Warsaw/Brussels, 1 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Poland is set to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on Wednesday, ending a turbulent term with Hungary at the helm.

Every six months, an EU member state takes the helm of the Council to lead the policy discussions. While 2024 saw Belgium and Hungary preside, Poland and Denmark take charge in 2025.

Polish representatives are to assume the chairmanship of numerous ministerial meetings until the end of June and mediate in the event of differences of opinion between EU states, aiming to ensure that EU legislative procedures run as smoothly as possible.

The hope in Brussels is that the Polish government will not exploit its prominent role for its own purposes as the Hungarian government has done over the past six months.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán travelled to Moscow and Beijing last summer shortly after his country took over the presidency, causing considerable displeasure in most other EU states.

Poland's priorities revolve around the concepts of security and defence policy. “Security, Europe!" is the motto issued by the government in Warsaw.

"We want to focus on seven aspects of security: external and internal security, but also the security of information, the economy, energy, health and food," said Europe Minister Adam Szłapka at the presentation of the programme in early December.

Germany and France, which have usually set the tone within the EU in the past, are currently hampered by domestic political crises.

Poland could therefore try to use its term to increase its foreign policy weight and assume a leading role in the bloc.

Photo: Polish EU Presidency