DONALD TUSK TAKES EU HELM

Donald Tusk took over the EU baton from Belgium’s Herman Van Rompuy on 1 December. The 57-year old former Prime Minister of Poland was born in Gdansk, on the Baltic Sea coast. His three priorities are: to bring an eastern European “sensitivity” to Russia relations; to stop the UK from leaving; and to heal divisions between eurozone and non-eurozone states.

Tusk's priorities are reflected in his choice of top aides:

1. His Chef de Cabinet, Poland’s former EU Affairs Minister Piotr Serafin, is an Atlanticist who believes the Lisbon Treaty gives the EU Council chief a mandate to speak out on foreign policy.
2. His top advisor on foreign policy is Riina Kionka, an Estonian of US origin who used to work with the now Estonian President, anti-Russia hawk Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and with former NATO Chief Javier Solana.
3. His top advisor on energy is also a Pole, Lukasz Kolinski, with Tusk hoping that leaders will next spring endorse European Commission proposals - on a so-called “energy union” - to reduce gas dependence on Russia.
4. His Deputy Chef de Cabinet is Luxembourg’s Andre Gillissen, who has, since 2002, worked on drafting the EU summit texts which leaders agree. His top economic aide is Frenchman Jean-Pierre Vidal, a former European Central Bank official.

Tusk faces his first challenge on Dec. 18-19 when the 28 EU leaders will seek an agreement on a European investment fund designed to revive jobs and growth by drawing private capital into transport, energy and digital network projects, and debate economic reforms and national budget discipline. EU officials expect Tusk to be more assertive in foreign policy, notably towards Russia, than was Van Rompuy, whose main focus was financial crisis management. However, the powers of the President of the European Council are circumscribed by the Lisbon Treaty, which defines the job as chairing and preparing EU summits and representing the bloc at head of state level with third countries.

According to Article 15 (6) of the Treaty on the European Union, the President of the European Council:

• chairs it and drives forward its work;
• ensures the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;
• endeavours to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council;
• presents a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council.

He also, at his level and in that capacity, ensures the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its Common Foreign and Security Policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

He may not hold a national office at the same time as being President.

The European Council is assisted by the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC). The staff of the GSC is therefore at the President's disposal, including the Directorate for general political questions, the Legal Service, policy experts, translation services, protocol, press office, etc. The President has his own private office, the Cabinet of the President.