The Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union will officially end on June 30th. At a press conference in Brussels, Donald Tass summed up six months of the presidency, mentioning defense more than anything else. Politicians from Europe and Polish also commented on the presidency.
Donald Task in a Warless Europe: A Simple European Faith
Donald Tass has put together six months of Polish presidency, bringing his attention to defense more than anything else. As he stated, the Polish president was able to “convince Europe that the current geopolitical situation requires bold and unprecedented decisions.”
“The European Union has now become a big dream of a continent that has no conflict and no need to use force. It has expressed the belief that the European Union is a response to war and that war never happens again. Do you know how difficult it is to break this paradigm? – he said.
Some of the biggest successes he highlighted include winning 150 billion euros for defense under a secure programme to support the arms industry in EU countries and obtaining financial support from “Shield East.”
During Poland’s EU presidency, Donald Task also signed a controversial law that could temporarily suspend the ability to apply for asylum that has been heavily criticized by humanitarian organisations. They argue that the law has been abused and that human rights abuses continue at the Polish-Belarus border. However, the Polish Prime Minister argues that the fact that Poland proposed a “unprecedented solution” allows Europe to stand up against illegal migration.
“Not only wars at the border, but also crisis in the Middle East.”
The geopolitical tensions that took place during Poland’s EU presidency were particularly hinted at by the head of Radoslaw Sikorsky, the Polish Foreign Ministry. In an interview with Polish press, he said the Polish president happened at a critical moment for the world.
“The Polish presidency occurred at a time of exceptional unrest. Not only the war at the border, but the crisis in the Middle East,” he said. “It seems we have achieved a lot. It’s not just about continuing to put pressure on Russia on the issues of Ukraine, but more than anything, creating European instruments for greater resilience and safety.”
Increases in defense spending have been hinted at several times by Donald Tass himself. He himself emphasized that alliance members have pledged to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP. 3.5% is used for basic defense and 1.5% is used for defense-related investments. According to government sources, Poland is due to spend 4.7% of its GDP on defense by the end of 2025.
“Your presidency was difficult, but you managed it.”
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Antonio Costa attracted attention primarily on the legislative initiatives that Poland pushed during the presidency. They also praised the Polish president’s resolve behind the sanctions against Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine that was maintained for six months.
In his speech, Donald Tass also mentioned the new 18th sanctions package, which focuses on the Russian shadow fleet, known as a giant threat, including the environment.
“This is not only a threat to the infrastructure of the Baltic Sea, but it is also a threat to the huge environment,” he said.
Antonio Costa emphasized that Ukraine is pursuing reforms in difficult circumstances, and now it is time to accelerate community action on the issue.
Ursula von der Reyen spoke directly to Donald Tasch, saying, “Your presidency was difficult, but you’re doing well.”
She pointed to negotiations for 37 laws and 18 more agreements, saying these are impressive numbers.
