Poland’s presidency of the European Union will center around multidimensional security, encompassing seven key pillars, amid growing geopolitical tensions and hybrid threats. Strengthening external and informational security will be particularly critical. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Europe’s competitiveness will also depend on the European Parliament’s deregulatory efforts, with Poland aiming to focus on reducing barriers and bureaucratic burdens.
Prioritizing Security and Competitiveness
“Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s address highlighted how vital it is for Europe to reclaim its greatness and strength—economically, militarily, socially, and culturally. Europe must become more competitive,” says Magdalena Adamowicz, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the Civic Coalition, in an interview with Newseria.
During a plenary session of the European Parliament, Tusk presented the key goals and priorities of Poland’s EU presidency. He emphasized that the presidency comes at a time of uncertainty marked by the ongoing three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, rising geopolitical tensions, migration pressures, and declining European competitiveness. The presidency’s motto, “Security, Europe!”, encapsulates Poland’s aim to enhance European security across multiple dimensions: external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, and health.
“Security is the key word of the address and the entire Polish presidency. It’s multifaceted—not just about border defense but also energy and health security. We can achieve these goals through closer collaboration, not by fragmenting the European Union,” says Łukasz Kohut, an MEP from the Civic Coalition.
“Europe must unite, defend its borders, and take greater responsibility for its own defense while fighting for economic competitiveness. These are the two main priorities we want to focus on,” adds Dariusz Joński, another Civic Coalition MEP.
Boosting Defense Spending
Both Donald Tusk and U.S. President Donald Trump have called for increased defense spending among NATO members. Trump has repeatedly advocated raising the target from 2% to 5% of GDP, a goal no NATO country currently meets. Poland is closest to this target, allocating 4.7% of its GDP to defense this year. By contrast, Russia spends around 9% of its GDP on defense, while the European average remains at 1.9%.
“Security is crucial, especially in terms of military readiness. The prime minister pointed out that Europeans must allocate more funds for external border defense because we can no longer fully rely on a strong ally across the Atlantic,” Adamowicz emphasizes.
“We live in very geopolitically dangerous times. The EU must accelerate its efforts to create a unified defense policy, especially given the troubling rhetoric from Trump regarding NATO and his criticism of other member states,” explains Kohut.
Toward a Unified EU Defense Strategy
According to the think tank Bruegel, while political hurdles remain, there is strong public support across EU member states for a collective defense strategy, including joint armed forces. A European Defense Pact among willing nations could be the most practical step toward integrating defense policies. To achieve this, EU governments must recognize that collective defense, even within NATO, is now a European public good.
For Europe to reduce its dependence on the U.S., defense spending must increase by €500 billion over the next five years. Currently, Europe’s defense market is fragmented, with national preferences and a lack of joint procurement leading to small-scale markets and limited production.
“The EU needs to take greater responsibility for its security—a role it has never traditionally assumed. We now have a Commissioner for Security and Space, but the EU must also ensure energy in Europe becomes competitive with China and the U.S. if we want to bolster our economic competitiveness,” Joński asserts.
Closing the Economic Gap with the U.S.
While the EU and U.S. economies were comparable in size in 2008 (with respective GDPs of $14.2 trillion and $14.8 trillion), by 2023, the eurozone’s GDP stood at just over $15 trillion, while U.S. GDP had grown to nearly $27 trillion. The current 80% GDP gap is expected to widen further.
A report by Mario Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank, highlights that the EU can no longer rely on cheap Russian energy, unrestricted access to Chinese markets, or U.S. security guarantees. Europe’s shrinking share of the global economy necessitates radical shifts in EU economic policy and accelerated investments in innovation and green technologies. Draghi estimates that €800 billion annually will be required to meet these goals.
The report also underscores that Europe’s energy costs undermine its competitiveness. Electricity prices in Europe are 2–3 times higher than in the U.S., while gas prices are 4–5 times higher.
The Role of Energy Security
“Energy security is always the greatest challenge due to varying energy mixes across EU states. It’s also difficult to address since energy isn’t fully integrated into the EU agenda. We must accelerate and form broader coalitions among member states to address this,” Kohut notes.
Strengthening Poland’s Position in the EU
MEPs believe Poland’s presidency offers an opportunity to enhance its role within the EU.
“The Polish presidency coincides with the start of terms for all other institutions: a new European Commission and a new Council. Poland will undoubtedly set many priorities for the next five years, not just the six months of its presidency,” Adamowicz emphasizes.
“Prime Minister Tusk has demonstrated political vision for the EU, and many were eagerly awaiting Poland’s leadership after Hungary’s lackluster presidency. This will leave a lasting mark on European policy for the current terms of both the European Parliament and Commission,” Kohut adds.
As Poland takes the helm of the EU presidency, its focus on security and competitiveness reflects its ambition to address both immediate geopolitical challenges and long-term economic priorities, setting the tone for Europe’s future.
