Press Advisories

11. 4. 201419:47

Premier Sobotka Stresses the Importance of European Integration at a Conference Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of EU Membership

11 April 2014 – Speaking at a conference entitled "Czech Republic and Europe through Each Other's Eyes", held earlier today to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Czech membership in the European Union, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka stressed the importance of European integration and reflected on the EU's role in launching the democratization process in the Czech Republic 25 years ago.

According to the premier, openness, solidarity, cooperation, and trust are instrumental in solidifying relations between the Czech Republic and other EU-28 countries, where adherence to these values, combined with an active approach on the part of Czech officials, improves the Czech Republic's bargaining power in negotiations at the EU level.

Sobotka's Cabinet has shifted considerably the Czech government's policy toward the European Union. The new pro-European orientation is reflected especially in the Czech Republic's accession to the Fiscal Stability Treaty.

Stabilizing the economic and monetary situation in the European Union is viewed as a high priority, and the Czech government supports measures leading to a deeper integration of economic and fiscal policies and to the restoration of trust in the European financial sector. The new Cabinet is in the process of reviewing its predecessor's cautious standpoint on monetary integration and financial cooperation. Considering the extent to which the Czech and European financial sectors are intertwined, the Czech Republic is prepared to defend actively its interests within the forthcoming banking union, including preparations for accession.

The policy statement of the new Czech Cabinet puts strong emphasis on deepening and expanding the European integration process and on intensifying cooperation between the European Union and Transatlantic countries.
The government regards the institutions and Member States of the European Union as the principal guarantors of security, prosperity, democracy, and solidarity in today's Europe. Accordingly, active efforts will continue to be made to enforce policies that ensure that the European Union remains politically influential, capable of taking action, economically competitive, protective of democratic values, and supportive of social cohesion and human dignity.