Tusk's post that ignited the X: direct message to Washington, went viral in less than a day
The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, chose to speak to his “American friends” at a time when the relationship between Europe and the United States is under increasing question marks. His message, short and unedited, surpassed in views even the posts of Elon Musk, the owner of the X platform – an irony that many users did not miss.
Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister/PHOTO: EPA/EFE
“Dear American friends, Europe is your closest ally, not a problem. And our enemies are common”Tusk wrote on December 6. A phrase in which the Polish Prime Minister condenses what has been discussed in transatlantic diplomacy, half-heartedly, for months.
Tusk also pointed out that this has been true “at least for the last 80 years” and that maintaining unity is “the only rational strategy for our common security”.
The final message – “if, of course, nothing has changed” – was interpreted by analysts as a direct allusion to the new American approach to Europe.
At the time of writing, the post had exceeded 36.8 million impressions, but reactions remained relatively modest: about 65,000 likes. A report showing that the topic ignites the algorithm and attention, but not necessarily sympathy.
Global record for a political message
The European analysis collective Res Futura announced on December 7 that Tusk's message was, in the last 24 hours, the most viewed post in the world in the socio-political category.
And not just any post: that of the Polish prime minister surpassed Musk and Viktor Orbán, regulars of the viral rankings.
The reactions come amid increasingly sour exchanges between Polish officials and Elon Musk. Just a day before, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski had told the billionaire that he could go “to Mars, where there is no censorship for Nazi salutes” – a reply to one of Musk's controversial statements.
At the same time, in the public space, Musk was reminded that December 8 marks 23 years since SpaceX became the first private company to launch, place in orbit and return to Earth a spacecraft – an undeniable success, but one that does not protect him from criticism.
Tusk's message didn't go viral by accident: It comes at a time when more and more European leaders are trying to remind the United States that the transatlantic alliance is not only a historical obligation but also a cold security calculation. And the viralization of such a message shows, in itself, how tense the discussion has become.
