Visegrad 2016: more challenges than opportunities
Visegrad 2016: more challenges than opportunities

Author(s): Tomáš Strážay
Subject(s): Politics, International relations/trade, Migration Studies, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: Slovakia; 2016; foreign policy; Visegrad; V4; migration crisis; EU; Brexit;
Summary/Abstract: The 25th anniversary of the Visegrad Group naturally had an influence on the performance of the V4 during the whole of 2016. February, especially, was full of commemorative activities, though the new challenges that the V4, and the EU as a whole, had to face overshadowed to a certain extent the anniversary celebrations. The so-called migration crisis, followed by the majority of British voters opting to leave the EU, made an imprint both on the Czech and Polish V4 presidencies. The slogan of the Czech V4 Presidency – V4 Trust – was of particular importance throughout the year due to the emerging dividing lines within the EU, and also to a certain extent within the Group. Slovakia itself was to a large extent alienated from the developments within the V4 during the second half of 2016, due to its historically first presidency of the Council of the EU and its role as an “honest broker.” Nevertheless, the question of how and in what form V4 cooperation should continue in the years to come had the same relevance in December as it had at the beginning of the year.

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