As Poland reaches the midpoint of its six-month EU Council presidency, Warsaw is delivering on its core promise to refocus Europe’s priorities, with security and competitiveness taking clear precedence over climate policy, according to Euractiv.
Polish officials declared their presidency has successfully embedded security as the EU’s defining issue.
“The slogan of European security is now engraved in every European capital,” proclaimed EU Minister Adam Szłapka, highlighting three key achievements: the new White Paper on European Defence, continued military and financial support for Ukraine, and the 16th sanctions package against Russia.
Halfway through our presidency, we can say that real changes have occurred. […] From the beginning, we said that Europe must be more responsible, and that the time for this is serious. Today, it is happening.
Ignacy Niemczycki, Secretary of State in the Office of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, emphasised that over the last three months the European Commission had presented a number of key policies such as the Clean Industrial Deal and the Competitiveness Compass. He also highlighted the need for the EU to ensure equal conditions at the global level, supporting the discussion on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
We want the European Union to stop being naive in its economic policy and to restore economic growth in Europe.
While mentioning industrial decarbonisation tools, officials notably avoided broader climate discussions. When pressed about concerns that Poland might dilute the Green Deal, Szłapka doubled down:
Poland’s primary goal is to ensure that the European Union remains secure and that Europe as a whole does not lose its potential in comparison to other global economic centres.
The only climate-related initiative mentioned was an upcoming debate on climate disinformation, confirmed by EU Undersecretary Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, a modest commitment compared to the presidency’s robust security and economic agenda.
