In Grafenegg, the Speakers of Parliament from Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia admitted that they had failed to assess Vladimir Putin. Dealing with multiple crises was also on the agenda.
Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia see EU enlargement in the Western Balkans as a “long-term common goal”. The President of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP), the President of the Czech House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and the Vice-President of the Slovakian National Council, Milan Laurencík, held this up on Thursday evening during a discussion at a meeting in the “Austerlitz” or “Slavkov format”. Grafenegg Castle in Lower Austria.
“Especially in the Western Balkans, one should not leave a vacuum that could possibly be filled by anti-democratic powers,” Pekarová Adamová was quoted as saying in a broadcast of the parliamentary correspondence. Here it is important to use the synergy effects from the cooperation between the three countries. She reported on the democratization efforts of the Czech parliament in the eastern partner states, in which the strengthening of civil society is of major importance.
Flaws in assessing Putin
The Deputy President of Slovakia’s National Council, Laurencík, also saw EU expansion in the Western Balkans as a long-term common goal. He pointed out the risks of parliamentary systems, for example when groups that want to undermine the democratic process are elected to the representation. In addition to clear parliamentary regulations, it is important to create awareness of the values on which the institutions are based, especially among young people.
In view of the influence of actors in Southeastern Europe such as Russia, China, Turkey and other Muslim countries, Austria is also considered a strong advocate of EU integration of the six Western Balkan states – Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo – as also confirmed Sobotka.
On the topic of the Ukraine war, the three heads of parliament admitted that there had been omissions in the assessment of President Vladimir Putin in the run-up to the Russian attack and that warnings had not been taken seriously enough. Pekarová Adamová quoted statements by former Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who had already said when Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula, which belongs to Ukraine, in 2014: “For Putin, Crimea was just the appetizer, Georgia will be the soup, Ukraine the main course.”
Joint purchase of gas
Sobotka reported on progress in receiving and integrating Ukrainian displaced persons both in the school system and in the labor market. He pointed to Austria’s already high “basic burden” in terms of taking in refugees. In view of the situation in Ukraine, however, the country has shown a high level of receptivity.
With regard to energy security, the President of the National Council spoke out in favor of a joint European gas purchase. A common European line is needed in order to avoid being blackmailed as individual states. One must prepare intensively for the various crisis scenarios, since this crisis is becoming “multifactorial”.
Deputy President of Slovakia’s National Council Laurencík reported that his country is currently taking in around 3,000 refugees a day, with a larger proportion of them returning to Ukraine. Here, too, large financial resources are being used to integrate Ukrainian children into the school system. In contrast to Austria, Slovakia supports Ukraine “massively” with military material. Putin wants to unsettle and destabilize European countries by restricting gas supplies, which must be prevented at all costs.
That is why Slovakia is taking decisive steps towards independence from Russian energy sources, as Laurencík explained. This is particularly difficult in the field of nuclear power. While the Czech Republic and Slovakia rely on nuclear power, this has been taboo in Austria since the commissioning of the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant was rejected by referendum.
Potential of African countries
The Czech Republic has also already made great progress in integrating Ukrainian displaced persons into the labor market, explained Pekarová Adamová. Her country is also trying to reduce its dependency on Russia as quickly as possible, said the Czech parliamentary speaker. However, this is a “long-distance run”. In order to motivate people to save electricity, special incentive systems are used in the Czech Republic.
Sobotka appealed to continue to work for European solutions. The Austerlitz format, as a proven instrument of regional cooperation and political coordination, has gained in importance both as a result of the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine, said the ÖVP politician. It is a sign of lively neighborly relations. The common interests extend to the cross-border rescue service with Slovakia, cooperation in the disaster service with the Czech Republic and bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU, which is a major concern for all three countries.
For Sobotka, communicating democratic values is central to interparliamentary cooperation in order to strengthen the resilience of institutions against anti-democratic tendencies. Because the formation of democracy is not a completed process, but must be constantly renewed, according to the President of the National Council. One should not tire of telling the population that parliamentarianism is the only solution that will ensure freedom, prosperity and peace. This also applies to countries whose democratic development is less advanced, as Sobotka said. Among other things, he referred to the potential of African countries, which could be brought closer to their own experiences from the parliamentary process.
Stronger cooperation
The three countries work together informally in the so-called Austerlitz or Slavkov format, named after the southern Moravian town of Slavkov (Austerlitz). It is an initiative with which Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia want to strengthen their cooperation. The group was founded at the end of January 2015 in Slavkov (Austerlitz) – the place in southern Moravia after which the legendary Battle of the Three Emperors in 1805 was named. The chairmen of the parliaments in Bratislava, Prague and Vienna meet each year in August to exchange views in Grafenegg.
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