European Council President Donald Tusk is due to testify in Warsaw on Wednesday, 19.04.2017, as a witness in an investigation into military intelligence. Tusk’s supporters claim it is an attempt by Poland’s right-wing government to discredit Tusk, and force him to  abandon his seat in the EU institution.

Tusk is the ex-leader of Poland’s largest opposition party, Civic Platform (PO), and a rival of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party that has brought prosecutors under direct government control.

Tusk has been summoned to testify in an investigation against former heads of military counter-intelligence (SKW) suspected of co-operating with foreign intelligence services without the required authorization of the prime minister, whom Tusk was at the time.

The investigation is not targeting Tusk directly, as in case of US national security adviser Michael Flinn, however it can cause irreparable damage to Tusk’s reputation, and push him towards resignation. Nowadays the EU is  finding itself in ‘existential’ crisis, and can not afford a president of the major EU political body, involved into investigations. In case it is an episode, it might pass without ‘collaterals’, however if the investigation becomes lengthy, Tusk’s chairmanship of the Council will be undesirable.