Czech President Petr Pavel has expressed his desire for the Visegrad Group, a regional cooperation comprising Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, to remain as democratic and pro-European as it was when it was founded. Despite criticism of the Visegrad cooperation due to what Pavel argues to be Hungary’s illiberal and pro-Russian behaviour, Pavel does not condemn regional cooperation formats. He is excited to welcome counterparts from the Visegrad Four countries to Prague Castle in November. Czechia holds the one-year rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group until July 2024, and high-level meetings are expected from the country.
Pavel believes that in the long term, it is essential to ensure Visegrad remains true to its founding spirit of democratisation and pro-European. The Visegrad Group was formed in the 1990s after the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary regained freedom after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It became better known to the general public during the European migration crisis in 2015, showcasing a united front against the European Union’s proposed temporary migrant relocation quota program. This pivotal moment not only highlighted the V4’s determination to defend their national sovereignty but also underscored the challenges and divisions within the EU regarding the handling of the migration crisis.
In 2015, as Europe grappled with an unprecedented influx of migrants and refugees, the EU proposed a temporary relocation plan to distribute asylum seekers among member states. The Visegrad Group, however, staunchly opposed this approach, advocating for a different strategy to address the crisis.
The Visegrad countries expressed common concerns about the EU’s proposed quota system. They argued that imposing mandatory quotas would undermine national decision-making on migration policies, infringing upon their sovereignty. Additionally, they contended that a one-size-fits-all approach was ill-suited to address the diverse socio-economic and cultural conditions of individual member states.
