The Czech Republic should make the efforts to be a part of the EU integration core, Czech European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova and Vladimir Spidla, an aide to Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD), said today.
Jourova (ANO) and Spidla are taking part in a conference on the crisis of the EU.
“Throughout my political career, I have advocated the Czech Republic being in the core of the EU. I am convinced that without an efficient integration, the European space is unable to succeed in the globalisation as a structure that is able to influence it,” said Spidla, the Czech prime minister between 2002 and 2004 during whose tenure the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004.
“I will always appeal to the Czech political representation that it should stay inside, not on the periphery of the EU,” Jourova said.
It would be best for the Czech Republic to become a part of the faster current in the EU, with a lower number of joint policies, but those which will be implemented better than now, Jourova said.
Jourova said it was vital for Prague to take part in the definition of the policies that would be common for the EU core.
“There will be the economy, the common market, security and defence,” she added.
Spidla said the boundary between the EU core and periphery would probably also be delineated depending on what countries would be using the joint European currency.
Sobotka said this week the Czech Republic should set down a deadline to accept the euro and the decision should be made by the next government to arise from the autumn election.
However, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO), whose movement is clearly leading in the polls, said in mid-April he was against the Czech Republic adopting the euro.
Jourova also said today that the EU was now facing a lack of confidence between individual politicians, which weakened the communication.
“This is why I am glad that in early June, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker will visit the Czech Republic. He will hear the arguments the Czech Republic has expressed for a long time. Within them, there are some things Czechs resent in the EU,” Jourova said.
“This will perhaps mean more listening to what Central and Eastern Europe see as its prospect,” she added.
Copyright 2017 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). All rights reserved.
Copying, dissemination or other publication of this article or parts thereof without the prior written consent of ČTK is expressly forbidden. BrnoDaily is not responsible for its content.
