The Ambassador of Poland in Spain, Anna Sroka (left), and the Ambassador of Australia, Sophia McIntyre (right), during the conference 'Balance of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union', at the headquarters of the FundaciĆ³n Alternativas, on December 21, 2023, in Madrid (Spain). The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union ends on December 31 with challenges for the Union as relevant as its enlargement, the migration and asylum pact, the new fiscal rules, strategic autonomy, the ecological transition and digital transformation or reindustrialization. The Presidency coincides with the months in which the European legislature itself ends for the next elections to the European Parliament, to be held between June 6 and 9, 2024. DECEMBER 21;2023 Gustavo Valiente / Europa Press 12/21/2023 (Europa Press via AP)