Vystrčil: The EU and the Czech Republic must not allow anyone else to decide about the future of Europe

Prague – According to the President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil (ODS), the European Union and the Czech Republic must not succumb to lethargy and allow someone outside Europe to decide its future. He said this today at an event organized by the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic. According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry Karel Havlíček (ANO), it is necessary to find a way to keep Europe a sufficiently strong opponent or partner of key powers.

In a brief speech, Vystrčil commemorated the memory of student Jan Palach, who burned himself to death 57 years ago in protest against the onset of normalization in society. “He did it because society was lethargic and did not react to the danger that was coming,” he noted. Referring to a quote by Václav Havel, Vystrčil added that Europe is and always will be a task. “That task did not end with us doing well, being stable and successful. It is still our task, and if we do not start fulfilling it and do not take further steps to accomplish it, then someone else will accomplish it for us,” he added.

The new government of ANO, SPD and Motorists has clearly declared its direction, part of which is the firm anchoring of the Czech Republic in the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, according to Havlíček. “Which, however, does not mean that we cannot criticize some things, that we cannot try to remedy a whole range of things, and I even think, and I am convinced of this, that it is our duty,” he said.

Also with regard to the geopolitical situation, he said, it is necessary to find a way to keep Europe a sufficiently strong opponent or partner of key powers. According to Havlíček, actions are needed rather than words. He also stated that in February he will visit Germany and Slovakia, and in March he will travel to the United States with a delegation of entrepreneurs.

According to the head of the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic Monika Ladmanová, the European Union is today a calm harbor in turbulent times. “But in order to protect it, we need to ensure its independence – economic, security, and in terms of raw materials,” she said. In her view, Europe will be as strong as its member states, including the Czech Republic, allow it to be.

She also pointed out that the European Commission’s work program for 2026 is titled The Moment of European Independence and focuses on strengthening competitiveness and defense capability. “Defense was not a topic with which the European Union was founded 70 years ago. Unfortunately, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the behavior of some other states have forced us, with the breakdown of the security architecture as we knew it, to devote ourselves to the defense of the European Union,” she added. (15 January)