Poland: A New Driving Force of Europe?

After the pro-EU parties won the 2023 parliamentary election, Poland took a more prominent role in the European politics. Under Donald Tusk's leadership and following the country’s presidency at the Council of the European Union from January to June 2025, Poland has been actively establishing itself as a crucial contributor to the future of Europe and an important partner in the EU-US collaborations, especially as global power dynamics keep evolving. By emphasizing "strong leadership," Poland aims to bolster its defence, offer long-term support to Ukraine, and maintain its competitiveness, benefitting from its positioning at the heart of the EU. Could Poland pretend for a place among the top 4 EU leaders? While it has currently emerged as a leader in the EU for defence and militarization as well as the engine of growth within the region, challenges remain on numerous fronts. Structural constraints such as demographic decline, reduced competitiveness, and limited fiscal space a long with the political stalemate weighing on the future EU funds disbursement could yet undermine current government ’s ambitions to enhance the role of Poland within the EU .