EU plus

Poland on Wednesday(1 January) took over the Presidency of The European Union for a period of six months ending a stormy six month Hungarian presidency that often left the member states dismayed, frustrated and angry. Poland is ready to lead Europe towards security and economic competitiveness, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in Brussels just before Christmas. Coming after Hungary the Polish presidency is a symbol of change and great hope of the entire EU for a democratic and secure future of the continent.  Summing up the Polish ambitions prime minister Tusk said I would very much like Poles, to give faith to the whole of Europe that a Europe free from corruption, free from threats, confident in its own strengths, helping those who need help, but also thinking very pragmatically about its own interests is possible. The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU began with an unexpected visit by Prime Minister Victor Orban to Moscow and ended with, among other things, a declaration of Hungary's lack of support for the extension of sanctions against Russia.

The first round of presidential elections in Romania that took place on the 24th of November had a shocking result: an independent ultranationalist candidate – Calin Georgescu – with a campaign solely on TikTok and YouTube won the majority of votes. The independent candidate had no party backing him and none of the pre-election polls picked up on his popularity, raising questions of potential electoral manipulation via social media.