Donald Tusk’s Polish revival masks deeper divisions with German neighbours

Warsaw's return to the European mainstream with presidency of the EU Council may not be quite what it seems

Germany's chancellor appears to be heading for defeat; France's president is mired in crisis. But while Europe's traditional power duo are in the doldrums, there is a strong, stable and pro-EU leader east of Paris and Berlin - Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk.

For European officials, it's a helpful gift of the calendar that Poland takes charge of the EU Council rotating presidency from 1 January.