Germany's Scholz to meet Tusk on farewell visit to Warsaw

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is set to visit Poland on Wednesday for a farewell meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, focusing on German-Polish relations and European and international issues, according to official information.

The announcement of Scholz's visit last week was unexpected.

Since the inaugural session at the end of March of the new lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, Scholz has been serving in a caretaker role. Foreign trips are uncommon in the final phase of a chancellor's term unless they involve international meetings.

Poland is currently in the midst of an election campaign, with the first round of the presidential election scheduled for May 18.

Scholz is expected to transfer his duties to conservative leader Friedrich Merz on May 6.

Merz had previously stated before the Bundestag election that he plans to visit Poland and France on his first day as chancellor.

Merz aims to establish a new foundation for German-Polish relations with a friendship treaty, which he envisions concluding on the 35th anniversary of the 1991 bilateral Treaty on Good Neighbourliness on June 17, 2026.