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Central Europe
July 28, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 13
If the responses of the trio are not satisfactory, the commission could refer the case to the Euro- pean Court of Justice. That is unlikely to persuade any of the defendants - who have shown they are ready to test the revived confidence of the EU - to back down.
None of the countries are likely to cave in since they are busy chasing the populist vote at home. Indeed, the Czech government, which is facing a tough battle ahead of elections in October, almost scrambled to get itself included in the EU’s case, loudly announcing in June it would no longer take any refugees under the scheme.
Some officials in Prague have recently sought to add some reasoned logic to the emotional rhetoric,
a nod to the Czech policy to remain apart from the rabble-rousing of Hungary and Poland. However, all are likely to raise their voices to repeat accusa- tions that the EU is encroaching on national sover- eignty in response to the commission’s actions.
The V4 insist the quotas represent a security
risk and an affront to local opinion. Brussels has railed against Central Europe’s failure to accept the responsibilities, as well as the benefits, of EU membership.
Some in Brussels have tried to link participation in the quota system to the huge volume of EU funds received by V4 states. Local politicians have react- ed to that threat with fury, but also said they would rather pay that price than take in refugees.
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