VISEGRAD GROUP: HISTORY
Mgr. Martin Jirušek, Ph.D.
MEB418 Energy Security of Visegrad Countries
Question at the beginning
 Is identity a result of a bottom-up or a top-down
process?
Journey to the integration
 What lead V4 countries to the integration?
- Collapse of the USSR along with Warsaw pact and
COMECON
- Fragmentation of the former Soviet bloc
- Diversification of interests of newly established states
- Concerns about future development in Russia (economic
and political consequences of instability)
- Desire to join major „western“ organizations
- Uncertainty about the future role of Germany in CE
Journey to the integration
 Regional cooperation as a signal
 ‘Return to Europe’
 Integration as a proof that CE countries are stable
and mature enough to cooperate
- Especially in the time of further fragmentation and
instability in Europe (esp. former Yugoslavia)
 The strongest claims came from CZ – former
dissenting intellectuals – Havel, Dientsbier
Journey to the integration
„For the first time in history, we have a real opportunity to fill the
great political vacuum that appeared in Central Europe after the
collapse of the Hapsburg Empire with something genuinely
meaningful. We have an opportunity to transform Central
Europe from what has been a mainly historical and spiritual
phenomenon into a political phenomenon. We have an
opportunity to take this wreath of European states - so recently
colonized by the Soviet Union and now attempting to build a
relationship with the nations of the Soviet Union based on
equality - and fashion it into a special body. Then we can
approach the richer nations of Western Europe, not as poor
failures or helpless, recently amnestied prisoners, but as countries
that can make a genuine contribution.
- Václav Havel (speech in the PL parliament, 25.1.1990)
Journey to the integration
 Early efforts rather unsuccessful - summit in
Bratislava (4/1990) - lack of will and mutual
understanding
 Accession of CZE to „Pentagonale“ (later CEI) –
1990
 Series of various (Baltic initiative, efforts of Ukraine
to join the group,…) initiatives helped to form the
future V4 region
 Cooperation agreements with EFTA – 6/1990
 Efforts started to pay off – better relations with
western countries than other postcomm. states
Foundation of the „Visegrad“
 Meeting of CZ, PL and HU in Visegrad – 2/1991
 Commemoration of the meeting of 1335 (John of
Luxembourg, King of Bohemia; Charles I of Anjou, King
of Hungary; and Casimir III, King of Poland)
 4 motivating factors:
- the desire to eliminate the remnants of the communist bloc in
Central Europe
- the desire to overcome historic animosities between the
Central European countries
- the belief that through joint efforts, it will be easier to
achieve the set goals, i.e. to successfully accomplish social
transformation and join in the European integration process
- the like-mindedness of the then ruling political elites.
Visegrad declaration
 „The similarity of the situation that has evolved over
the past decades has determined for these three
countries convergent basic objectives:
- full restitution of state independence, democracy and
freedom
- elimination of all existing social, economic and spiritual
aspects of the totalitarian system
- construction of a parliamentary democracy, a modern State
of Law, respect for human rights and freedoms
- creation of a modern free market economy
- full involvement in the European political and economic
system, as well as the system of security and legislation.“
Early development
 Coordination in foreign policy (dissolution of
Yugoslavia)
 Economic cooperation done within CEFTA (1991 –
1992)
 Cautious steps in terms of military cooperation –
NATO remained to be the main goal
 Region successfully established as a coherent and
cooperating unit
Weakening Visegrad
 The spirit of 1989 weakened - replacement of the
original idealistic elites with more pragmatic ones
(Klaus)
 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia (1993) – weakening of
the ties within the V4
- little to no interest to continue
- V4 marginalized
End of the „idealistic“ period
 Impact of dissolution of the Czechoslovakia
 Conflicts in Yugoslavia and Chechnya
 1994 Partnership for Peace – disappointment for
CE countries – no common position presented
After the dissolution
 Decline of cooperation
- Worsening relations between HU&SVK
- Reorientation of SVK foreign policy
- Spirit of exceptionality in CZ, underestimating the V4
- Weakening of mutual cooperation (energy supplies as
an example, diversification of CZ vs. SVK oriented on
the transit role)
- Diversification of interests – SVK leaning toward the
East, PL – West, CZ – on its own
- No institutions = no formal ties
- Missing link to a civil society and shared identity?
Visegrad 4 1993-1998
 Invitation of CZE, PL & HU to NATO (Madrid 7/1997)
– Slovakia left out
 Start of EU enlargement process (1997/1998) –
Slovakia originally left out
 Erosion of V4 as an entity representing CE
 Weakening presence of political and cultural ties
 CEFTA as the bare minimum of possible cooperation
 EU prioritized
The turnover
 Changes of governments in CZ and SVK – 1998
 Interim government in CZ followed by socialist gov.
 SVK: Vladimir Meciar replaced by the coalition gov.
led by M. Dzurinda
 Formal renewal of the cooperation – Budapest
10/1998 & Bratislava 5/1999
 V4 membership perceived as an advantage once
again
 Improvement of SVK position
The turnover
 The need for cooperation and negative stance of
Russia towards integration and the NATO accession
helped to relieve the V4
 Focus rather on cultural aspects, foreign and
defense policy
 Economic aspects left out
 6/2000 – foundation of IVF – cultural cooperation,
strengthening the concepts and ideas underlying the
CE region – the missing link to civil society?
 Secretariat of IVF in Bratislava
 Introduction of alternating presidencies
Acession to the EU and after
 Pre-accession talks conducted rather separately, low
level of coordination
 Kroměříž 2004: Guidelines for the future, areas of
Visegrad cooperation
- Cooperation within the V4
- Cooperation within the EU
- Cooperation with other partners
- Cooperation within NATO and other organizations
V4 after the EU and NATO
enlargement
 V4+ - cooperation with states outside the V4 group
- broad group of partners (China, Taiwan, Israel,…)
 Eastern Partnership (2011) – (launched in EU
during CZ presidency 2009) strengthening relations
with countries of the EaP (Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine)
 Assistance to countries of the Western Balkans
 Energy security – regular meetings regarding
cooperation
V4 after the EU and NATO
enlargement
 3 ‘No´s’
- NO to further institutionalisation: informal (but
regular) meetings, flexibility first
- NO to enalrgement: 4 is enough, V4+ for
cooperation
- NO to slowdown in cooperation: to avoid 1994-
1998 scenario
Energy Security in the V4 group
 Energy and energy security as one of the most
important points of current cooperation
 Based on dependency on external supplies (mostly
from Russia)
 Building on the experience of supply crises
 Focusing on cooperation in securing the supply and
infrastructure
 Cooperation with other countries on the basis of
V4+ platform
Energy Security in the V4 group
 2009 – Energy Security High-Level Group – regular
meetings
 Creating ad-hoc ‘energy groups’
 Support for the North-South gas corridor
 Promoting interconnections within V4 countries
- To enhance security, diversification of sources and enhance EU
internal market, to create regional market
- To address possible supply crises
 Supporting construction of LNG terminals (Swinoujscie PL)
 CE as an important crossroad of supply routes
 Efforts to bring CE energy issues to the EU level (N-S
corridor)