Tusk: the time for Europe's awakening has come

On Tuesday, just under a month before Poland takes on the six-month presidency of the EU Council, EU Council Secretary-General Therese Blanchet arrived in Warsaw. She first held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Tusk, followed by a session with the entire government.

At the start of the latter meeting, the Prime Minister reminded those present that 13 years have passed since Poland's last presidency in the Council, and "almost everything has changed" since then. He argued that the upcoming presidency, which begins on January 1, 2025, will be special because it "happens at a critical time."

"Our priorities are not routine. The Polish presidency is not just about getting through these six months," he said.

"We may face groundbreaking events regarding war and peace to the east of our borders. We will need - this is Poland's task - a deep revision of some European priorities. Some are slowly coming to terms with this," added the head of government.

According to Tusk, the upcoming period will also be a moment when Europe needs to be "loudly told" that "the time for full awakening has come." He emphasized that the EU should become an entity capable not just of survival but of a "political offensive."

"We will be very determined to make Europe think Polish on many issues," said Tusk.

EU Council Secretary-General Therese Blanchet noted that Poland's presidency will be the "first operational presidency" in the new cycle following the European Parliament elections held in June this year.

Currently, Hungary holds the presidency, but its anti-EU stance has marginalized it within the EU, meaning its presidency has little influence on shaping the EU agenda.

Blanchet, whose role includes ensuring continuity and progress in the Council’s work, also expressed her readiness to support Poland in organizing the presidency. She added that everyone in the Secretariat, as well as the member states and other institutions, would be counting on the success of the Polish presidency.

As announced, the main priority of Poland's presidency will be security, encompassing not only military concerns but also areas like energy, food, and health security. The exact calendar of events, the logo for the presidency, and its dedicated website are set to be unveiled in mid-December.

According to estimates from Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecki, approximately 40,000 guests are expected to come to Poland during the first half of 2025 to participate in more than 500 events related to the presidency. The budget for this initiative is set at 412.5 million PLN, the same as during Poland’s first presidency in 2011. However, given inflation and rising costs, the second Polish presidency will effectively cost less.

After Poland, Denmark will take over the EU Council presidency. "I want the upcoming year, and the two presidencies - Poland's and Denmark's - to set the tone for the necessary changes in European philosophy," said Tusk last week at the Nordic-Baltic Eight summit.