Lessons learned for the Visegrad Group?
Lessons learned for the Visegrad Group?

Author(s): Karel Klinovský, Samuel Goda
Subject(s): International relations/trade, Security and defense, Military policy, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development, Geopolitics
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: Visegrad Group; V4; Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland; Slovakia;
Summary/Abstract: The Visegrad Group (V4) consists of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. It is an alliance of four states which allows them to coordinate their actions within the EU and NATO. Theoretically, all V4 states share certain characteristics which naturally lead them to cooperate. They are all post-communist countries with a troublesome past with the Soviet Union, they are all new democracies and they all hope to become highly developed countries soon. In addition, all V4 countries undoubtedly have very similar cultural and value systems. As a result, the V4 countries deal with security issues in similar ways. For example their governments have responded demonstratively to the recent “migrant crisis.” Indeed, their recent actions prove that the V4 is able to put across their common interests despite international actors of greater importance attempting to make them act differently. Unfortunately, this is a very rare example of unity among the V4. Usually, the alliance is often no more than a formalized conference. There is still a prevailing opinion that the V4 is only a theoretical alliance. In the end of the day, all the V4 countries tend to seek the solution that most suits them without considering the common interests of the V4.

• Details
• Contents