Donald Tusk, Russia and the plane crash that changed Poland

In 2010, a plane crash in Russia killed Poland’s president and plunged its prime minister Donald Tusk into crisis. Agata Pop?da and Daniel Boffey discuss how this incident still affects Tusk’s political career today. Plus: film-maker Mike Leigh on the 1819 Peterloo Massacre

In 2010, a plane crash in Russia killed Poland’s rightwing president, Lech Kaczy?ski, and plunged the country’s centrist prime minister into a crisis.

That man, Donald Tusk, went on to become president of the European council, a key player in Britain’s struggle to extract itself from the EU. On Sunday, he will chair the critical summit on Brexit. But away from Brussels’ bargaining rooms, Tusk remains locked in a bitter feud with his political rivals in Poland. Agata Pop?da and Daniel Boffey join Anushka Asthana to discuss the details.


Continue reading...