Profile of the Visegrád Countries in the Future of Europe Debate

Although the Visegrád Four countries often defended the same or similar positions in the European Convention, their views differed on many important issues. This situation is likely to be repeated at the upcoming Intergovernmental Conference. This basically confirms the tendency that can be traced back to the EU accession negotiations or the Iraq crisis. There, no substantial co-ordination occurred either. Given this, we can hardly expect the Visegrád countries to act as a compact block inside the EU. In some areas the interests of the Visegrád Four countries will converge, for instance concerning the communitarisation of large portions of the current IIIrd pillar, the restoring and keeping of strong transatlantic ties in the area of security and defence or the intensification of relations with the EUu0092s immediate neighbourhood. In this respect, the Visegrád group will be supported by other countries in the region, especially Austria and Slovenia. A certain harmonisation of u0093Central Europeanu0094 positions goes well beyond the Visegrád co-operation and encompasses other entities like the Central European Free Trade Agreement or the Central European Initiative.