With Czechia set to take over the EU presidency from France, Czech Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek held talks with French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to discuss the transition.
Among other things, Darmanin stressed that strengthening European sovereignty lies in better protection of its borders.
“As announced by the French President (Emmanuel Macron), strengthening European sovereignty is about better protection of its borders and more effective management of migration flows,” Darmanin stated.
The Czech government recently increased the presidency’s budget to 1.4 billion korunas (€56.8 million). However, Bek announced that the amount would likely increase due to wage growth or security costs.
According to him, during the presidency, Czechia must show its European partners that it is a mature country capable of moderating the European discussion and seeking a compromise between member countries.
The Czech minister considers dealing with the consequences of the coronavirus crisis, climate change policy, and migration and security as priorities for the mandate.
Bek also wants to improve the Czech government’s conceptual and argumentative preparation for discussions on European politics and legislation. According to him, the ministries’ answers to Brussels’ proposals must be based on analysis, data, and scenarios with a focus on alternative solutions.
