On July 1, 2026, Ireland officially began its six-month term as the rotating president of the Council of the European Union during a ceremony held at Dublin Castle.

2026年7月1日，愛爾蘭在都柏林城堡舉行的儀式上，正式開始為期六個月的歐盟理事會輪值主席任期。

This presidency is part of a 'Trio Presidency' with Greece and Lithuania, following the EU's 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. The Irish government has identified three main priorities: security, competitiveness, and the protection of democratic values. This is the first time in thirteen years that Ireland has led the council, and it happens during a time of great global instability.

此次主席職位是與希臘和立陶宛共同組成的「三人組主席國」，遵循歐盟 2024-2029 年戰略議程。愛爾蘭政府確定了三個主要優先事項：安全、競爭力以及保護民主價值。這是愛爾蘭十三年來首次領導理事會，且正值全球高度不穩定的時期。

A key part of the current plan is the integration of Ukraine into the EU. Prime Minister Micheál Martin emphasized that Ukraine could join the bloc even while the conflict with Russia continues, as long as the process is based on merit. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the opening ceremony and called for faster negotiations, while criticizing European organizations that still do business with Russian oligarchs. Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa stated that Ireland will play a vital role in these talks, suggesting that Montenegro might finish its negotiations by the end of the term.

目前計劃的一個關鍵部分是將烏克蘭納入歐盟。總理 Micheál Martin 強調，只要過程基於實績，即使與俄羅斯的衝突仍在持續，烏克蘭仍可加入該集團。總統 Volodymyr Zelenskyy 出席了開幕儀式並呼籲加快談判，同時批評仍與俄羅斯寡頭做生意的歐洲組織。與此同時，歐洲理事會主席 Antonio Costa 表示，愛爾蘭在這些談判中將扮演至關重要的角色，並暗示黑山可能會在任期結束前完成談判。

Additionally, Ireland faces several financial and regulatory challenges. The government wants to reach a political agreement on the next long-term EU budget by the end of the year, although Prime Minister Martin admitted this is a difficult task. These budget talks involve disagreements over how to divide funds between farming, regional development, and research. Furthermore, some critics question Ireland's ability to lead digital policy because many large US tech companies are based in the country.

此外，愛爾蘭面臨數項財務與監管挑戰。政府希望在年底前就下一份歐盟長期預算達成政治協議，儘管總理 Martin 承認這是一項艱鉅的任務。這些預算談判涉及如何在農業、區域發展與研究之間分配資金的分歧。此外，部分批評者質疑愛爾蘭領導數位政策的能力，因為許多美國大型科技公司將總部設在該國。

Ireland will now lead the EU Council's policy agenda until December 2026, with a primary focus on finalizing the budget and expanding the union.

愛爾蘭現在將領導歐盟理事會的政策議程直到 2026 年 12 月，重點在於敲定預算及擴大歐盟。