Jan Fischer on the end of the Czech EU Council presidency

In a commentary for the liberal daily Mladá Fronta Dnes, Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer looks back on the EU Council presidency: "The last summit under Czech leadership which took place this weekend demonstrated that the European Union can be united on key issues. This is even more crucial in times of crisis, because in so doing it shows itself to be a capable global player in the eyes of its partners the US, Russia and China. ... Czech civil servants and experts deserve most of the credit for the summit's success. Now they deserve not only their summer holidays but above all warm thanks and recognition. The 6-month EU Council presidency was a major learning experience for everyone involved. In less than ten days a new stage will begin for us: after holding the presidency we will return to the bench as a normal EU member. We will retake our seat having gained important experience, and all the better prepared to defend our interests and draw the maximum benefit from the possibilities offered by EU membership."

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