The Czech Republic takes over the leadership of the Union at a time when all important issues in Eastern Europe are being decided.
The handover of the Presidency of the Council from France to the Czech Republic today, Friday, also marks a shift in the center of gravity of the Union’s political sensitivities and priorities – eastwards. The war in Ukraine, the stuck enlargement policy in the Western Balkans, the rule of law and democracy crisis in Hungary and Poland: Almost all of Europe’s major current challenges are taking place in that zone of the continent that has been France’s political establishment since the fall of the Berlin Wall with a mixture of incomprehension, distrust and arrogance.
A concrete example of this problematic mix was evident at the very end of the six months of the French Presidency. Paris was keen to be able to record the success of the solution to the Bulgarian blockade on the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia. On Thursday, shortly before the end of the presidency, President Emmanuel Macron presented a new compromise proposal together with Council President Charles Michel. A first French “compromise paper” in the past week had almost always followed the Bulgarian demands towards North Macedonia, which would have led, among other things, to the social democratic government in Skopje having to change the constitution of their country. The new proposal, according to an initial reaction from the North Macedonian government under Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski, is aimed at both sides and is a suitable basis for further negotiations. In other words, the solution to the Bulgarian blockade now lies with the Czech presidency.
Prague door opener for the Balkans
Expert observers object that a compromise between Skopje and Sofia is still necessary, also on the basis of this paper. But this will require tact and sensitivity to the identitarian and cultural needs of a small Eastern European country, which Paris lacked. One of the most important tasks for the Czech government during its six-month presidency will be to clear the way for North Macedonia – and thus also for Albania, since the two countries’ applications for membership are linked.
Because the war in Ukraine is exacerbating the need for the Union to be geopolitically credible. And that means, first and foremost, finally opening the door to accession negotiations for a small, poor country like North Macedonia, which has done all its homework.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the geopolitical, military, economic and social consequences, will be a priority for the Council Presidency. And here the Czechs’ painful historical experience with Moscow imperialism (Prague Spring) will play a formative role – from the question of how new sanctions will be negotiated to how quickly related legislative projects will be pushed forward. Example: France EU-Ambassador removed the Orthodox Patriarch Kirill from the list of sanctioned Russians in order not to let the entire sixth EU package fail because of Hungary’s veto. Prime Minister Petr Fiala has a completely different connection to Viktor Orbán, his counterpart from the Visegrád Group, than French President Emmanuel Macron.
As early as mid-March, Fiala was the first European head of government to visit Kyiv, which was still embattled at the time, together with his Polish and Slovenian counterparts. At that time, people in the West still turned up their noses at such a “show act”. But the East Europeans have more expertise and better arguments in this conflict. It is therefore unlikely that the Union will give in to the Kremlin this year.