PM Tusk in Brussels: Europe Woke Up Under Poland's Lead
Republic of Poland - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister
27.06.2025
Unprecedented progress in strengthening Europe's defense and competitiveness-this is how Poland's EU presidency can be summed up at the conclusion of the final European Council summit of the semester. Shortly after the summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled the presidency's major achievements, including the SAFE defense loan program and the deregulatory "Omnibus" directives. The summit focused on security, defense, competitiveness, and the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Words of Praise for the Polish Presidency
The final European Council meeting of Poland's six-month presidency was historic. At a joint press conference, Prime Minister Tusk, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summarized the discussions and presented the summit conclusions. Tusk also briefly highlighted Poland's leadership successes.
"Poland assumed the presidency in exceptionally difficult times, and yet we decided with our partners that these six months would mark a breakthrough and Europe's awakening. And I'm not exaggerating when I say—Europe has awakened. (...) The European Union is becoming a conscious global player in an era of wars, unrest, trade conflicts, and war right on our border" — said Prime Minister Donald Tusk after the summit.
The slogan of Poland's presidency, "Security, Europe!", was meant to motivate bold decisions to enhance European security—and it succeeded, earning recognition from European leaders.
"You worked on strategic documents, tools, and a European defense program, as well as two sanction packages against Russia. You implemented competitiveness and deregulation plans. For all this—thank you" — said António Costa.
Ursula von der Leyen also praised Poland's efforts during the press conference:
"It was a presidency full of challenges, which you successfully addressed. (...) Work accelerated on regulations enhancing security, and a European industrial program was launched to make Europe safer and more stable. It was a very effective presidency that laid the foundation for Denmark's upcoming term".
Poland's presidency of the Council of the EU, which began on January 1, 2025, will end on June 30. This was Poland's second time leading the Council. Over the six months, the presidency supported European security in every dimension: external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, and health-related.
"Security, Europe!": A Response to Difficult Times
Thanks to Poland's efforts, Europe took greater responsibility for its own security. A key success was convincing the EU to allocate significant funds for defense.
The most notable initiative was the SAFE loan program, worth €150 billion, to support the development of the defense industry across the EU. Poland will be one of the largest beneficiaries.
"This is the first time Europe has decided to mobilize such vast resources for its own defense. (...) The €150 billion in low-interest loans—this is just the beginning. The European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) is also underway. It wasn't easy. There was skepticism about who would benefit and under what terms. But we reached agreement" — said Prime Minister Tusk.
Poland also led a breakthrough in EU thinking on border protection and illegal migration, becoming a leader in countering the instrumentalization of migration and asylum system abuse.
"We proposed firm, common-sense solutions—focused above all on protecting the EU's external borders. (...) The coming months will be tough, and we'll have to fight to convince everyone in Europe that the only way to curb illegal migration is effective border control, using every tool available and making the necessary legal changes".
Other achievements of the Polish presidency include:
- ReArm Europe plan - legal and financial support for defense investments,
- Stronger sanctions on Russia,
- Reduced dependence on Russian fossil fuels,
- Baltic cooperation to counter the threat posed by the so-called "shadow fleet" of old, dangerous tankers.
"These ships are not only a threat to our Baltic infrastructure, but they're also an environmental disaster waiting to happen" — warned Tusk.
Poland's security efforts aligned with recent NATO developments. At the NATO summit in The Hague, members agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035—a threshold Poland is already nearing.
"Today, during our debate, I argued persuasively that while 5% may seem difficult, it is possible—and it is necessary" — said Tusk.
At least 3.5% of GDP will go toward hard defense capabilities, and 1.5% toward broader security, including military infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Another Key Priority: Competitiveness
Beyond defense, Poland's presidency emphasized boosting Europe's competitiveness, primarily through deregulation and simplification of EU rules.
"This also carries a Polish hallmark. At the same time in Poland, we launched an unprecedented deregulatory campaign—possibly the largest in EU history. (...) We wanted Poland's momentum to be noticed and to influence what happens in the EU" — said the Prime Minister.
The European-level result was the adoption of the Omnibus directives, which aim to reduce bureaucracy and simplify regulations.
Europe Still Supports Ukraine
Support for Ukraine and the EU's stance toward Russia were also major topics of the summit.
"On Ukraine—Poland's position has always been clear. Today, I was pleased to see the decision to extend sanctions. (...) We're also expecting a decision on the 18th package of additional sanctions"
— said Tusk.
On Wednesday, at the invitation of the NATO Secretary General, Tusk joined leaders from the five largest EU countries—France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Poland—for a meeting of the Friends of Ukraine group. There, Tusk relayed a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stressing that joint transatlantic solidarity in confronting Russia and supporting Kyiv is becoming increasingly likely.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
