Gdańsk Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz and former President Lech Wałęsa, a key figure in the Solidarity movement, also took part in the welcoming ceremony.
The European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk was deliberately chosen as the meeting venue for the European Commission. Deputy Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka told Polish state news agency PAP that the location is the “absolute cradle of Solidarity” and holds symbolic significance for Poland’s EU presidency.
She also highlighted a unique connection—both the Solidarity logo and the official logo of Poland’s EU presidency were designed by the same artist, Jerzy Janiszewski.
During a Thursday evening dinner with EU commissioners, Mayor Dulkiewicz honored the memory of the late Paweł Adamowicz and spoke about the dangers of hate speech.
Sobkowiak-Czarnecka noted that after her remarks, it became clear to von der Leyen and the commissioners why the meeting was held in Gdańsk rather than elsewhere in Poland.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (right) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) write messages to be placed on the Wall of Freedom at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk during the ongoing European Commission College of Commissioners meeting. Photo: PAP/Adam Warżawa
On Friday, Polish ministers will hold thematic meetings with EU commissioners, while the head of the Polish government will have a bilateral meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, followed by a joint press conference.
Source: IAR/PAP/X/@vonderleyen/@PremierRP_en/YouTube.com/KPRM
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