Poland Succeeds Hungary at EU Council Helm

On 1 January, Poland took over the baton of the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from Hungary, closing a turbulent six months for the bloc, the Polish Presidency of the EU Council reports on platform X.

‘Happy New Year 2025! As Poland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU, we are ready for the next 6 months of cooperation, innovation and joint achievements. Together, we will work to create a safer, stronger and more united Europe,’ he said in a statement.

According to Deutsche Welle, instead of acting as a neutral mediator, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken a confrontational course with Brussels and angered partners with his so-called ‘peace mission’ and unannounced visits to Moscow and Beijing, which were not agreed upon in advance.

‘Poland's presidency of the EU Council will be a compensation for what has been happening over the past six months,’ predicts Kai-Olaf Lang, an expert on Eastern Europe at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.