Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025: Internal Security Over External Possibilities

Dr Sonia Horonziak

What lessons arise from the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union? After numerous political controversies over Hungary’s pro-Russian stance, hopes for the Polish presidency were high. Under the slogan ‘Security,
Europe!’, Poland officially prioritized seven dimensions of security, with notable successes in military defence, business and health. However, migration, climate and EU enlargement were ultimately neglected. This paper explains why and
how to avoid the same mistakes again.

1. The presidencies of the Council of the EU should prioritize enlargement by supporting countries actively negotiating accession and promoting inclusive rhetoric. EU enlargement should not be treated as a secondary issue but as key to Europe’s peace and security. These actions should be directed not only towards candidate countries, but above all towards EU member states and its citizens, in order to increase public confidence in the
concept of enlargement. Efforts should also be intensified to reopen dialogue with countries that have fallen off the accession path.

2. A presidency of the Council of the EU should represent the entire Union, not the national agenda of the presiding country. While national priorities are natural, the presidency must reflect EU-wide interests when
shaping its strategy. During the Polish Presidency, migration and energy transition issues were overly influenced by domestic politics and the election campaign. Future presidencies should promote a coherent migration policy balancing security concerns with humanitarian principles and respect for migrants’ and asylum-seekers’ rights. Similarly, dialogue on the energy transition and implementation of key initiatives, such as the European Green Deal and the ETS2 system, should be renewed instead of delayed, even if it does not fit into the current presidency-country agenda.

3. Future presidencies should further develop a broader
understanding of security – beyond military aspects – to include energy, economic and community dimensions. They should continue efforts to reduce EU dependence on Russian energy and technologies until Russia ends its aggression against Ukraine. The adoption of the 18th and 19th EU sanctions packages against Russia, including a full ban on Nord Stream transactions and dealings with major Russian gas companies, was a major step in limiting Moscow’s revenues. However, such measures should be accompanied by communication highlighting EU unity rather than national divisions. Presidencies should stress that security is a shared responsibility of all member states, not only those bordering Russia or Ukraine. Building stronger intelligence sharing, trade
relations and common commercial and information security policies will reinforce the EU’s collective resilience and community spirit.

This policy paper is part of the project “Central Europe and Future EU Enlargement”. The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund.