V4 Vs „the Rest”. How Migration Crisis Diminished European Solidarity?

Europe went through an unprecedented influx of refugees, asylum-seekers and other migrants. European Union Member States were faced with number of consequences. Backlash against refugees is felt across European Union. Anti-immigration parties have been achieving electoral success in a number of European nations. Alternative for Germany has entered national parliament for the first time, National Front presidential candidate made it to second round of presidential election, but particulary strong voice against refugees came from the Visegrad Group.

The Visegrad Group (also known as V4) is a regional cooperation between Central European states (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) which original goal was to accelerate its members’ integration into the EU. All of those states become EU members on May 1, 2004. Even though mentioned countries usually do not agree on crucial issues (i.e. climate change, relations with Russia, membership in Eurozone), anti-migrant feeling have unified V4 countries. Governments of those states expressed very extreme views in regard to migration. Surprisingly, all of V4 countries are sending states, profiting from open borders.

Article will analyze stance of V4 countries against refugees quotas introduced by European Commission in the context of politicization of migrantions. Additionally, governments are taking advantage of anti-migrant sentiments to implement illiberal agenda, which may backfire on the group, especially when talks on new budget framework will start, therfore possible cosequences of lack solidarity will also be investigated.