The Brexit-bashing politician is hoping to revive his once-dominant Civic Platform (PO) party after more than half a decade in the wilderness. Mr Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, led his party to victory in two consecutive general elections between 2007 and 2014. But PO has since plunged into obscurity, suffering six back-to-back defeats to the ruling Law and Justice.

       In a speech at his party’s annual conference, pro-European Mr Tusk hit out at Law and Justice for wrecking relations with Brussels, multiple corruption allegations and a botched response to the pandemic.

       He said: “I am back in 100 per cent.

       “The evil that PiS is performing is evident, shameless and permanent . . . It is quite a pitiful parody of dictatorship.”

       Mr Tusk is best known in the UK as a staunch opponent to Brexit while he served as European Council President.

       The Pole once suggested there was a “special place in hell” for Brexiteers in a furious outburst during the then prime minister Theresa May’s EU divorce talks.

       Mr Tusk’s return to domestic was welcomed by Rejoiner Andrew Adonis, who said the news was “great”.

       And Neale Richmond, an Irish MP and European affairs spokesman for Fine Gael, said: “Best wishes Donald Tusk, a great friend of Ireland and a wonderful leader for Poland.”

       But Mr Tusk’s Law and Justice rivals were far more dismissive of his vow to unseat them.

       Culture minister Piotr Glinski suggested the former eurocrat had fled Poland for a well-paid job in Brussels.

       Mr Glinski said: “The emotional state of Mr Tusk is a bit disturbing; hatred and contempt all the time.”

       Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is also Poland’s deputy prime minister, said Mr Tusk’s “position was not the strongest”.

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       Political commentator Marcin Makowski said it was likely Mr Tusk would restart his long-running “conventional war” with his arch-enemy Mr Kaczynski.

       Mr Makowski said: “They have been battling over the future of Poland since the late 1980s.

       “In this sense, Tusk brings nothing fresh to Polish politics, no new manifesto nor focus on the issues of young people.”

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       Many are hoping that Mr Tusk can bring back voters to PO with his pro-European credentials.

       But others see him as held back by his final months as prime minister.

       In a recent poll, only 26 percent of people said they thought Mr Tusk should return to his former role in PO.