New Council of the EU presidency just dropped
06 January 2025
As of 2025, Poland has assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is where national ministers meet, which is not to be confused with the European Council, where national leaders meet. In the Council of the EU, member states negotiate and adopt EU laws.
The country's slogan for its six-month presidency is 'Security, Europe!' – alluding to Poland's demand that member states spend more on defence. Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defence. That's twice as much as the NATO norm and even more than many EU member states.
Furthermore, Poland intends to improve the European defence industry, which is currently too fragmented and unable to meet the high demand for ammunition and weapons. A good example of this is the 12 different tanks that are used across European armies. If every country had the same equipment, manufacturing would be more streamlined and cheaper.
 | Luc de Klerk The Presidency rotates every six months. As president, Polish representatives chair meetings in the council, determine the agenda, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions. The start of Poland's presidency also marks the end of the controversial Hungarian stint. As an outcast within the EU, Hungary could not get much done. While Poland wants to leave with a better track record, its presidency success will also depend on the outcome of the May Polish presidential elections and the February German federal elections. |
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