A look ahead to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU

Ireland will assume the Presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2026, taking on the role at a moment of continued geopolitical volatility and economic pressure. With Russia’s war against Ukraine ongoing, the conflict in the Middle East and global trade fragmentation weighing on Europe’s competitiveness, the Irish Presidency had to steer the Council’s work through a dense legislative and political agenda. It also oversaw deliberations on key strategic issues, including enlargement, and the crucial phases of negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). In this in-person Breakfast Briefing, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU, Ambassador Aingeal O'Donoghue, looked ahead to the Irish Council Presidency and some of the key issues facing the Union. Following her presentation, she took part in a Q&A session chaired by Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Studies at the European Policy Centre.