Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union – official inauguration. Speech by Prime Minister Donald Tusk

The gala, which takes place at the Grand Theater – National Opera in Warsaw, started at 8 p.m. President Andrzej Duda does not participatebut is represented by one of his advisors.

The ceremony is attended by, among others, the Speaker of the Sejm Szymon HołowniaSpeaker of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońskaformer president Bronisław Komorowskiformer President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowskiand many ministers and parliamentarians.

One of the first points of the event was the Prime Minister's speech Donald Tusk.

Tusk announced that he would appear before the European Parliament on January 21 to “talk about the ambitious intentions of the European Union, all of Europe and the Polish Presidency for these very difficult six months.”

– This year marks exactly a thousand years since that historic moment when Poland became a kingdom, a European kingdom, when the Polish ruler put on the crown. When we talk about this history today, we can say with full confidence that this history has taught us a lot, and that this perhaps not the most pleasant saying “a wise Pole after the damage” has an optimistic justification today, Tusk said. As he noted, a thousand years since the coronation of Bolesław the Brave is “a thousand years of changing experiences.” – We know one thing for sure: when we were aware of our strength, when we believed in our own capabilities, we were united, when external forces, hostile to our kingdom, were helpless in the face of our unity, national solidarity – then we knew that we were wise, even though damage has occurred in our history, said the Prime Minister.

– Europe also experienced its disasters, European nations throughout this thousand years and European Unionwhich we will conduct for the next six months, has enough negative experiences to be wise today after the damage, Tusk said.

– Today I often hear these words full of hope and fear – will we be able to do it? Today, it is too beautiful an evening, I will not mention everything that lurks beyond our borders. What is connected with both threats and hopes. All of us in Europe and all of us here in this beautiful hall know exactly what we have undertaken, said the Prime Minister.

– But I want to say that the Polish presidency is here to use our national wisdom, our national experience. And if we say today, what we will talk about throughout these six months, and what we will do, that security, competitiveness, innovation, imagination, courage, good leadership are so important for Europe and for my homeland, we are talking about it because we know that these are all sources of our strength – continued the head of the Polish government.

– If Europe is powerless, it will not survive. If Europe finds the sources of its strength again, it will again be what we have been proud of for centuries – so often – and in recent years, he continued.

Tusk said that “Europe is lucky.” – Yes, Europe is lucky that at this very difficult moment in our history, Poland will fulfill the mission of the presidency. Because we in Poland know well that we need to find strength, hope and faith in our own strength. And we need to find again the meaning of freedom, the meaning of everything that Europe is, what nations all over the world really long for, he emphasized.

– Let's do everything to make Europe strong again. We have every reason to become a strong Europe again. And Poland is prepared for this task, he assured.

– I hear this question very often in European capitals, from Lisbon to Warsaw, from Stockholm to Athens: will we live up to these great expectations? Yes, there are great expectations in Europe for the Polish Presidency. But today, from Warsaw, I would like to ask this question to all of Europe, to all Europeans: are you all ready to re-enter the European path of greatness, strength and sovereignty? Because Poland is ready, Tusk concluded his speech.

After him, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, spoke.

Many diplomats were invited to Friday's ceremony, but However, the Hungarian ambassador is not on the invite list. – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a clear signal that the ambassador Hungarian is not welcome in the theater today – explained Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka. This has to do with granting asylum PiS MP Marcin Romanowski.

The Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union began on January 1 and will last until the end of June. During this time, our country will be responsible, among other things, for setting the agenda for the meetings of its individual bodies and conducting negotiations among the member states.

The motto of the Polish Presidency is: “Security, Europe!” Poland wants to focus on its seven dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food and health.