Speaking to Czech journalists after the end of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest yesterday, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that countries in the global south need to be much more involved in reducing migration into Europe.
Fiala said there was a consensus at the summit that all European countries must work together on the issue, not just EU member states.
Fiala took part in a round table on migration at the summit and said the debate was very reasonable, concrete, and highly critical of what has been achieved so far in Europe to reduce the number of refugees.
He said that many European leaders are finally realising that migration is a complex problem that threatens Europe. He said the Czech Republic is one of the countries that are coming up with ideas, “because we are in that group of countries that want to go above and beyond the migration pact and be more assertive.”
The European political leaders at the summit also discussed competitiveness; Fiala said that this issue together with migration are things that unite countries on the European continent, whether they are EU members or not.
The EPC summit in Budapest will be followed today by an informal European Council meeting, which began last night with a working dinner and debate on the results of the US elections, US-European relations, and European competitiveness.”
The EPC was created in May 2022 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron. The informal platform is intended to promote political dialogue in Europe and contribute to its stability, security and prosperity. The first meeting was held in Prague in autumn 2022, followed by Chisinau in June 2023, Granada in October 2023, and Oxford in July 2024. The next meeting will be hosted by Albania in Tirana.
