Speaking at a press conference in the southern city of Gliwice, Tusk addressed the issue of what he described as widespread misappropriation of public funds by the previous right-wing government.
He specifically focused on a controversial program that critics say funneled millions in funds to organizations affiliated with the then ruling conservative Law and Justice party (PiS).
The initiative, officially known as "The Development of the Infrastructure Potential of Entities Supporting the Education System," was criticized for misusing funds during Przemysław Czarnek's tenure as minister for education and science.
The scandal has sparked a broader conversation about the accountability and transparency of public spending in Poland.
The new government says it is committed to recovering misappropriated funds and ensuring that such practices are not repeated in the future, helping restore public trust in state institutions.
Tusk told reporters on Thursday that the mismanagement and misuse of public funds extended beyond the education ministry, hinting at similar malpractices in almost every governmental department in the past.
'Everyone who has seized public property will have to return it': PM
"I want to make it very clear: everyone who has seized public property will have to return it to the last penny," Tusk said.
"We will not let anyone off in this matter, because these are public funds and they must be returned," he added. "All decisions that violated the public interest, that broke the law, will be revoked, so that no one who seeks power, or holds power, thinks that this power is there to distribute money, properties, and other types of privileges to themselves and their own. I can promise this."
'Villa Plus'
The scandal, colloquially dubbed "Villa Plus," came under scrutiny when it was revealed that substantial funds meant to bolster Poland's educational infrastructure were instead diverted to politically connected organizations, state news agency PAP reported.
This revelation led to the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office initiating an investigation in early February, focusing on potential abuses of power within the Ministry of Education and Science under the previous administration.
'We will recover the money': official
Deputy Education Minister Joanna Mucha said on Thursday that "steps are being taken to rectify the situation."
The irregularities spanned beyond "Villa Plus," with investigations revealing predetermined competition outcomes and misuse in other programs, according to officials.
Mucha told the media that a total of 132 grant agreements were signed under the "Investments in Education" program, which had a budget of PLN 100 million (EUR 23.3 million, USD 25.4 million).
Fifty-one of these agreements were approved for implementation even though they had received negative evaluations from experts, she said.
"Exactly two-thirds of these agreements, amounting to PLN 67 million, were allocated to religious associations," Mucha told reporters.
"So far, PLN 3.5 million has been returned in this program, but we are settling further investments, and there will be more returns," she added. "We are not conducting a witch hunt here. If these investments were granted improperly, we will recover the money, but this is not about any revenge."
Another deputy education minister, Katarzyna Lubnauer, highlighted what she said were regional disparities in the allocation of funds, with a bias in favor of provinces including Lubelskie, the home region of the former education minister.
"A coincidence? I think not," she said.