Visegrád group still makes sense

The Visegrád alliance is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its founding today in Bratislava. The alliance was initially created with the objective of jointly preparing Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia's EU accession. But it still has its raison d'être in the eyes of business paper Hospodářské noviny: "The Visegrád group is a 'soft power' in central Europe, attracting outsiders and bringing advantages for its four members. Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia may not always pursue the same interests but the regional cooperation within the EU pays off. It has helped them to join the Schengen agreement, put together the climate package and promote the Eastern Partnership. Not without good reason did Poland's ex-president Aleksander Kwaśniewski once say the Visegrád Four remain a kind of political guarantee in case the EU ever splits up into more or less integrated member states."

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