Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the beginning of the Polish rotating presidency of the European Union this morning, Wednesday, and expressed her wishes for success for the new presidency and the readiness of the EU executive to cooperate with the rotating Polish presidency in order to implement the priorities of work for a united and prosperous Europe.
After the Hungarian presidency of the Union ended at the end of December, Poland will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2025. The new presidency said on its website that the beginning of the new year is a special and influential moment, not only for Poland, but for the European Union as a whole. It also marks the beginning of a new institutional cycle: following the European Parliament elections; and the launch of the new European Commission. The Polish presidency will also address the challenges related to:
European security;
Migration;
Climate change;
Ensuring the competitiveness of the European Union in the global market.
In addition, the Polish presidency coincides with the inauguration of the new President of the United States.
The Polish Presidency will address these challenges by pursuing a responsible agenda focused on the security of 450 million European citizens.

Over the next six months, Poland will host 22 informal meetings and around 300 side events, including expert and official meetings. In addition to official events, the Presidency will also include a multidisciplinary cultural programme in Poland and abroad.

The end of the Hungarian Presidency marks the end of a turbulent six months for the EU. Instead of acting as a neutral mediator, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gone on a collision course with Brussels and alienated his partners with a bizarre “peace mission”. Orbán has also made visits to Moscow, Kyiv and Beijing without consulting European leaders.

Security in all its concepts and dimensions
Warsaw’s list of priorities during its Presidency revolves around the concept of security – in all its dimensions – internal and external security, economic security, energy security, food security and health security. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw will take over the European presidency in the midst of several crises - in Ukraine, Georgia and the Middle East.
According to a media report from Germany "Deutsche Welle", Poland intends to focus on strengthening the competitiveness of European companies, especially in terms of reducing energy costs, and reducing bureaucracy and red tape. Warsaw also wants to deal with the issue of expanding the European Union, and allowing new members to join the bloc, especially from the Western Balkans.
20 years of Poland's commitment within the system
The logo of the Polish presidency for the six months consists of the first two letters of the name of the European Union in English "EU", intertwined with the country's flag. The logo represents the country's commitment to the bloc, its twenty years of membership, and its ambition to set new directions. The logo was designed by the famous Polish artist Jerzy Janiszewski, who also designed the logo of the Solidarity labor movement, which was founded in 1980, and the Council of the European Union, which is often referred to as "the Council".