Security for who? SOLIDAR’s analysis of the Polish Presidency’s priorities
The Polish Presidency of the EU Council runs from 1 January – 30 June. With the new institutions getting down to business, what does the Polish Presidency have in store for us? Its slogan alone (‘Security, Europe!’) raises questions about its potential to advance a sustainable and just future for all.
We have analysed the programme from the perspective of social rights & migration, education & lifelong learning, democracy & civic space, international cooperation, and a just transition.
You can find more information on the role of EU Presidencies and why they matter here.
Education & Lifelong Learning
In the area of Education, the Polish Presidency plans to carry on the promotion of EU cooperation with the aim of building more resilient and inclusive Education & Training systems which make high quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning accessible to everyone. Discussing the evaluation of the first cycle of the European Education Area (EEA), and its follow up (2nd cycle 2025-2030), take centre stage in this effort. Specifically on the topic of inclusive education, the Polish Presidency will prepare Council Conclusions on practical approaches to ensuring inclusive early childhood and school education. Poland will also provide space to commence discussions on the shape of education programmes after 2027, building on the mid-term evaluation of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.
When it comes to the ”competitiveness” of EU education systems, the Presidency sets its sights on continuing the work on the higher education package (e.g. a joint European diploma), and on the implementation of the concept of vocational excellence in the area of vocational education and training (VET).
SOLIDAR Foundation acknowledges the Presidency’s positive focus on ensuring that education, training and lifelong learning is accessible and inclusive to all learners and emphasises the need to apply this to all forms of education, including nonformal and informal education. However, the programme still comes up short; SOLIDAR Foundation calls for the recognition of the key role Education and Lifelong Learning in promoting social cohesion and democratic participation, and in delivering transversal competences vital for strengthening our democratic societies.
Therefore, we urge the Presidency to emphasise the need to allocate adequate resources, ensuring proper public funding and investment in education, in the discussions the Presidency organises in frame of both the EEA implementation and in its work on shaping education programmes after 2027. The preparedness and competitiveness of the EU can only be boosted if education is acknowledged as the foundation of our democracy.
Civic Space & Democratic Participation
Enhancing democracy in the EU doesn’t appear as a main priority for the Presidency, however, SOLIDAR welcomes the Presidency’s explicit invitation to CSOs to actively engage in policy discussions related to the protection of the rule of law and fundamental rights. The Presidency has also emphasised the importance of fostering greater citizens’ involvement in the law-making processes and safeguarding journalists and human rights defenders.
Finally, the Presidency has emphasised the importance of fostering greater citizens’ involvement in the law-making processes and safeguarding journalists and human rights defenders.
SOLIDAR will follow these priorities closely and will work with our members in Poland to encourage the participation of CSOs in the programme of the whole Presidency.
Just Transition
Poland’s EU presidency focuses on economic security and defence, leaving aside pressing issues related to the cost of living and climate change.
On energy transition and security of supply, the Polish Presidency wants to invest in renewable energy, reduce energy prices and ensure security of supply. In order to increase the competitiveness of European companies, the Polish Presidency wants the EU to become a world leader in clean industries, which could accelerate the green transition while safeguarding and creating quality jobs. However, SOLIDAR regrets the lack of ambition in climate policy that would make the EU a real leader in decarbonisation.
What’s more, there is a complete absence of initiatives or measures to address the social costs of the green transition, and the excessive focus on competitiveness and security, risks weakening our European social model and putting the burden of the green transition on the most vulnerable.
International Cooperation
The Polish Presidency’s priorities in terms of external action are security and defence, aligning with the European concerns over geopolitical instability. To strengthen the EU’s defence capabilities, the focus is to increase military spending, strengthen collaboration with NATO and promote partnerships with key allies, in particular the United States and the United Kingdom. Another key objective is to safeguard and enhance the competitiveness of European industries in the global market.
To achieve this, the Polish Presidency aims to strengthen trade policy instruments, including trade agreements with partner countries. By taking a militaristic view of security and failing to incorporate the wellbeing of partner countries into the approach to international partnership, the programme not only centres EU geopolitical interest but fails to fulfil the core purpose of international cooperation – to advance sustainable development globally.
On a positive note, the Polish Presidency reiterates the EU commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the adherence to international law and respect for human rights. SOLIDAR calls on the Presidency to ensure the EU champions this in a consistent and coherent way avoidance double standards and ensuring the application of human rights conditionalities in trade agreements.
Moreover, as the European Commission aims at developing new Clean Trade and Investment partnerships, the Polish Presidency has real opportunity to ensure they contribute to Just Transitions in Europe and in partner countries and align with international labour and environmental standards.
Social Rights & Migration
In a way that confirms the overall vision expressed by the Polish Presidency, cohesion policies are defined as “policies that promote security and economic competitiveness”. In fact, this Presidency seems to be a champion of “competitiveness” and “security”, the buzzwords of the new EU mandate. Unfortunately, they forget to highlight that cohesion policies are also about sustainable development and improvement of people’s quality of life, and they neglect to integrate social objectives on the same level of economic and business objectives throughout the whole programme.
In the area of social affairs, the Polish programme prioritises (1) the future of work in the digital transition, (2) equality, cohesion and inclusion and (3) the aging population. The valorisation of social economy is welcome (although we’d prefer to see it more appropriately termed the “social and SOLIDARITY economy”), as it is identified as a model that can support the inclusion of marginalised groups but also design positive models in view of the digital transition. Generally, several potentially positive measures are listed in the programme of the Presidency, including an initiative on the right to disconnect and on gender equality in an increasingly digital labour market and society.
At the same time, the Polish social agenda seems to miss the mark on several occasions, for instance focusing of health security instead of advancing universal access to quality healthcare, or by identifying the labour market as the exclusive channel through which social exclusion can be combated. A particularly concerning set of initiatives is the one aimed “to support the active participation of senior citizens in the labour market,” which clearly contrasts with the purpose of improving the quality of life of elderly people. The complete lack of initiatives aimed at tackling the housing crisis is also disappointing.
In a leaked discussion paper, Poland tacitly says the language of the Geneva Convention is no longer adapted to the ‘new reality’ we live in. It is highly problematic that the search of ‘innovative’ solutions to migration challenges should come through the dismantling of foundational human rights texts; it should instead uphold them.
Turning to the Presidency’s approach to migration, ‘Security, Europe!’ as an opening slogan does not herald anything good for people on the move. Accordingly, the Polish Presidency presented a programme that will pursue pushbacks and undermine access to international protection, with an arsenal of measures aiming at preventing people from reaching the EU territory and deporting those not deemed eligible to stay. ‘Hybrid’ threats or attacks – an expression used nine times throughout the document – and in particular ‘instrumentalisation of migrants’ from Belarus and Russia serve as a justification for increasing security at the border.
Overall, SOLIDAR recommends that the Polish Presidency focus more clearly on the real priorities needed to ensure equality and better living conditions, such as access to quality and accessible healthcare and housing and prioritise people’s wellbeing over competitiveness and business gains. In this direction clear proposals to further foster the social and solidarity economy are pivotal. Furthermore, with the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year, it’s high time to discuss ‘alternative solutions to temporary protection’.
