Donald Tusk must undo years of populist subversion in Poland

THE HANDOVER was just as bitter as the years-long political brawl that preceded it. After losing an election in October, Poland’s hard-right Law and Justice (PiS) party finally ceded power on December 12th to a coalition headed by Donald Tusk, a veteran former prime minister. After PiS lost a vote of confidence in parliament, the party’s leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, took to the lectern to call Mr Tusk “a German agent”—a puerile insult PiS used throughout the campaign, referring to Mr Tusk’s German ancestry and his experience as president of the European Council.

A refusal to go gently is common among ousted populists. But it will only bolster Mr Tusk’s resolve. In a two-hour speech on December 12th, he promised to mend the rule of law in Poland and win back the favour of the European Union, and with it €60bn ($65bn) in withheld recovery funds. “No one can outplay me in the EU,” he quipped. The cabinet, sworn in on December 13th, includes tough old hands such as Radoslaw Sikorski, who will return as foreign minister, and Borys Budka, a former justice minister tapped to clear PiS cronies out of state firms. Mr Tusk is ready for a fight. He will need to be.