Between the Lynes

As Poland steps into the rotating presidency of the European Council, Agnieszka Bartol, ambassador of the Polish Permanent Representation to the EU, discusses the country’s presidency priorities.

Poland takes over the rotating presidency of the European Council as a power player in the European Union. Agnieszka Bartol is the country’s new ambassador to the bloc. As the head of Poland’s permanent representation to the EU, she has her plate full at a pivotal moment. In an interview with The Parliament, Bartol reveals her priorities and expectations. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

What are your key priorities for the Polish presidency? 

Our main priority is security. In these turbulent times, with Putin’s war next door, amid global tensions and internal challenges – security is the foundation and the uniting factor. Poland will focus on security in its different dimensions, including external and internal security of the EU. It will also include information security, economic security, energy security, as well as food security and health security.  

It is high time Europe takes more responsibility for its own security and destiny. 

What will Poland need to achieve during this presidency for you to consider it a success? 

Our success will be moving forward as many files as possible. This is the main role of the presidency – to make sure that all topics which should be discussed will be discussed in the Council, and all legal acts which should be adopted will be adopted or, at least, move closer to adoption.  

As the new European Parliament, the new Commission and the new President of the European Council have just started their mandates, we will be an ‘opening’ presidency, helping shape the EU response to key challenges for the years to come. We are ready to work hard in those challenging times to find EU unity in responses to our common security threats.  

How much will Poland’s presidency push for strengthening external borders, including physical barriers and increased controls? 

We do not need to push. We are convinced that the effective protection of all external borders of the EU is key. We must build real security of the EU territory and the Schengen area. Undemocratic regimes in Belarus and Russia are abusing our values and using them against us to undermine the security of the whole EU.

What is the presidency’s position on protecting Schengen’s right to free movement? 

The Schengen area is one of the most important European achievements. Freedom of movement is a key, treaty-based pillar of the EU. We must protect it. And we must remember that the current problem is not at internal borders, but at the external ones. The only solution to guarantee the freedom of movement inside the EU is to protect our external borders. 

Read the full piece on The Parliament here.