On Wednesday, Poland took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Broadly speaking, we are the ones who are supposed to lead the Community through the next six months. This is a big challenge because times are not easy – both outside and inside the EU.
On Wednesday, the Polish Prime Minister, ministers and hundreds of officials take over power in the Council of the European Union for six months. – It will be devoted largely to our security – announces Prime Minister Donald Tusk. – For me, this presidency will be a success when, on the one hand, we show ourselves as a good negotiator – says Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister for the European Union.
In practice, this means that Poland will mediate in negotiations, lead the talks and seek compromises between member states in the coming months. And this is at a time when key issues for Europeans are being decided.
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Priorities of our presidency
– It is very important to reach a compromise on the financing of the defense industry in the European Union. This is number one. Number two is continued support for Ukraine. There are also additional topics, such as talks about the new EU budget, because the new seven-year period is approaching and it is in Warsaw that the member states will show their expectations towards the EU budget – points out Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka.
Security will be the number one topic of the Polish Presidency, next to military security, border protection and limiting illegal immigration. Economic, food and health security are also to be key.
– And above all, energy security. The point is that we should be independent from Russia, but at the same time we should also fight and achieve a low level of energy prices. This is very important not only for ordinary citizens of the European Union and Poland, but also for enterprises, says Andrzej Szejna, deputy minister of foreign affairs from the Left.
– The Polish voice is already starting to influence specific decisions – emphasizes Donald Tusk.
During the last government meeting in 2024, the Prime Minister reported on talks and arrangements regarding the so-called Baltic defense line. It is about joint military control of the Baltic area by NATO countries. – The day before yesterday I received a signal from the Secretary General of NATO that we will work urgently on the project of strengthened military control for a safe Baltic Sea. This is a very important signal for us, said Donald Tusk.
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PiS politicians praise the Hungarian presidency
This will also be an important time for negotiations on the enlargement of the Union by additional countries, including Ukraine, and what is symbolic in this context – Poland took over the presidency from the Hungarians and the pro-Russian Viktor Orban.
– It's a failure, it's an embarrassment. The symbol of the Hungarian presidency was Orban's visit to the war criminal Putin in Moscow – recalls Michał Szczerba, MEP from the Civic Coalition.
However, according to the PiS MP, Orban is the one whom Tusk's government should imitate. – I hope that we will continue Hungary's mission in the European Union – says Przemysław Czarnek, an MP from Law and Justice.
– Everyone in the European Union wants to forget about the Hungarian presidency as soon as possible – notes Michał Szczerba.
The presidency includes over 300 official and ministerial meetings in a total of 24 cities. A college of newly elected EU commissioners with members of the Polish government will be held in Gdańsk on January 9. About 40,000 people are expected to visit Poland during the six months of the presidency.
Main photo source: Marcin Obara/PAP