Metsola and Tusk agree Poland is ready to lead EU during its presidency

At a joint press conference with Metsola, Prime Minister Tusk emphasized Poland’s preparedness and the importance of the presidency as a potentially transformative period for Europe. He outlined Poland’s focus on addressing major challenges, including the war in Ukraine, geopolitical instability around and within Europe, and crises in regions like Georgia, South Korea, Syria, and Gaza.

Tusk stressed that the priorities of Poland’s presidency would include security, energy independence to restore EU competitiveness, social protections, and fair competition. He argued that Europe must adopt a more "egoistic" approach toward its adversaries while fostering solidarity among its member states.

"Europe must be more selfish toward its opponents. I am convinced we can find agreement on this," Tusk said, adding that Poland would pursue firm national policies, such as temporary asylum restrictions, to ensure border security and uphold sovereignty.

He expressed optimism about growing EU alignment on issues like border protection, despite occasional resistance to Poland's more assertive proposals.

President Metsola echoed Tusk’s call for Europe to take greater responsibility for its security and independence. She underlined the need to reduce reliance on external suppliers of raw materials and energy and to eliminate fragmentation within the EU's single market in these areas.

Both Tusk and Metsola agreed on the significance of broadening the concept of security. This includes not only military defense but also energy security, economic resilience, and social stability. Metsola reiterated her appeal for global parliamentary support for Ukraine and lauded Poland’s role as a potential EU leader in the coming months.

"I expect the Polish presidency to uphold unity and determination in the EU’s support for Ukraine," Metsola said.

In her view, Poland should "push for the creation of a stronger, more resilient European defense union - complementary to NATO - and lead efforts to make Europe more self-reliant in terms of resource and energy security."

"Peace can only be on Ukraine’s terms and we will stand by its side for as long as it takes," she underscored.

Speaking during a joint media statement with Polish Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia and Senate Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Roberta Metsola reflected on the lessons of recent years.

She emphasized that democracy could not be taken lightly and that freedom and the rule of law must be actively defended, describing these principles as the foundation of parliamentary governance.

In her appeal, Metsola highlighted the ongoing struggle of Ukraine against Russian aggression. She called on legislative bodies worldwide to maintain unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as necessary, stressing the importance of steadfast solidarity in the face of such challenges.

Speaker Hołownia said that Poland’s presidency would aim to ensure societal, digital, food, and health security, alongside traditional defense concerns.

He called for Europe to "restart" itself and reclaim its position as a global leader, emphasizing the responsibility of this generation’s political class to drive change.

Senate Speaker Kidawa-Błońska stressed the importance of solidarity, highlighting Europe’s duty toward countries like Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Belarus.