Donald Tusk elected as Polish prime minister

The Polish parliament has given former Prime Minister Donald Tusk a mandate to form a new coalition government.

The incoming administration will be sworn in at the presidential palace by President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday.

It will put an end to the eight-year rule of the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which repeatedly clashed with EU authorities.

However, Mr Tusk may face difficulties in meeting his promise to undo the effects of PiS rule.

Mr Tusk's centrist coalition won most seats in October's elections but had been unable to take office until now.

The PiS, led by Mateusz Morawiecki, emerged as the single biggest party after the election, but other parties refused to work alongside it and it was not able to form a majority in parliament.

Mr Morawiecki lost a vote of confidence on Monday, paving the way for Mr Tusk to return to power.

Mr Tusk was previously prime minister of Poland between 2007 and 2014, later becoming European Council president.

October's elections saw his pro-EU coalition win a majority of seats with a record turnout of more than 70%.

The grouping comprises three parties, Mr Tusk's Civic Coalition (KO), the Third Way and the Left.

Coalition MPs chanted Mr Tusk's name and sang the national anthem after the vote to designate him as prime minister.

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Among those expected to be nominated to the new cabinet is Radoslaw Sikorski, who previously served as foreign minister under Mr Tusk.

Expectations for the new coalition are high. The new government has pledged to restore the independence of the judiciary, which it says has been systematically undermined under previous administrations.

"We are working… on a whole set of measures that will restore the rule of law as much as possible," Mr Tusk said.

He has also pledged to unblock €36bn (£30bn) of EU funds earmarked for Poland, which Brussels has refused to release over rule of law concerns.

A 2020 court decision which banned abortion in almost all cases will also be reversed, he said, while protections for LGBT people will be strengthened.

Mr Duda's decision to nominate Mr Morawiecki to form a government without any hope of winning a vote of confidence indicates that the president, who will be in office until 2025, intends to stymie Mr Tusk's plans.

To become law, bills approved by parliament need to be signed by Mr Duda, who can veto them. Mr Tusk's coalition does not have enough MPs to override a presidential veto.