Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) arrived too late for the group photo due to time constraints and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not come due to domestic political urgencies. She will be at the EU summit today (see below), but she may have missed a historic moment in Prague. Following an initiative by French President Emanuel Macron, the heads of state and government of all European countries (including Denmark, 44 in total) met in the Czech capital to explore new forms of cooperation under the title “European Political Community” ( EPG). Small states such as San Marino or the Vatican were not included – as well as Belarus and Russia, to which the signal of solidarity sent is mainly dedicated.
It was about rapprochement and exchange of feelings; there was even the possibility that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan would speak at the same table with Macron and Council President Charles Michel. Small group discussions, with two or more countries involved, filled the afternoon and served mainly to explore: How far can a country go with joint decisions, where are the limits? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended. However, Nehammer warned that expectations should not be too high: in the case of Serbia and Kosovo, for example, more cautious negotiations are needed. Serbia is “currently in a vice” between good relations with Russia, which plays an important role domestically, and the West, which is demanding the implementation of sanctions against Moscow. The platform can help with these issues.
All at one table: This was also the cue for Liz Truss, who gave a brilliant performance in Prague and was probably also the reason why around 1,200 journalists stepped in front of the fantastic castle backdrop amidst the dense crowd. It was a welcome opportunity for the ailing British prime minister to at least formally join the rest of Europe – Brussels is cautiously optimistic that negotiations between the UK and the EU are more relaxed than they have been of late.
Whether it’s a community of convenience or a new sense of community: after the pandemic, inflation, the aftermath of war and the energy crisis, the realization seems to be gaining ground that everyone is in the same boat and can only progress together. This was also emphasized by the host, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The EPG is a platform for open discussion between countries and not a new organization. The format, however, raises the question of whether the Council of Europe, inclusive meetings of the EU, NATO, OSCE and other organizations might one day not be too good of a thing or whether it might make the search for common denominators even more difficult.
The exchange will next meet in Moldova at the suggestion of Charles Michel; after that in Spain and then in Great Britain.