European Council President Donald Tusk looks at Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan after a meeting in Brussels, Belgium February 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BERLIN (Reuters) - There is an overwhelming majority of leaders on the European Council who back the re-election of Council President Donald Tusk, a German government official said on Wednesday.

Tusk’s first term expires in May and he enjoys the comfortable backing of most EU states to be reappointed for another 2-1/2 years as president of the European Council, responsible for chairing summits of EU leaders.

But Poland’s eurosceptic government has made a push to remove fellow-countryman Tusk.

The German government official also said a summit of EU leaders on Thursday should send a clear signal that the bloc is in favor of further free trade agreements.