On November 11 former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly condemned the Independence March in Warsaw, calling it a “grim joke”, while also taking part in the Independence Day parade in Gdańsk.
Tusk Criticizes Independence March
On social media Donald Tusk declared that the presence of MPs from the parties Mentzen, Wipler, Braun, and Frits at the march, “moved from Berlin”, was ironic. He added that the march’s critics were the West, the European Union, and Ukraine, not Russia, and that a “grim joke” was that the president of the Republic of Poland led the procession. Tusk referenced a banner prepared by Sławomir Mentzen with the inscription “Poland today demands to return Tusk to Berlin.”
Tusk’s Participation in Gdańsk Parade
During the 107th anniversary celebrations in Gdańsk, Tusk attended the annual Independence Parade and delivered a brief speech. His appearance marked his last major public engagement on the Independence Day holiday after declaring the march in Warsaw “problematic.”
Warsaw’s 107th Independence March
The march drew an estimated 300 000 participants, far exceeding the city council’s preliminary estimate of 100 000. Politicians from the Confederation, Polish Confederation of the Crown of Poland, and Law and Justice took part, and Karol Nawrocki and Jarosław Misztal also appeared. Police reported 41 arrests during the celebration, including 26 drug‑related detentions and 10 wanted persons, one of whom was listed on the Schengen Information System.
National Independence Day Ceremonies in Warsaw
In Warsaw, state officials gathered in the morning to lay wreaths at the monuments to the Fathers of Independence—Witosa, Paderewski, Daszyński, Dmowski, Korfanty, and Piłsudski. The presidential couple and the Minister of National Defence later joined a Mass of the Holy Faith for the homeland in the Sanctuary of Divine Providence. The same day, a state ceremony presenting national awards was held at the Presidential Palace, and officials escorted a wreath to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the afternoon. Donald Tusk was not present at any of these events.