EU at the breaking point

[Wilfire]

In “The Tragedy of Central Europe”, a 1984 essay, the exiled Czech writer Milan Kundera lamented the predicament of his homeland and its neighbours: they were located culturally in Europe’s west and geographically in its centre, but politically in its east.

In principle, this problem disappeared with the fall of Czechoslovak, Hungarian and Polish communism in 1989 and the central European trio’s admission into Nato in 1999 and the EU in 2004. As Václav Havel, the late playwright and Czech president, liked to say, Czechoslovakia — divided into Czech and Slovak states in 1993 — and its neighbours had “returned to Europe”.

However, as political parties in Prague prepare for parliamentary elections in October some EU capitals feel that the Czech Republic, despite having “returned to Europe”, now has one foot outside the door again.

One concern is Czech opposition to EU-prescribed national quotas for asylum-seekers. Western Europe views this as displaying a lack of EU-wide solidarity, given that the Czech Republic was allocated €24bn in regional aid funds in the bloc’s 2014-20 budget.

Having taken in a grand total of 12 asylum-seekers since the plan’s launch in 2015, Prague announced that it would accept no more until the scheme expires in September. No matter what its political hue, the next government is unlikely to retreat much, if at all, from this hard-nosed position.

Macron’s win brought hope of EU unity, but tensions are rising between west and east and over the Balkan countries

Another concern is public indifference to the EU. Only 18.2 per cent of Czech voters participated in the 2014 European Parliament elections. Moreover, Czechs seem satisfied with the government’s reluctance to join the eurozone.

A third concern relates to the pro-Russian sympathies of Milos Zeman, the Czech president, who also betrays a soft spot for Donald Trump, the US president. Václav Klaus, Mr Zeman’s predecessor in Prague Castle, similarly enjoyed thumbing his nose at the EU.

Lastly, western Europe is waking up to the possibility that Andrej Babis, a billionaire businessman who was until last month finance minister, will win October’s elections and become prime minister. His combination of personal wealth, political power, business muscle and media influence, not to mention his carefully honed image as an outsider, makes Mr Babis Europe’s closest equivalent to Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s former premier.

Opinion polls estimate that Mr Babis’s Ano party leads the Social Democrats, with whom it governs in a fractious coalition, by 10 percentage points or more. In the Czech system of proportional representation Ano would probably not gain an absolute majority in parliament’s 200-seat lower house. Yet Mr Babis, 62, would be in the driving seat of Czech politics.
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Western European politicians do not view the Slovak-born tycoon with the same ill-disguised distaste with which they regard Viktor Orban, Hungary’s champion of “illiberal democracy”, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the strongman behind Poland’s conservative nationalist government. They note that Mr Babis backed Emmanuel Macron, not Marine Le Pen, in France’s presidential election. As finance minister, Mr Babis boosted tax receipts and practised fiscal discipline with a firmness that earned Germany’s appreciation.

Yet the misgivings about Mr Babis persist. They form part of a feeling that much of Europe’s post-communist half is becoming a headache for the EU. Hungary and Poland are regarded as practising an abrasive nationalism and flouting EU norms of democracy and the rule of law.

The Czech Republic is not to be bracketed with Hungary and Poland. Czech nationalism is mild in spirit, and no systematic assault on the rule of law has occurred in Prague. Should Mr Babis take power, however, he will doubtless receive the same sort of scrutiny and criticism as Mr Berlusconi did in his day.

#Czechout?

[Mifuyne]

#Czechout?

I doubt a country like that would make the EU cry much if they leave.

[Deleted]

No other countries in the EU will care if Czech leaves.
Czech is one of those countries that cost more money to the EU than they provide, so in fact the EU will be better for it (and Czech worse).

[Deleted]

You can always tell if the post is bullshit. If the Poster, fails to provide a link because more then likely they dug it up out of some tabloid.

[eschatological]

I like that the article uses Milan Kundera, who wrote one of the greatest po-mo books of all time, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and the OP uses the article to push a nationalist opinion for the CR. Kundera was probably the most European Czech to ever live. His "lament" in the first sentence was about being subjected to communism, when all his characters yearned to be part of Europe.

[Astalnar]

What "EU norms of democracy and the rule of law"?

Did we forget that it was the EU itself that disregarded the laws completely when they let in the economic migrants in droves at the behest of Merkel and Germany? It is the Visegrad group that is the thorn in the heel of EU because they are such stubborn sticklers for the rule of law. And they have every right to be. What was promised was an economic pact, what EU turned out to be is all but that. Brussels dictates the rules, and all the countries should just fall in order.

Fuck that. We did not get rid of the communists just to be taking orders from Brussels' technocrats.

[Cyberowl]

What "EU norms of democracy and the rule of law"?

Did we forget that it was the EU itself that disregarded the laws completely when they let in the economic migrants in droves at the behest of Merkel and Germany? It is the Visegrad group that is the thorn in the heel of EU because they are such stubborn sticklers for the rule of law. And they have every right to be. What was promised was an economic pact, what EU turned out to be is all but that. Brussels dictates the rules, and all the countries should just fall in order.

Fuck that. We did not get rid of the communists just to be taking orders from Brussels' technocrats.

Not Brussels fault you guys are too stupid to read the treaties to sign. Nobody will care if any country east of Germany will fuck off.

[Deleted]

I dont see czech to leave the EU, also i dont see any real crisis anymore, since the right wing populists currently lose votes in every country.

[Bumbasta]

I think that the elections in France and the Netherlands, which discarded anti-EU extremism, in addition with the negative vibe which hangs over Brexit, have shown that the EU is not breaking apart.

[Malacrass]

It won't break, but two-speeds Europe will be a thing. It simply has to be with members like Poland, Hungary or Czech undermining the union at every turn, just for political gain.

The election in France was big in that regard, I doubt Macron will tolerate the Visegrad group to shit where they eat.

[Deleted]

I'm pretty sure watching the UK become the equivalent of Fyre festival has united Europe not only in schadenfreude but also not making a similar stupid mistake.

[Slant]

Clickbait...

[Torto]

I find it ironic that the eastern bloc countries value their own heritage more than some western EU countries like Germany and France, which seem desperate to wipe out their own cultural heritage by letting migrants overrun their countries. Maybe it's because the countries like Poland and Czech know what it's like to lose everything when the Soviets took them over.

[JohnBrown1917]

I find it ironic that the eastern bloc countries value their own heritage more than some western EU countries like Germany and France, which seem desperate to wipe out their own cultural heritage by letting migrants overrun their countries. Maybe it's because the countries like Poland and Czech know what it's like to lose everything when the Soviets took them over.

The Polish people themselves are very positive on the EU, but keep on believing.

[Deleted]

I think Trump has killed off any chance of far right success in Europe. Their best shot was Le Pen and she got creamed.

Everyone looks at that orange thing and thinks "don't want that".

[Torto]

The Polish people themselves are very positive on the EU, but keep on believing.

They are also positive they don't want migrants ruining their country like they ruined France or Sweden. Which is why they refuse to take any.

[JohnBrown1917]

They are also positive they don't want migrants ruining their country like they ruined France or Sweden. Which is why they refuse to take any.

Irrelevant to the topic of how the EU is seen, but you made an attempt.

[Queen of Hamsters]

... How does that equate "breaking point"? And where's a link to the source?

But what do I know, I live in a once 1st world developed country that's now a "ruined!" 3rd world country where 30% of women are literally raped and everyone fears for their life.

[Torto]

Irrelevant to the topic of how the EU is seen, but you made an attempt.

From the op:

One concern is Czech opposition to EU-prescribed national quotas for asylum-seekers. Western Europe views this as displaying a lack of EU-wide solidarity, given that the Czech Republic was allocated €24bn in regional aid funds in the bloc’s 2014-20 budget.

Having taken in a grand total of 12 asylum-seekers since the plan’s launch in 2015, Prague announced that it would accept no more until the scheme expires in September. No matter what its political hue, the next government is unlikely to retreat much, if at all, from this hard-nosed position.

Macron’s win brought hope of EU unity, but tensions are rising between west and east and over the Balkan countries

Seems very relevant to me, but keep diverting and ignoring reality.

[Vetis]

I'm pretty sure watching the UK become the equivalent of Fyre festival has united Europe not only in schadenfreude but also not making a similar stupid mistake.

its only seen as a mistake because the EU has an interest in making it as painful as possible to prevent others from doing the same. they'll take the short term economic hit to keep the superstate growth going.