profitable and safe?
I'm plain incapable of getting angry with Angela Merkel and likewise.
Politics itself is not sacred any more.
I can confirm that Poland should become a eurozone country, and not just because of the treaties that have been signed, but because I consider it of strategic interest both for Poland and the E.U.
My Kashubian family, like the Jews, are people who were born and live in border areas and were suspected by the Nazis and by the Communists of being disloyal.
There is no Polish culture without Jewish culture.
Today, the most important political instrument in the hands of the opposition is the presidential veto.
Poles must understand history but we must also overcome it if it is obstructing our contemporary goals.
The government has been repairing Poland's image and its relations with the European Union and the world.
We are giving the citizens of Poland a sense that a reasonable and predictable government is ruling here.
Quality of life is not only about what you find in the shops; it's about the landscape.
A word of truth can mobilise two peoples looking for the road to reconciliation.
My government is in no sense anti-Russian.
I will be engaging myself personally, as the head of the Polish government, in the optimization of conditions for the exploration, research, logistics and the business related to the production of shale gas.
We should believe in the strength and vitality of the values which constitute the E.U. and which neighbouring states can believe in and aspire to join.
I got into politics a little bit by chance, as a person from the first generation of the Solidarity movement.
Over the years, the European Union and the United States have worked together to ensure peace and prosperity for our citizens and for people around the world.
What we have to do is to definitively remove the last vestiges of power from those who treat terms such as liberal democracy, free markets and Europe with suspicion.
Many militant conflicts began with war-like words. The blame game is currently more popular in the EU than football. But maybe there is also a good side to this. We now talk more honestly and emotionally with each other. Not in the soulless Euro-lingo of earlier times.
Im plain incapable of getting angry with Angela Merkel and likewise.
Nothing would be better today if Europe were divided or smaller. Today we have to say loud and clear that the crises, which have affected Europe cannot serve as a pretext for its disintegration. A mini-Europe would be the worst response to the maxi problems we have to face.
If we believe that the EU is only a fair-weather event we will be doomed. The EU cannot be an answer only to the tragedies of the past but also to the problems of the future. We must understand that the geopolitical holidays are over. It's time to go back to school where there will be only hard exams to take.
We should remind our American friends of their own motto: United we stand. Divided, we fall.
I am glad that Angela Merkel is the German Chancellor, as she tries to combine a sense of responsibility with morality and values. Because this is the essence of Europe.
We must go beyond being reactive and defensive. As Europeans we must regain our self-confidence and realize our own strengths.
The strategic partnership between the European Union and the United States is rooted in our shared values of freedom, human rights, democracy and a belief in the market economy.
Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations. Only by co-operating closely can the EU and the US continue to make a difference when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as Daesh, the threats to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, climate change and migration.