Candidate of EPP leadership Tusk announces fight against populism

President of the European Council Donald Tusk, who is also the only candidate for president of the European People's Party (EPP), announced at the EPP congress here on Wednesday that he will fight populists as soon as he becomes the president of the EPP.

"After five years, I'm tired of being the first European bureaucrat," Tusk said at the congress that brought together 2,000 delegates representing EPP member parties.

He told the congress participants that he was ready for the fight and expressed hope that they were ready too.

"On one side, there are parties of irresponsible populism, and on the other, our party of responsible popularity," Tusk said.

Tusk is expected to be elected as the president of the EPP at the party's congress on Wednesday evening in Zagreb.