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Central Europe
September 8, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 12
ANO is a Eurosceptic party and there are fears that a Babis-led government might shift Czechia towards isolation. Of the four Visegrad countries, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have already elect- ed populist governments. Analysts fear that in the longer run an entirely populist Central Europe, with governments playing to the gallery, would damage economic growth.
The Czech Republic, a country of 10.5mn people, was once seen as an island of stability and mod- eration in Central Europe. Now, with growing voter volatility and the looming collapse of the centre-left CSSD, its last strong traditional party, it looks as if will join its neighbours in embracing populism and picking fights with Brussels. That poses grave risks for its democracy and European unity.
Hungary says “rape of European law and values” behind EU court’s refugees verdict
bne IntelliNews
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on September 6 accused the EU’s top court of wav- ing through a political "rape of European law and values" by rejecting a challenge from Hungary and Slovakia to Brussels’ compulsory migrant reloca- tion deal.
Szijjarto added that in his eyes the verdict did not compel Hungary to take in the thousand-plus mi- grants it was asked to under the quota arrange- ment - drawn up to ease pressure on countries on the frontline as regards the movement into Europe of migrants, such as Italy and Greece – but the European Commission is expected to fight that interpretation.
The minister pledged to use all legal means to battle the "appalling and irresponsible" European Court of Justice judgement, which he claimed stemmed from "a political decision not... a legal or expert decision". He declared to reporters: "Politics has raped European law and European values. This decision practically and openly le- gitimates the power of the EU above the member states... The real fight starts now."
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, meanwhile, issued a measured response to the judgement from the court in Luxembourg, saying his coun-
try's position on the quotas "does not change”.
The verdict was welcomed by the Commission, the executive for the 28-nation European bloc."ECJ confirms relocation scheme valid. Time to work in unity and implement solidarity in full," tweeted EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.
The countries objecting to the refugee policy say it puts them at risk of Islamist terrorism and amounts to a threat to their homogenous socie- ties. Poland, where a right-wing populist govern- ment has come into office since the 2015 deal, supported the court case against the Commission brought by Hungary and Slovakia.
The ECJ sided with the Commission in stating that the agreement "actually contributes to enabling Greece and Italy to deal with the impact of the 2015 migration crisis and is proportionate”.
Since 2014, the EU has suffered its worst migrant crisis since WWII. Around 1.7mn migrants have tried to enter the EU to settle in member states. Anyone deemed to be suffering war or persecu- tion - such as numerous people among the great multitudes of migrants fleeing conflicts in the Middle East - have an entitlement under Euro- pean and international law to asylum. In 2015,