Tusk takes over as EU Council president

Donald Tusk

Earlier this month Poland's Donald Tusk (politically labeled a centrist) was installed as the European Council president. One of his primary duties is to convene summits of the bloc's 28 leaders. The former Polish premier has promised "ruthless determination" to fix Europe's economy.

As council president, Tusk completes the EU's new trio - alongside Luxembourg's Jean Claude Juncker, who is chief of the European Commission, and the foreign affairs coordinator, Federica Mogherini of Italy.

Van Rompuy described Tusk as the "favorite son of Poland" with an "open heart," adding that he was now at the helm of the EU's "most important institution."

Tusk began his political career in the 1980s as part of Poland's Solidarity union movement, whose protests collapsed Soviet-style communism in Poland and eventually lead to the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

He was twice elected prime minister in Poland's post-communist era. He led Poland's center-right Civic Platform Party since 2001.