Dzień dobry Mr. President

Le tre sfide del breve periodo che dovrà affrontare Donald Tusk da dicembre, quando sostituirà Van Rompuy alla presidenza del Consiglio Europeo, raccontate dal Guardian e lady PESC Federica Mogherini, scelta per ricoprire la carica di Alto rappresentante per la politica estera e la sicurezza comune, nell'editoriale di Europa.

"There are three big fundamental issues for the new president – the economy, Ukraine and the UK question," said a senior EU official. "We may be on the edge of a new cold war with the Russians. There are huge economic challenges. And the UK issue will be very big."

On all three, Tusk will have strong views. The rapid pace of change in eastern Europe over 20 years in the transition from communism to capitalism puts him on the Cameron reformist side of the economic argument.

On Ukraine and Russia, Tusk and Poland have led the hawks in Europe on getting tough with Putin, although he will not be able to take Germany, France or Italy to places they do not want to go.

On Britain, it will fall to Tusk to lead negotiations with Cameron, if he remains in power, on a so-called new deal rewriting the British terms of membership. "The future of the EU is not about making it smaller, about contraction," he said after his appointment. "No reasonable person can imagine the EU without the UK."