Final Word from Monday, May 20, 2024

PM Petr Fiala told Respekt that the EU is in a geopolitical battle about whether it will have influence in the Balkans and that enlargement is necessary for confronting the influence there of other powers. This means that we might have to take steps that aren't comfortable for some countries but that are necessary, he said. He didn't say what these uncomfortable steps are, and Respekt didn't ask. Fiala did say, though, that we can't look at integration merely from the standpoint of countries that are already in the EU and of how easy it is or isn't to agree on something. One possible interpretation of this is that Fiala considers enlargement to be so important from a geopolitical standpoint that it shouldn't be tied to the veto issue. This would go against the German view, as expressed in Lidové noviny in Dec. by Amb. Andreas Künne. Another possibility is that Fiala is coming around to the German point of view and, like Pres. Petr Pavel, is ready to talk about the uncomfortable step of giving up the EU veto. [ Czech Republic European Union decision-making ]