Ebook: “The Future of the Visegrad Group”

Summary

The ebook examines internal developments within the Visegrad Group and sketches scenarios for its engagement at the European level. Distinguished scholars and renowned political figures from the region contributed to this publication, presented jointly by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Das Progressive Zentrum.

The ebook examines internal developments within the Visegrad Group and sketches scenarios for its engagement at the European level. Distinguished scholars and renowned political figures from the region contributed to this publication, presented jointly by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Das Progressive Zentrum.

The Visegrad Group (V4, consisting of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) has been in the European spotlight lately. This once peripheral, regional alliance suddenly proved capable of single-cause impromptu mobilisation within the EU-framework. The ebook „The Future of the Visegrad Group“ explores how sustainable this alliance is and how can it affect the European Union. Thereby, it not only takes stock of the status-quo but also maps out two scenarios about the future course of the Group. After all, many normative questions demand answers since the European community has been facing a “polycrisis”, lacking a consent on which principles it should follow.

The publication is the product of a joint initiative by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), and the Berlin-based think tank Das Progressive Zentrum. It aimed to capture the diversity of the region and provide fresh, creative insights. Thanks to the engagement of distinguished scholars and renowned political figures from the region, this collection presents a more holistic, trans-regional reflection on the Visegrad Group in the European context.

The editors hope that this book will help better understand the positions and interests of the four younger member states in question – for the benefit of the whole European Community.

Contents Overview

I. Mapping the Interests within the V4

• Czechia: From a V4-Enthusiast to a V4-Sceptic and Back Again
  by Tereza Novotná, Zuzana Stuchlíková
• Hungary and the Visegrad Four
  by Tamás Boros
• Poland’s European Policy – Drafting Away From the Mainstream
  by Agnieszka Łada
• Slovakia: Squaring the Visegrad Circle
  by Radovan Geist

II. Future Scenarios for the V4

• Diverging Visions for Europe: EU and Visegrad Group at the Midterm of Legislative Period 2014 – 2019
  by Ania Skrzypek
• Lessons from 26 years of Visegrad’s History
  by Ireneusz Bil

III. Possible Progressive Alliances

• Czechia: The Rise of Populism and the Crisis of Identity of Centre-Left
  by Miroslav Poche
• The State of Progressive Ideas in Hungary
  by Ildiko Lendvai
• Opinion on the Left in Poland
  by Sławomir Wiatr and Przemysław Potocki
• Slovak social democracy: focus on social issues
  by Ľuboš Blaha

IV. Epilogue

• The Future of V4: Where Have All the Progressive Ideas Gone and When Will They Come Back?
  by Andrea Pető

Background of the Visegrad Project

Here you can learn more about our thematic V4 roundtables held in 2017 in Berlin and in Brussels.

“The Future of the Visegrad Group” is a joint project of Das Progressive Zentrum and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies.

Authors

Dr. Maria Skóra

Policy Fellow, Research Associate (Institut für Europäische Politik)

Maria Skóra is a policy fellow at Das Progressive Zentrum. Previously, she was Research Associate at the Institut für Europäische Politik and head of the International Dialogue program at Das Progressive Zentrum.

Ania Skrzypek

Foundations for European Progressive Studies

Ania Skrzypek was born in Warsaw in 1979 and is Director for Research and Training at the Foundations for European Progressive Studies (FEPS). She holds a Ph.D. cum laude in political sciences from the University of Warsaw, which she obtained for her thesis “Cooperation of the socialist and social democratic parties in uniting Europe.

Content

Summary
Authors

Dr. Maria Skóra

Policy Fellow, Research Associate (Institut für Europäische Politik)

Ania Skrzypek

Foundations for European Progressive Studies