In a conversation with SOCIETY, the Chargé d’Affaires of Poland in Austria, Zenon Henryk Kosiniak Kamysz, spoke about Polish-Austrian relations, Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2025, the war in Ukraine and the secret to his country’s economic success.
Since October 2024, you are in charge of the Embassy of Poland in Austria – can you tell us a bit about the current state of Polish-Austrian relations? What do you consider to be the highlights of the relationship throughout history?
Poland and Austria have a long history of shared experiences, and today our relationship is stronger than ever. We work together across many areas – economics, culture, and politics – within the framework of the European Union. On the economic front, we have solid trade and investment ties, while our cultural connections are also rich, particularly through the large Polish diaspora in Austria, which continues to play an important role in fostering our relations.
One of the most significant aspects of our history, which still resonates today, is the memory of WWII, especially regarding the experiences of Polish prisoners in places like KZ Mauthausen and Gusen. Poland and Austria are both deeply committed to remembering the victims of these camps, and this memory remains a key part of our diplomatic efforts. In fact, the ongoing work to expand the Gusen Memorial, where progress can be noticed – and which we sincerely appreciate, is something I closely follow, as it’s vital that we continue to honor those who suffered.
In this context, it is particularly significant for me to keep an eye on the status of work on the expansion of the Gusen Memorial and to cooperate in this regard with the Austrian government, countries whose citizens also were victims of being held in these camps, and organizations such as the Gusen Memorial Committee, the International Mauthausen Committee, the Mauthausen Memorial or Bewusstseinsregion Mauthausen-Gusen-St. Georgen.
But lest we focus solely on history, it is also worth highlighting the issues that unite us in the present. Poland and Austria are countries that share similar views on many dimensions. For instance, both countries recognize the problem of migration and are taking active steps at the European Union level to address it. We are also similarly operating in the area of regional policy – both countries are involved in regional formats, in our case, for example, the Visegrád Group, while for Austria it is the Slavkov Format, where we have practically the same partners – the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Hungary.
In the first half of 2025, Poland will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU. The EU currently finds itself in an era of unprecedented challenges – what will be the main focal points of the Polish Presidency in order to address these problems?
Poland is honored to take on the presidency of the Council of the EU at such a crucial time. The challenges facing Europe are immense, from the ongoing war in Ukraine to economic instability, migration pressures, and climate change. During our presidency, we plan to focus on several key areas where we believe Europe can make significant progress.
First, in terms of Ukraine, Poland remains one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine’s sovereignty and its path toward EU integration. We will continue to push for robust EU support, both militarily and humanitarian, and work toward proceeding the 15th sanctions package against Russia as well as opening the first thematic cluster of accession talks with Ukraine. It’s crucial for us that Ukraine’s success is seen as a success for Europe as a whole.
A key message of ours is security in seven pillars: military, energy, food, economic, health, information and civilian. Poland also wants to put issues of softening climate ambitions in this broad category. This falls under the name of food and energy security. The government will argue that it is necessary to take into account the concerns of farmers opposed to various initiatives aimed at lowering CO2 emissions or increasing biodiversity. On the other hand, in energy security we want to include our call to redefine green energy sources and include atomic energy among them.
Poland also wants a serious discussion on economic security, and this is to include a call for significant financial resources in the new EU long-term budget for 2028-2034. From the Polish point of view, the key is to guarantee the continuation of the cohesion policy. We want it to remain unchanged, with a role for the regions.
Poland points out that the fortifications on the eastern border will be an effective barrier to illegal migration. Poland stresses that it is in a peculiar situation, because on its eastern border Russia and Belarus are using migrants as weapons against Poland and the EU as a whole. What we are dealing with on the Polish-Belarusian border is part of a hybrid war. A clearly controlled operation by Minsk and Moscow, to which we, as Poland, are subjected. Therefore, we are calling for more EU support for initiatives like the East Shield, which aims to fortify our eastern borders against illegal migration.
We are also of the opinion that the solution to the problem is not the migration pact, which was adopted a few months ago. It presupposes compulsory solidarity – either accepting migrants or paying fees of around 20,000 euros for each person not accepted.
As you already stated, Poland is one of the fiercest supporters of Ukraine and it has taken in a large number of Ukrainian refugees – how is the EU supporting Poland in this regard and how is this topic influencing the political landscape of your country?
Poland’s support for Ukraine, both in terms of humanitarian aid and military assistance, has been unwavering since the invasion in February 2022. In 2022, Poland took in almost 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees. These have been people fleeing war and seeking safety, and Poland has opened its doors to them, offering housing, healthcare, education, and access to the labor market.
The European Union has supported Poland in this endeavor through financial assistance, particularly through the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy and emergency measures. Also, there have been efforts to coordinate border controls and migration policies.
Noteworthy, given that this phenomenon was quite admirable, is the response of Polish society at the outbreak of war in Ukraine. People grassroots organized aid actions for Ukrainians, personally assisted them in reaching Poland and welcomed them into their own homes. These actions were then carried over to the institutional level, where refugees from Ukraine were provided with social support, access to health care, education, etc. In the early days of the war, all of this was done without help from the European Union, but solely out of the goodwill of Poland and Poles.
In July 2024, Poland’s army chief said that the country “must prepare the army for full-scale conflict” – how realistic is the threat of the war expanding to other European countries, in your opinion?
For the first time since the World War II, there is a regular war in a country next to Poland. Some missiles even violated our borders; our military airplanes are on alert scrutinizing the sky over our country. The chief of staff delivered his speech to the students of the Polish Defence Academy in order to make them aware that they should be prepared for the worst scenario. The purpose of the statement was not to scare the civilian population but to make the military aware of how serious the situation was.
Back to a more positive topic: Poland is amongst the EU countries with the highest GDP growth – what is the secret of Poland’s economic success?
Poland’s strong economic growth over the past two decades can be attributed to a mix of reforms, strategic investments, and a resilient workforce. After the fall of communism in 1989, Poland implemented key market reforms that opened up the economy, attracted foreign investment, and built a strong private sector. Joining the EU in 2004 boosted our growth further by providing access to a larger market and EU funding for infrastructure, innovation, and education.
Poland has successfully diversified its economy, moving away from heavy industry into manufacturing, services, and technology. Sectors like automotive, machinery, and IT, especially in cities like Kraków and Warsaw, are now major contributors to our exports. This diversification has helped Poland weather global crises like the financial downturn, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.
A young, educated, and entrepreneurial workforce is another key asset. While we face demographic challenges, Poland’s work ethic and adaptability continue to drive economic success. Our strategic location in the heart of Europe also helps strengthen trade and investment, making Poland an important player in both Eastern and Western European markets.
In short, Poland’s growth is driven by smart reforms, EU integration, a diverse economy, and a skilled, hardworking population.