By Richard Johnstone | 2 December 2014

Donald Tusk, the new President of the European Council, has pledged to end the ‘economic crisis’ in the eurozone by completing full economic and monetary union.

The former Polish prime minister, who has been appointed to replace Herman Van Rompuy, will head up the European Council, the body made up of national leaders of member states which sets the EU’s political direction. Tusk will also represent the union at the level of heads of state or government.

Speaking at a handover ceremony in Brussels, Tusk said that he was ‘deeply committed’ to protecting the EU’s fundamental values of freedom and solidarity in his two-and-a-half year term, and to preserving the unity of the EU against internal and external threats.

‘Today, not only are eurosceptics questioning the EU’s value, the union even has enemies,’ he said.

‘Politics has returned to Europe, history is back, and such times need leadership and political unity.

‘We need ruthless determination to end the economic crisis. It is our responsibility to complete the genuine Economic Monetary Union. I take this task very seriously. And we must remember that our common currency, the euro, is our advantage, not our disadvantage.’

Also speaking at the ceremony was outgoing council president Van Rompuy who said Europe could only remain stable ‘if it remains an open space of freedoms’.

He added: ‘Europe can only preserve its social models with robust economic growth, with more jobs, and less inequality.

‘The European Council has a pivotal role in shaping this new face of our union. Europe is old in historical terms but still capable to reinvent itself.’