📩 It's all about security

DEAR READER,

Seeing the protests in Georgia firsthand is definitely emotional. The energy is growing, and civil society is banding together in a way that feels transformative, and in a way, new. Smaller communities are stepping up, and different groups are finding their spot in the movement. Initially, the IT and finance sectors organized a massive march, then university students showed up strong, followed by actors and dancers, who even performed in front of the parliament building last Saturday. Even Potterheads (yep, fans of Harry Potter) managed to hold a rally. So, people are really coming together.

These Georgian protests are unique. And they are also the birth of a new civil society. People from vastly different walks of life are uniting under one banner - the desire of a democratic Georgia, where power is not concentrated under one person. We have published an open letter calling for solidarity with the Georgian people. The country needs support more than ever to avoid slipping into authoritarianism. You can find the letter, and join the signatories here.

Moving on, this week's expert opinion focuses on Poland — the country is getting ready to take over the EU presidency this January. We asked Maciej Stępka, Assistant Professor at the Institute of European Studies at Jagiellonian University, to give us a deep dive on what to expect. Check out his insights below.

Lastly, we want to send holiday wishes to you! The pace of events in CEE means no holiday break here at Brief Eastern Europe, but we are more than committed to keeping you in the loop on what's going on each week. Before signing off for now, we want to wish you a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and happy holidays all around. Stay tuned for our year-end wrap up next week!

Enjoy reading this week’s “brief”!

— Giorgi Beroshvili, Editor

On 10 December 2024, the Polish government published a set of seven security dimensions, reflecting its political priorities for the upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union (January–June 2025). These dimensions are: Defence and security; Protection of people and borders; Resilience to foreign interference and disinformation; Ensuring security and freedom of business; Energy transition; Competitive and resilient agriculture; Health security. During its second presidency, Poland wants to convey a clear message to the EU and its member states, encapsulated in a simple motto: “Security, Europe!” Here are some of the policy issues and security priorities that are worth watching out for in the next six months of the Polish Presidency in the Council of the European Union.

Poland offers a very straightforward outlook of the security situation in Europe and its neighbourhood – the EU and its citizens are in danger. Unsurprisingly, Russia occupies a prominent place in its political priorities. It is framed as a “clear and present danger” to the EU and a destroyer of the European security architecture. Russian aggression against Ukraine and its interference in Europe and neighbouring regions are seen as a wake-up call for the EU and its member states, which is a unique opportunity to strengthen the EU’s security framework.

Poland aims to promote an ambitious plan for the (re)development of the European security architecture, emphasizing the role of external actors such as NATO, the US, the UK, South Korea, and other like-minded partners. It confirms its support for the Ukrainian accession to the EU, stressing the need to secure continuous and sustainable contributions to its war effort. At the same time, Poland calls for an in-depth debate on defence financing in the EU, and advocates for increasing national military budgets in line with prevailing threat levels. In this regard, we can expect a push for stronger Europeanization of the defence industry and related economic sectors that contribute to the security and resilience of EU member states. This includes the involvement of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the development of the European Defence Industrial Programme. The European defence industrial base is crucial for Poland as it plans an unprecedented increase in military spending (4.7% of GDP). However, the European Commission has already launched Excessive Deficit Procedure against Poland, refusing to exclude military spending from public deficit calculations.

The Polish Presidency has also announced a focus on promoting regional security and defence projects. Within the framework of dual-use infrastructure, the Presidency aims to “use EU instruments to support key elements of defence infrastructure,” such as the East Shield and the Baltic Defence Line. These projects, aimed at fortifying the EU’s external borders, are particularly relevant given the instrumentalization of migration by Belarusian and Russian authorities. As these initiatives are financed by Poland (East Shield) and the Baltic states (Baltic Defence Line), securing EU funding will be critical for their success and will likely spark intense debate within the EU.

One last thing to watch out for, Poland prioritizes combating Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and increasing the resilience of European societies and democracies against disinformation campaigns. This effort targets Russian interference as well as the spread of false information on issues like climate change and the green transition in the EU. It will be worth observing how FIMI is addressed and framed at the EU level, as it has become a buzzword in the contemporary EU’s security discourse.

— Maciej Stępka, Assistant Professor at Jagiellonian University

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