Discussion with Jacques Rupnik: The Visegrad group, A Collateral Victim of the War in Ukraine?
On April 28, 2022, the online debate entitled “The Visegrad Group, a Collateral Victim of the War in Ukraine?” was organized by the Aspen Institute France in partnership with our Institute. The geopolitical Zoom with Jacques Rupnik, a political scientist, Director of Research Emeritus at Sciences Po, focused on the diverse relations between the countries of V4 and Russia, but also explained the Visegrad Group’s role in the European Union.
The theme of the discussion was on the Visegrad group (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and how it consolidated itself over the years in reaction to the technocratic and liberal excesses of the European Union. These countries have formed an influential dissident group within the Union. Their national sovereignty, backed by conservative values and punctuated by a vertical practice of power, unites them. However, today, their position vis-à-vis Putin divides them. Does the war in Ukraine help European unity by breaking up the Visegrad group?
After the welcoming regards from Mr. Jean-Luc Allavena, Chairman of the Board of Aspen France, and Mr. Milan Vašina, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Central Europe, the moderator Mr. Jean-Christophe Bas opened the discussion.
Mr. Jacques Rupnik familiarized the audience with the reputation of V4 in recent years and its tendency to distance itself from the European Union in matters such as EU Law, LGBT, and migration. He pointed out the relationship between Orbán and Kaczynski, who both advocate that the European Union is too liberal and decadent, and therefore should return to conservative values. According to Mr. Rupnik, the V4 is not serving its initial purpose – democratic values, dismantling the effects of communist dictatorship, working together on European integration, and is in reverse mode.
On the other hand, Mr. Rupnik expects that tense arguments between the European Union, Poland and Hungary will temporarily be put on the back burner and there will be a primary focus on joined agenda. However, Poland still holds a radical Eurosceptic posture and in case of World War 3 will defend itself. Despite promoting Ukraine’s fast track accession to the EU, Poland compares the EU to the Soviet Union.
The event also gave the audience the opportunity to directly raise questions, one of which focused on Ukraine becoming part of the EU. Mr. Rupnik assesses that by resisting aggression from a totalitarian regime, Russia is helping Ukraine identify the same values as the West and the attitude of the rest of the world towards Ukraine is changing. Even if Ukraine gets a candidate status, it doesn’t become a member right away, as it rebuilds progressively, there is an opportunity to rethink the process of EU enlargement. It would differ from the criteria given to Central Europe. There would be political commitments, which would require instant work, followed by stages of integration. Working on different levels implies a diversified Europe.
More in detail in the recording of the conversation BELOW: