A Glance@V4 – week 34
Prague, we have 70.000 problems. – Poland turns back to his brother
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced a U-turn in an interview with the weekly Sieci: the Poles are returning to both bilateral cooperation with Hungary and V4 cooperation. ’I want to develop a format in which differences are clearly stated, with respect for the sensitivities of our Ukrainian friends we can return to both V4 cooperation and joint action with Hungary in areas where we share common values and interests. I believe that this common ground can be found. The Poles are probably more ready for this now than in March or April.’ The preview of the piece, published on Monday, was published on wPolityce.pl. (mandiner)
Relations between the leaders of the Visegrád Four have deteriorated because of Viktor Orbán’s stance on the war in Ukraine, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said. He also cited the Hungarian prime minister’s photo-op with a far-right politician in Prague as an example. Lipavsky added that during the prime ministership of Andrej Babis, the Czech Republic was in fact being led as a puppet from Budapest, even though „we don’t need Orban to lead us”. Babis had previously criticised the incumbent government in Prague for not making the V4 work, and the current foreign minister responded to this with a statement. (hvg.hu)
An estimated 70,000 people protested in Prague against the Czech government on Saturday, calling on the ruling coalition to do more to control soaring energy prices and voicing opposition to the European Union and NATO. Organisers of the demonstration from a number of far-right and fringe political groups including the Communist party, said the central European nation should be neutral militarily and ensure direct contracts with gas suppliers, including Russia (reuters).
How we see: even a Western-engaged government can to fail if it can’t explain its voters why to give up their standard of living. In Eastern Europe there has not been time for individuals to build a secure, stable economic base over generations therefore they are more price-sensitive. They have already lost their illusions about the West that they had in 2004. The Czech Republic isthe most eurosceptic of the CEE countries and this makes its government”s position harder. West should make gestures towards Eastern Europeans, otherwise populist, anti-EU voices will gain ground in the V4 . The Czech government, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is weakening. There is a possibility, if all keeps going like this, early elections will be held in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in due course. In that case, a stable Eastern European bloc could be formed, most likely led by the Hungarian PM.
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(Picture: Protest in Prague – the Guardian)