Bratislava, 12 November (TASR) – Representatives of the parliaments of the V4 (Visegrad Four) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) want to campaign to ensure that measures adopted at EU level are fair and, at the same time, as beneficial as possible for Central European countries, stated Slovak House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) after a joint declaration by V4 parliamentary chairs was signed at Bratislava Castle on Thursday.
Rasi announced that the declaration will be sent to the top representatives of the European Union.
According to Rasi, the declaration addresses the postponement of the ETS2 system’s entry into force until 2030, support for nuclear energy, the automotive industry, fairer access to European programmes and funds, and support for EU enlargement. “We also agreed that, while Slovakia holds the V4 presidency, we’ll create opportunities for young people interested in the work of our parliaments to meet,” he added.
Czech Senate Chair Milos Vystrcil noted that some subjects
weren’t included in the declaration. “I’m personally convinced that the declaration could also have stated that competitiveness depends on the security of Europe and the V4, and that this is closely linked to our stance on Russian aggression against Ukraine and our support for Ukraine,” he said.
Speaker of the Polish Lower House Wlodzimierz Czarzasty and Polish Senate Chair Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska also spoke about the war in Ukraine. Czarzasty referred to the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. “The enemy was the same: Russia. Russia’s mindset hasn’t changed much since then, and the European Union, as long as it is united, as long as it’s enlarged further, will therefore be an important and serious partner,” he stated.
At the end of the statement, Rasi remarked that, although not all issues could be included in the statement, the issue of security was important to all parliamentary representatives. “So that our Europe will be safe, and so that our citizens will feel not only comfortable but also safe and at peace within it. We all certainly believe in and support the achievement of a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, our eastern neighbour,” he stated.
“With regard to Ukraine, we’ve all said – and we agree – that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim,” confirmed Hungarian National Assembly Speaker Agnes Forsthoffer, emphasising, however, that it’s important for V4 citizens to have access to energy. “At the same time, it’s also very important for us that we can’t abandon our climate targets, but must interpret and implement them in such a way that they don’t undermine the potential of our economies,” she said.
Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura stated that although the declaration refers to a postponement of the ETS2 system, the Czech government is advocating its complete abolition. “We’re also advocating the scrapping of the planned ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines as of 2035,” he added.
The meeting took place as part of the parliamentary dimension of Slovakia’s V4 Presidency under the slogan ‘V4 for a Stronger Europe’. On Friday, it will continue in the expanded V4+ ‘Friends of Cohesion’ format, with representatives from 17 countries in attendance. The main topic of discussion will be the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034, which will determine the Union’s financial capacity for the coming seven years.
