The Visegrad Four today.
In the current situation, does the Czech Republic have any advantage related to the existence of the V4 over other EU member states? The honest answer is no. And one can even go a little further, namely to claim that participation in this club of post-communist countries with authoritarian tendencies is rather a burden for gaining a prestigious position within the EU. The alliance of four countries (formerly three), which has historical roots going back to the fourteenth century, had its appeal at a time when the common theme was the road to a better society, that is, the European Union. However, the importance of this grouping is gradually declining, as confirmed by the refusal of the long-hesitant Austria to participate. Perhaps only Slovakia now enjoys a slightly privileged position, thanks to the adoption of the euro more than eleven years ago. The Visegrad Four have been transformed by targeted state policies in individual countries into a querulous role with an obvious protectionist and populist marketing odour.
The Covid 19 disease pandemic caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has affected the V4 region relatively mildly. Of the total population of the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia (about 65 million), less than 1 000 people have died to date as a result of Covid 19, or 0.016 per cent. The impact on the economy is devastating despite the positive health outcomes. The drop in the value of GDP this year is expected to range from an uncomfortable 6% to a frightening 11%. Some economists say that a quick recovery may follow, but other experts present more pessimistic scenarios. The planned EU financial aid to the V4 countries (among others) is most generous to Poland, which will collect €66 billion from the EU budget for cohesion policy, plus €26.7 billion for agriculture. In contrast, the Czech Republic will receive less than €20 billion. The proposal put forward by Ursula von der Leyen (president of the European Commission) will still go through tough negotiations among European leaders and will face a number of comments from those less satisfied. The Czech party is among the critics of the proposal and will probably demand changes. In this context, it is worth recalling for completeness that the positive balance of the Czech Republic's net position in relation to the EU budget amounted to three quarters of a trillion CZK at the end of 2018. This is a circumstance that we should not completely forget. The economic development in our country will have its own specifics in the near future, and it will not be easy to manage and control it. The Visegrad Four will probably not help us much, but a stronger position in the EU as a whole certainly will. Let us maintain dignity, charm and empathy as we manoeuvre our way out of trouble. And let us not lose our memory.
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