Tusk was on his way to Potsdam to receive the M100 Media Award, which is given to those “committed to democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, as well as strengthening mutual understanding among Europeans”.
However, Tusk, referring to his duties in Poland, canceled the planned visit at the last minute, and Justice Minister Adam Bodnar will go to Germany instead.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was supposed to deliver Tusk’s eulogy, will also not attend the ceremony. Scholtz also referred to his agenda.
Instead of the chancellor, former German president Joachim Gauck and former defense minister Rudolf Scharping will make speeches at the ceremony.
Past winners of the M100 Media Award include Iran’s Women’s Freedom Movement, the People of Ukraine, jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and former European Central Bank President and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Along with Tusk, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, is also being awarded.
The mayor of Potsdam, Mike Schubert, said that the Polish prime minister is being rewarded for his “tireless fight against autocracy”.
The real reason for the cancellation of Tusk’s visit is unknown. It is also not clear which of the two heads of government – Tusk or Scholz – refused to participate in the ceremony first.
Relations between Warsaw and Berlin deteriorated significantly during the previous government of the national conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, but relations between the two countries were expected to improve once Tusk’s government, formed by a broad coalition of the former opposition, came to power.
Tusk himself is of half-German descent, as his grandmother was German, and he once had a friendly relationship with former German chancellor Angela Merkel, and is now constantly referred to as “Germany’s butler” by the opposition PiS.
However, in recent weeks, German-Polish relations have deteriorated again.
According to the sources, the main reason for the thaw is the exploded Nord Stream pipelines.
Poland recently rejected Germany’s demand to detain a Ukrainian citizen suspected of bombing Nord Stream, but Tusk said a month ago that the only thing left for Nord Stream’s “patrons and initiators” to do now was to “apologize and shut up.”
However, neither side has confirmed that the refusal to participate in the Potsdam event was in any way related to this conflict.
2024-09-10 14:17:30