Tribune. Faced with the war in Ukraine, the European Union [EU] has regained its unity, and disputes with some central European countries are relegated to the background. The east side of the EU, confronted with the proximity of the conflict, is at the heart of the humanitarian, political and military aid system in Ukraine.
The visit of the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers to President Zelensky on March 15 in kyiv, symbolized this highlight of European solidarity. They observe that their perception of the Russian threat, judged alarmist, founded founded. They know experience that when, in Moscow, we start talking about “fraternal assistance”, the tanks are not far and they feel comforted in the accuracy of their NATO membership, the only defense organization capable of dissuade Russian imperialism.
These countries are found in reading the conflict proposed by President Zelansky, that of “two different worlds” who oppose their values, starting with freedom. “That’s it,” said Zelensky, who determines who belongs to Europe. “It was, forty years ago the theme of the trial of Milan Kundera on Central Europe a Kidnapped West (the debate, Gallimard, 1983, first edition). With enlargement east of the European Union, Central Europe was leaning to the west. Faced with the Putin War, she looks eastwards.
Inspiration Source
The spontaneous opening of the neighbors of Ukraine – especially Poland – on the arrival of millions of refugees contrast with their closure in the face of the wave of refugees from the Middle East in 2015. The Hungarian Orban then constructed his Closing, Polish Kaczynski relied on safe and sanitary risks and the countries of Visegrad (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) categorically rejected the idea of EU interference in the distribution of migrants. They do not see objections today that the EU is involved with a fund of 17 billion euros.
The East-West dispute on the reception of refugees and the illeiberal democracy would be dissipating? It seems premature to affirm it for at least three reasons.
One of the first collateral victims of the war in Ukraine is the group of Visegrad. In the train that took the first three ministers to kyiv, there was a notorious absent: Viktor Orban. The latter is an ally and a source of inspiration for his Polish partner for “illiberal democracy”, but they are antipodes regarding their relations with Putin Russia. Kaczynski is a follower of a hard line against Russia, advocating the delivery of aircraft in kyiv, as well as the sending of a “peace mission” of NATO in Ukraine.
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