Polish opposition leader promises to separate church and state

Tusk criticises bishops for becoming "government functionaries" under the current government, Notes from Poland reports. Tusk blames the clergy for separating the Church from society. He says that he is not happy about this because he is a Catholic himself.

However, during his tour, Tusk said that he wanted to make the separation official, with all its consequences. In short, he wants to remove politics from the Church. "The Catholic Church should be distinguished from the institution largely composed of government functionaries", Tusk said.

The Catholic Church has much influence on Polish politics. For example, the ruling conservative party PiS was criticised for its strict legislation on abortion, which most Poles opposed. Critics said that the government prioritised the Church's interests over those of the general public.

Tusk is not the only politician that advocates the separation between Church and state. Szymon Hołownia, the leader of the centrist party Poland 2050 also set out a plan to abolish "corrupting links" between the state and Church under the current government.