From 1st of January 2010, Spain takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU. After the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the Council of ministers now has a permanent President, Herman van Rompuy, so he will chair the meetings of the Council. The Spanish Presidency however still will have an important role. More importantly, Spain will as well be the country setting the tone of how the rotating presidency will work under the Lisbon Treaty.

The Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero outlined that he wants to work for a more united and stronger Europe. The European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) welcomes this goal of the Spanish Presidency and hopes that it will be able to set a strong European agenda.

Aloys Rigaut, President of LYMEC states: “The Spanish Presidency will have to face a lot of political challenges. The top priority must be to address the economic crisis including addressing the issue of youth unemployment. However, this very first country Presidency after the coming in effect of the Lisbon Treaty also will define how the distribution of tasks between it and the permanent President will look like in the future. We therefore call on Spain to make sure the Lisbon treaty is followed by its spirit rather than only by its words. It remains to be seen who takes over from the Swedish Presidency – Spain or President van Rompuy?”

The European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) reacts with great disappointment to the results of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen. Delegates refused to endorse formally and only "took note" of a declaration negotiated at the last minute between the US, China, India, South Africa, Brazil and a number of EU Member States, but leaving outside 165 countries. The declaration contains language about holding the rise in global temperatures down to 2°C, and a promise of €20 billion over the next three years and €70 billion a year from 2020 in climate aid from rich to poor countries.