The mayor of Warsaw stressed the importance of June’s European elections and the need for the subsequent Hungarian presidency of the Council to work towards the continent’s common security in an interview for TVP World.
On the subject of the European elections, which will take place on June 9, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowksi pointed out that 70% of all decisions affecting not only Warsaw but also Poland, are taken at the EU level with the European Parliament playing an important role.
He said EU decisions determined everything from key investments to air quality and the fight against climate change.
“Also, very importantly in the current situation, our security, the question of securing our eastern border, the question of investing more in our defense capabilities, all of these decisions will be taken by our representatives in the Council, our ministers, and our representatives in the European Parliament,” the mayor said, describing the ballot as “crucial.”
On the subject of European security within the context of Hungary’s forthcoming presidency of the Council, which starts in July, Trzaskowski said that while Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, often procrastinates and tries to “influence decisions in the European Union in a way that is not satisfying,” he usually yields in the end and votes with the consensus.
Warsaw’s mayor expressed the hope that Orbán and his country’s EU presidency would follow this trend, particularly with regard to security and defense issues.
“I hope that on questions of security, defense, energy interdependence and independence, and of course most importantly our continued support for Ukraine, at the end of [the] day, Hungary, especially when it is exercising the presidency of the European Union, will have to act in a way that is predictable and responsible,” he said.
“That’s what we are hoping for and we are going to try to convince our Hungarian colleagues that they have to think about the overall interests of the European Union and about the interests of the security of the whole continent.”
Rafał Trzaskowski talked to TVP World on Monday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Union of Polish Metropolises, an initiative aimed at strengthening the partnership of the capital with other major Polish cities in order to bolster the country’s position internationally and especially within Europe.
He said EU decisions determined everything from key investments to air quality and the fight against climate change.
“Also, very importantly in the current situation, our security, the question of securing our eastern border, the question of investing more in our defense capabilities, all of these decisions will be taken by our representatives in the Council, our ministers, and our representatives in the European Parliament,” the mayor said, describing the ballot as “crucial.”
On the subject of European security within the context of Hungary’s forthcoming presidency of the Council, which starts in July, Trzaskowski said that while Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, often procrastinates and tries to “influence decisions in the European Union in a way that is not satisfying,” he usually yields in the end and votes with the consensus.
Warsaw’s mayor expressed the hope that Orbán and his country’s EU presidency would follow this trend, particularly with regard to security and defense issues.
“I hope that on questions of security, defense, energy interdependence and independence, and of course most importantly our continued support for Ukraine, at the end of [the] day, Hungary, especially when it is exercising the presidency of the European Union, will have to act in a way that is predictable and responsible,” he said.
“That’s what we are hoping for and we are going to try to convince our Hungarian colleagues that they have to think about the overall interests of the European Union and about the interests of the security of the whole continent.”
Rafał Trzaskowski talked to TVP World on Monday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Union of Polish Metropolises, an initiative aimed at strengthening the partnership of the capital with other major Polish cities in order to bolster the country’s position internationally and especially within Europe.
Source: TVP World
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