As Poland prepares to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU, Europe is in urgent need of security and stability. Hungary’s outgoing leadership has brought controversy to our community, particularly concerning foreign and security policy. As Russia continues to wage war on our borders, we must rebuild trust in European unity against this threat.
Physical defence underpins all other aspects of security, and we must get better at it. While the EU is a peace project, we would do well to remember the classical adage: Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war). In a dangerous world, EU member states must meet our NATO spending obligations and build a complementary security framework that supports our defence industry, reducing duplication and enhancing interoperability.
The European Defence Industrial Programme will be a flagship project, and the Polish Council presidency will work closely with Andrius Kubilius, the European Commission’s first defence commissioner, to achieve this.
We must be equally vigilant regarding energy security – something that Poland has always insisted on, without always being listened to. With more people now understanding the threats, we will deepen our ambitious approach to energy independence.
Economic and financial security is also key and, with the EU budget for 2025 recently approved, we must begin preparatory work for 2026. I am honoured to be leading the European Parliament’s work on this file as rapporteur, and in this capacity, I will continue to focus on ensuring the necessary funding for the protection of EU borders and migration management, including through the Border Management and Visa Instrument.
A secure union prepared for different crises should be our guiding principle. Hybrid attacks that could have profound implications for the EU’s security are an ever-present danger, something that Poles understand all too well due to our geographical location.
At the same time, we must not let down our democratic partners outside the EU, who look to us as a model. We will finalise work on the EU’s growth plan for Moldova, which will help that country accelerate its path towards European Union membership.
We will also support other countries to our east in fighting disinformation and attempts to undermine their democracies, drawing on the lessons we learned fighting communism in Poland. Georgia is in a political crisis, while Belarus will hold another sham election during the Polish Council presidency that will keep Alexander Lukashenko in the presidency. We will also step up the fight against disinformation within the EU itself.
Health, food and the climate are also areas where Europeans expect us to deliver security in a fast-changing world. Poland will listen to these expectations and make health security in particularly one of the priorities of our EU Council work programme.
Poland takes the lead in the EU Council at a critical moment for Europe. We are ready to work on transatlantic relations, on the democratic future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe, and on stronger security in all aspects for Europeans in all member states. I expect more security and more stability six months from now.