Adam Szłapka, Minister for European Union Affairs, on the Polish and Hungarian Presidencies of the Council of the European Union

On Wednesday, Poland took over Hungary the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The previous one took place in the second half of 2011. This time the motto will be: “Security, Europe”. Poland will want to focus on its seven dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food and health.

READ ALSO: “Security, Europe.” Poland took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union

He was a guest of “Fakty po Faktach” on Wednesday Adam SzłapkaMinister for European Union Affairs. He said that taking over the presidency is a “very big responsibility.”

– Poland will now manage one of the most important institutions, the Council of the European Union, which consists of ministers of individual member states and co-decides on what legislation is adopted in Europe and what decisions are made. It is the Presidency that conducts the deliberations of this Council for half a year, it is the Presidency that imposes the agenda, it is the Presidency that conducts trilogues, i.e. discussions and negotiations between the European Parliament, the (European – ed.) Commission and the member states – he explained.

He added that “this is the moment when we speak on behalf of the Council of the European Union, i.e. the European Union member states, and eyes are on us.” He also stated that this is the moment when you can impose what is most important from the Polish perspective, i.e. security issues. – We want the EU to simply speak our language, (…), we have very strong documents to set the tone for the European Union – added the minister.

Szłapka also referred to the fact that for the last six months the presidency of the Council of the European Union was held by Hungary, and Viktor Orbán one of his first visits was to Moscowwhere he met with Vladimir Putinalthough he had also been to Kiev before.

– What casts a shadow over this Hungarian presidency is the fact that Viktor Orban went to Moscow for one of his first visits. This is something that simply shouldn't happen. I think that this is obviously an attempt to play some kind of game, some kind of politics, but I think that in the end (it is – ed.) very expensive for him – said the TVN24 guest.

The minister also commented on the matter Marcin Romanowski former deputy minister of justice, who was supposed to be imprisoned on charges related to the Justice Fund, but was granted political asylum in Hungary. According to Szłapka, “this is another example of Hungary not complying with European law.” – Because the European Arrest Warrant should be respected in… European Union countries – he added. Referring to procedures related to obtaining asylum, he pointed out that they mainly occur when someone from a third country tries to obtain such asylum in an EU country.

Szłapka also referred to the words of political scientist, Professor Antoni Dudek, who said that the candidate PIS for president Karol Nawrocki is “one of the most dangerous peoplewho appeared in Polish public space.

– I don't know Karol Nawrocki. I don't think most Law and Justice MPs know him, I don't think they know him particularly well Jarosław Kaczyńskiexcept that he caught a glimpse of it somewhere and examined it before making a decision. But Professor Antoni Dudek, who worked in Institute of National Remembrance and he certainly had the opportunity to see what kind of person Karol Nawrocki is – he said.