Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 11/2011

Pro-European Presidency: Poland on the way to the club of heavyweight EU members

Tiia Lehtonen

September 2011

Finnish Institute for International Affairs

Abstract

On 1 July 2011, Poland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is the first Presidency for Poland during its seven-year EU membership. As an ambitious, large and relatively new member state, Poland is now striving towards joining the club of heavyweight players in the EU. Although the Polish Government and political elite are highly pro-European, this work remains nothing but demanding. Nevertheless, Poland is no doubt the most powerful state in the Presidency trio comprising of Poland, Denmark and Cyprus.