Page 11 - bne IntelliNews weekly newspaper June 23

Central Europe
June 23, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 11
Slovak PM urges effort to join ‘core’ EU
bne IntelliNews
Slovakia should act swiftly and decisively to ensure it is part of the core EU, Prime Minister Robert Fico demanded on June 21.
With confidence in the bloc boosted by the defeat of populist challenges in elections in several member states, especially France, discussion of a multi- speed EU that will allow a core to accelerate integra- tion has risen in recent weeks. Slovakia’s Visegrad peers remain Eurosceptic and the main proponents of calls for a return of more power to national capi- tals, but Bratislava, already the only member of the Eurozone in the region, is an exception.
Fico, who has led a furious campaign against
the EU’s migrant quotas, sees no contradiction
it seems. The PM called at a session of the parliamentary European affairs committee for his country to take the initiative in forming the core of the bloc, which will be centred on the Franco- German axis. He spoke ahead of a European Council meeting on June 22-23.
"We shouldn't miss out on being at the core,”
Fico said, according to TASR. “We're not deluding ourselves, and we realise that we'll be expected to take tangible measures and decisions.”
The Slovak leader said the EU’s new drive
to build defence and security appears to be key.
“It appears as though one of the first measures that countries seeking to be at the core will prioritise is the ability of a member state
to contribute with military capabilities to collaboration in defence," said Fico.
Slovakia will restructure defence spending, he added. "We want to devote our attention to this so that we don't miss out," the PM said.
Turning to a more familiar theme, Fico claimed that refugee numbers entering the EU are rising on certain routes, especially via Libya. “This is partly why we view the European Border and Coast Guard as a service that we need to continue to perfect," he declared.
Meanwhile, the OECD suggests in a new economic survey of the country released on June 21 that Slovakia should take advantage of its robust economic performance to implement reforms that will increase living standards for all its citizens.
Regional disparities, education and health are the top priorities, the report says, while the fight against corruption and tax evasion and issues regarding unemployment, the Roma population, and the environment also persist.