Sarkozy and the Visegrad Group

With the recent discussions about the bailout plan for Greece one thing suprised me a bit:

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France and Germany to announce Greek rescue plan

ANDREW WILLIS

11.02.2010 @ 09:29 CET

France and Germany are set to pledge their solidarity with Greece on Thursday (11 February), in a sign to investors that the embattled Greek state will not be allowed to default on debt obligations.

Despite a detailed plan from Athens last month setting out spending cuts and revenue raising measures, market doubts over the health of Greek public finances have grown in recent weeks, weighing heavily on Greek stocks and causing bond yields to shoot up.

Sarkozy and Merkel are set to announce their support for Greece on Thursday (Photo: The Council of the European Union)

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are set to make the announcement at a joint press conference after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

The declaration is unlikely to contain many details however, after a video-conference of EU finance ministers on Wednesday failed to agree on the components of a rescue package.

Subsequent telephone calls between Paris and Berlin also failed to finalise a plan, with Germany reportedly sceptical about signing up to a Greek bailout without further assurances from Athens. Eurozone and EU finance minister meetings next week could be tasked with fleshing out details.

The initiative by leaders of Europe's two largest economies could merge into an EU-wide plan, said French sources close to Mr Sarkozy, reports Le Monde.

"The idea is that there be a strong Franco-Geman engagement, something which doesn't prevent a subsequent decision by the 27," said the source.

"The problem is that amongst the 27 there is also Greece, Portugal, Spain, which are currently being attacked. It would be odd if these countries financed a Greek rescue plan," the contact added.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou lunched in Paris with Mr Sarkozy on Wednesday. Before the meeting, Mr Sarkozy spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the Elysee presidential palace.

Among the options being considered to help Greece are bilateral loans, the creation of credit lines, or government guarantees to underwrite Greek bond issues, say diplomats.

French, German and EU officials repeatedly denied last month that a bailout was being considered.

Not to be outdone by the Franco-German initiative, the Visegrad group comprising the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are also set to hold a pre-summit meeting.

Mr Sarkozy has previously questioned the purpose of the now regular reunions. A diplomat from one of the Visegrad countries said the meeting was called by the current chair, Hungary.

"There are plenty of top level meetings in various formats before each summit. There is no rule against it," the diplomat told EUobserver.

Initially scheduled to take place at 10.00am local time, Thursday's EU summit, which will take place in an old library in a central Brussels park, has been set back two hours by EU permanent president Herman Van Rompuy due to a snowfall.

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It is actually a suprise that the Visengrad Group still exists and that (apparently) it became more than a temporary agreement to support each other in joining the EU.

The main issu, though is another case when France criticises the meetings of the centraleuropean countries.

I wouldn't even notice that if it wasn't the first time:

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Sarkozy warns Visegrad countries not to make a habit of pre-summit meetings

HONOR MAHONY

04.11.2009 @ 17:23 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken a swipe at Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who last week met ahead of the EU summit to talk through their positions on the topic of the day.

Speaking after a meeting of EU leaders last week, Mr Sarkozy said "if they have to meet regularly before each council, that could raise questions."




"That is not the case yet," he added.

To date, the four countries have met twice at level of head of state and government in Brussels - before a March meeting of EU leaders and before last week's summit.

In the spring, they discussed - and disagreed upon - the economic crisis and how it should be handled, while last week they discussed the two hot issues of the summit, a last-minute Czech demand for an exemption from part of the Lisbon Treaty and climate change negotiations.

The environment question was particularly sensitive, as Poland was heading a group of nine new member states who toughed it out on financial questions related to climate change talks, at one stage threatening to take a splinter negotiating group to international talks on the issue in Copenhagen next month.

The damaging split, played out in the media, only intensified the impression that Europe was talking up its green credentials without being willing to pay for them, even though a broadstroke deal was agreed on the second day of the meeting.

Double standards

A Polish diplomat said the Visegrad meeting was "purely about co-ordination. We have quite successful co-operation in the region, so why not use this to an advantage." He also noted that co-ordination of positions is "actively encouraged" to shorten the notoriously lengthy tours-de-table at EU meetings.

The four eastern and central European states, who all joined the EU in 2004, have been having get-togethers at national level since 1991, when the leaders of Poland, Hungary and the then Czechoslovakia met in the Hungarian town of Visegrad, to launch the club. The constellation became known as the Visegrad group and is institutionalised to the extent that each country has its turn at the Visegrad presidency.

Mr Sarkozy's comments have raised accusations of double-standards. "My natural instinct, if he was to forbid the meeting or criticise it, would be to ask why he was meeting with the German chancellor every time before the summit. It's exactly the same," said an EU diplomat.

Other groups also meet before summits, notably Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, who share a long history of co-operation, as well as the various political families in the EU.

Piotr Kaczynski, from the Centre for European Policy Studies think-tank in Brussels, said it was "criticism of the Polish position that is getting stronger and stronger in the EU."

Referring to "different standards," he suggested Mr Sarkozy may be "getting irritated that Germany and France alone cannot control things anymore and maybe it means shifting their policies."

Germany and France have long been considered the "motor" of the EU. Working in tandem, they can usually push through a lot of what they want. But their informal "directorate" has been challenged since 2004, when 10 mainly eastern European countries joined the EU.

The sheer difference in number of member states changed the internal dynamics of the EU, while new member states, who do not always share the views of Paris and Berlin, have become increasingly assertive at the negotiating table.

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What is unusual is that Czech and Hungarian media reacted with outrage at that time, while the subject never appeared in Poland's media and these are nothing if a bit oversensitive and as much keen on creating news as anywhere else in the world.


Right now it is hardly anything serious, but I am personally keen on finding trends in the politics, especially in Europe. Because it is the second time Sarkozy criticises the meetings I have a reason to suspect it will not be the last time when the French president assaults the group, even if both previous attacks were mostly ignored.

I wonder what is the point actually? It was rather obvious the centraleuropean countries will attempt to coordinate their political initiatives. True, under the 2 year long anomaly in power (Kaczyńskis brothers) at least one country was effectively eliminated from serious european politics, but that wouldn't last forever.
Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia share some experience and surely will have their opinions they will want to express and criticising their (still) relatively weak attempts to coordinate their policy is pretty counterproductive.

I wonder what Mr. Sarkozy is attempting to achieve? Or perhaps there is no idea behind those attacks and it is just some random, emotional reaction with no future consequences.

If anything, if that is repeated in the future (and I think it is reasonable to assume it will) I cannot see what France is supposed to gain from that.
In my opinion it will only remind the times of Mr. 'shut up and listen' Chirac to those countries. Hardly the best time for French diplomacy in central-eastern Europe.
The most successful from the new members of the EU (presently at least Poland and Czech Republic) will eventually have to play some important part in the Union.

I cannot see any reason how the criticism of the Group could help in anything, except losing (potential) allies.








It is a marginal issue, but if I posted this in the TWC it would be quickly flooded by Russian ex-pat trolls so I prefer more moderate environement of the ORG's Backroom.




BTW Both articles come from the same source - http://euobserver.com/ - pretty decent website.

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Originally Posted by cegorach

I wonder what Mr. Sarkozy is attempting to achieve? Or perhaps there is no idea behind those attacks and it is just some random, emotional reaction with no future consequences.

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Because they threaten the Franco-German powerbloc and its accompanying advantages for those countries.

Being honest, this is the sort of thing which will begin to happen under post-Lisbon especially. Countries will work together more closely with their regional neighbours. You can start to imagine a block akin to UK, Ireland and Portugal, Spain working more closely. Then possibly a bloc in the Balkans, etc. As neighbours get closer together.

What does Mr. CAP complain about anyway, eh?

Sarkozy called the Visegrad summit into question last year. Nobody did so last week.

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Originally Posted by Beskar

Because they threaten the Franco-German powerbloc and its accompanying advantages for those countries.

Being honest, this is the sort of thing which will begin to happen under post-Lisbon especially. Countries will work together more closely with their regional neighbours. You can start to imagine a block akin to UK, Ireland and Portugal, Spain working more closely. Then possibly a bloc in the Balkans, etc. As neighbours get closer together.

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There is Nordic bloc already, but its political weight is relatively small.

The Balcans.. hmmm I rather don't see Grece cooperating with Bugaria - those countries are very different from each other and Greek position will be weak for years.

Romania in theory has some good contacts with France. Large agricultural sector in both countries means both will be defending the CAP, but otherwise Romania will rather allign itself with the Visengrad Group. It did it lalready more than once last year.

Spain. Correct me if I am wrong, but it is generally supporting the Franco-German 'engine'. My opinion about Zapatero isn't too favourable, but still it would be realistic to assume that with current problems there will be no changes without defeating the socialists in general election. But still Spain will be relying on EU support for a while and with highly sceptical British conservatives in power I doubt there will be any British-Spanish alliance in foreseenable future.

Hmm this way it looks like there are only three meaningful 'alliances' in the EU - Nordic, Franco-German (+ Benelux? The Netherlands shouldn't be counted as a part of it I think) and the Visengrad with only first two reasonably solid.

At least at this moment I see only Franco-German relationship as relatively efficient.
With chancellor Merkel in power it is not such a bad thing actually.

Any other active groups worth mentioning?

FWIW: Benelux means Belgium + Netherlands + Luxexmbourg. And that is more of a tradezone really. (Until 2010 it was officially known as the Benelux Economic Union; now it is apparently the Benelux Union).

I know, I know, but when it comes to for example international politics I'm not sure if they can be treated as a group.

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Originally Posted by cegorach

It is a marginal issue, but if I posted this in the TWC it would be quickly flooded by Russian ex-pat trolls so I prefer more moderate environement of the ORG's Backroom.

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Please take note, this is an excellent way to suck up to the Mods. Check's in the mail, "C." ;-)

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

Please take note, this is an excellent way to suck up to the Mods. Check's in the mail, "C." ;-)

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I am doing what I can. ;)

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Originally Posted by cegorach

I am doing what I can. ;)

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So how much was that check?


You know, my dignity ends where the prospect of a few easy bucks begin. You'd be surprised how far I'd strip myself of clothes or general dignity for two euros. Never mind sucking a mod for a tenner.



Edit: Oopsy daisy. Misread that conversation. Suck up to a mod. Up.

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

So how much was that check?


You know, my dignity ends where the prospect of a few easy bucks begin. You'd be surprised how far I'd strip myself of clothes or general dignity for two euros. Never mind sucking a mod for a tenner.



Edit: Oopsy daisy. Misread that conversation. Suck up to a mod. Up.

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....hmmmmm. And Strike's been very friendly towards you this last while.....hmmmmmm.