For the second time since joining the European Union, Poland will preside over the Council of the EU for the next six months, starting on 1 January 2025. “Challenging” – this is how Kamila Duda-Kawecka, chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Serbia, describes Poland’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU.

The crisis and conflicts in the Middle East, the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine, and the significant migration challenge from these parts of the world are among the issues Poland will inherit from Hungary, which has led the Council over the past six months.

Emanuele Giaufret, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, mentioned that important progress had been made in the enlargement policy during Hungary’s presidency and added that this should continue during Poland’s presidency, highlighting that now is the right time to accelerate the reform process.

“We are in the middle of important discussions in Brussels, including on Serbia and how to improve things. I believe that Poland’s presidency will continue this work,” said Giaufret.

According to him, a good political dynamic for progress and acceleration of enlargement has been established.

“We have seen so much progress under Hungary’s presidency, especially with the Western Balkans, as well as with Ukraine and Moldova. I am confident that this progress will continue. Now is really the time to intensify and accelerate reforms in all countries, particularly in Serbia,” he said, reminding that Serbia has committed to meeting all enlargement criteria by the end of 2026.

During its term, Hungary managed the Council in a particularly challenging period, marked by the end of the old and the beginning of the new institutional cycle within the EU. This transition was burdened by numerous global crises, from the war in Ukraine and the escalation in the Middle East to uncertainty regarding potential political changes in the United States.

József Zoltán Magyar, Hungarian Ambassador to Serbia, noted that Serbia had made significant progress in its EU integration over the past six months under Hungary’s presidency.

“We hope that in the coming days, EU member states in Brussels will recognise the results Serbia has achieved and will give their consent and green light for Serbia to prepare for opening Cluster 3,” said Magyar.

Speaking about Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council, which is coming to an end, Magyar said they could not be dissatisfied and pointed out that it coincided with a transitional period in EU institutions.

“We hope that Poland’s presidency will be equally consistent and that everything the candidate countries have done will be appreciated,” said Magyar, also reminding that during Hungary’s presidency, the initial Cluster with Albania was opened, and they hope that Montenegro will preliminarily close certain chapters in the coming days.

Poland will focus on initiatives that strengthen European security in various dimensions: external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, and health. Through addressing these aspects, Poland’s presidency aims to build resilience, strengthen trust, and ensure a brighter future for Europe and its citizens.

“We will work on security issues in all possible dimensions, from external and internal security to the economy, food, and health. We believe that the current geopolitical situation is serious, and security is an issue that everyone cares about and wants to discuss,” said Duda-Kawecka.

She added that security also means promoting European values in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood.

“This means that enlargement will certainly be at the top of our priorities during our presidency,” said Duda-Kawecka.

As she stated, very tangible steps are expected over the next six months, emphasising that EU enlargement, for Poland as well as for other member states, is a merit-based process.

“There can be no progress without merit, without the steps taken by candidate countries,” Duda-Kawecka said.

The Programme Director of the Centre for European Policies, Milena Mihajlović Denić, views Poland as an ally of Serbia on its path to the EU and emphasises that Serbia should engage in discussions with Poland on how it can encourage and support Serbia in its further reform steps and progress in the accession process.

“Last year, after a long period of democratic erosion in terms of the state of its democracy and the rule of law, Poland managed to reverse this process. I believe it has a lot to offer Serbia in terms of both encouragement and advice,” said Mihajlović Denić.

She believes that Poland can stimulate reforms in Serbia by having its representatives insist on democratic reforms and the rule of law during its presidency.

From “Make Europe Great Again” to “Security, Europe”

With increased expectations and accumulated challenges, Hungary’s presidency focused on improving the EU’s competitiveness, which was initiated by the Draghi report, sparking discussions among EU member states and institutions. Additionally, the enlargement policy remained high on the agenda. Montenegro and Albania made significant progress, reflecting the priorities of Hungary’s presidency and their slogan, “Make Europe Great Again.” However, the effectiveness of Hungarian leadership in achieving goals, such as strengthening internal cohesion within the EU and accelerating the enlargement process, is still in question.

Under Poland’s presidency, Central Europe continues to play a key role in EU Council leadership. This moment comes at a time when the European Parliament and Commission have been fully formed, opening up space for internal reforms and strengthening unity within the Union. Poland, known for its commitment to European integration and support for Ukraine during the ongoing conflict, faces great expectations.

This transition of presidencies presents a dynamic opportunity to assess Poland’s vision and its contribution to building a stronger, more united, and resilient European Union. Poland is expected to further solidify EU efforts in maintaining internal cohesion and responding to global challenges while continuing to maintain momentum in the enlargement process.

Since December 2016, this event has been traditionally held every six months as part of a series of gatherings initiated by CEP and supported by the EU Delegation to Serbia. Its overarching objective is to foster substantive debate on EU priorities, offering insights from the perspective of both outgoing and incoming presidencies of the Council of the EU. Focused on pressing topics within the accession process, this biannual event serves as a platform to advance the discourse on Serbia’s EU integration.