C3-HD-TOP.png C3-HD-BTM.png GERMANY AND VISEGRAD STATES IN THE MIGRATION CRISIS – A WAY OUT OF THE TENSION TO COOPERATION CEEISA-ISA 2019 Joint International Conference, Belgrade Stanislava Brajerčíková Phd Candidate, Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Czech Republic The paper is presented as a part of the project “Germany and Out-of-Area Military Operations: Civilian Power, Trading State or Middle Power?” Registration number 17-12243S, supported by the Czech Science Foundation. C3-HD-TOP.png CONTENT I.Visegrad states (V4) – Germany relations – overview II.Disputed points in the V4-Germany relations III.Migration crisis – „apple of discord“ – German position IV.Migration crisis from the V4's point of view V.Conclusions – potential for cooperation? C3-HD-TOP.png I. VISEGRAD STATES (V4) – GERMANY RELATIONS • • • C3-HD-TOP.png II. DISPUTED POINTS IN THE V4-GERMANY RELATIONS •Energy and climate policy •Nord Stream II •relations with Russia •Euroscepticism •Internal political situation in Poland - violations against the principles of the rule of law and the controversial judicial reform •Internal political situation in Hungary - Orbán's restructuring of the constitutional state and the accompanying restrictions on media freedoms, the undermining of the constitutional court, and the action he has taken against civil society organizations • C3-HD-TOP.png III. MIGRATION CRISIS – „APPLE OF DISCORD“ •Migration crisis = common European problem •Coalition of „willing states“ •„Open door“ policy •To differ between refugees and economic migrants •Agreement with Turkey •Mandatory migrant quotas •New financial mechanisms to support refugees •New resettlement programs •Within UNO „Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework“ • • • • Position of Germany C3-HD-TOP.png IV. MIGRATION CRISIS V4'S POINT OF VIEW major risks for the current relatively stable political and security situation on the European continent C3-HD-TOP.png •POLAND •from the beginning support for German plan •government's change = change in the position towards migration crisis •not agree with the proposal of the possibility to deploy a coast and border guard on their territory •rejection of the UN Migration Pact • • •HUNGARY •not to become a country of immigration •a separation fence along the border with Serbia and Croatia •not agree with the proposal of the possibility to deploy a coast and border guard on their territory •more than 170,000 asylum seakers in 2015; in 2017 - just under 3,400 •Rejection of the UN Migration Pact •ECJ rejected claim against mandatory migrant quotas • C3-HD-TOP.png Migration crisis V4's point of view •SLOVAKIA •the only V4 country that has agreed to take in small contingents of refugees •but no mandatory migrant quotas •rejection of the UN Migration Pact •ECJ rejected claim against mandatory migrant quotas • •THE CZECH REPUBLIC •opponent of EU solidarity on refugee policy •rejection of the UN Migration Pact • C3-HD-TOP.png “PRIME MINISTERS' DECLARATION ON MIGRATION” •a joint and coherent solution at the European level, •concentration on the fundamental causes of the migration crisis, •protection of the external EU frontiers, •fully functioning hotspots, •an effective policy of returning the migrants, •no obligatory quotas •principle of effective solidarity •an effective reform of the Dublin Regulation • C3-HD-TOP.png V. CONCLUSIONS POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION? •German behaviour viewed by the V4 states as a manifestation of new European political assertiveness and German unilateralism •Germany views the negative attitude of its partners as a manifestation of stubbornness and lack of solidarity •clear interest of the V4 in providing developmental and humanitarian help to migrants’ countries of origin as well as transit countries •willingness to participate in preparing strategies for efficient and integrated developmental cooperation based on the principles of political coherence for development and partnership with these countries •readiness to increase the efficiency of bilateral and EU assistance for the groups endangered in the countries and regions threatened by conflicts •common GERMANY – V4 project – agreed in the Declaration of the Visegrad Group and the Federal Republic of Germany on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of historic changes in Central Europe C3-HD-TOP.png THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION!