There are increasingly strong signs that the Visegrad Group is no longer functioning. Without being declared dead, the association between Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary is “dormant” as a result of Warsaw’s veto. PiS governors in Poland do not agree with Viktor Orban’s attitude. They want the PM of Hungary to be on the “same line” with Warsaw’s policy, that of “fighting” against Russia and Vladimir Putin with all his might and with all his conviction. However, the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, is dependent on Putin’s policy of supporting the Hungarian economy. Without oil and natural gas from Russia, Hungary would collapse economically in less than three months. Apart from that, the two states have large-scale contracts, especially the Paks II nuclear power plant, with two reactors of 1.2GW each.
Repeated attempts by the Czechia and Slovakia to revive the Visegrad Group have not yielded results. After 23 years “little EU”, as the Poles liked to say, now it shows no signs of life.
Under these conditions, the government in Warsaw is trying to attract Romania to the ani-Russian group that it wants to be its fighting banner in the 21st century. Marshal Josef Piłsudski (Poland’s military dictator between 1926-1935) also made a similar attempt. His concept “INTERMARIUM”, an Ani-Russian shield between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, was the goal of his reign, unsuccessful.
Now, the conservative government in Warsaw, with the tacit support of the US, is trying to attract as many Eastern European states as possible in its inverted policy to disintegrate the Russian Federation.
Recently, the Polish PM emphasized that Poland’s once close relations with Hungary have “changed a lot” lately because of the position of the Hungarian government. Mateusz Morawiecki shows that now his country cooperates more closely with Romania and the Baltic states.
“Our relationship with Hungary has changed a lot because of Hungary’s position towards Ukraine and Russia, this is a fact. We once had a very strong cooperation at the level of the Visegrad Group, now it is much diminished”, said Morawiecki, addressing the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
“Instead of Hungary, we cooperate very, very closely with Romania and the Baltic states, that’s why I said that the Eastern European states, minus Hungary, have the same opinion on what is happening in Ukraine”, added the Polish Prime Minister, whose the country stood out among the main suppliers of arms and ammunition for Ukraine, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban refuses any military support for Ukraine, denounces the violation of the rights of the Hungarian minority in this country and demands peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.
Moraviecki’s statements in front of an audience in the US aimed to highlight his role as a leader in Europe’s fight against the Russian Federation. A role that Warsaw sees as a guiding light in becoming a great European power.
They are dreams that the governors of Warsaw had after the First World War, and before the Second World War. Unfulfilled every time.
It would be a big strategic mistake for Romania if it allowed itself to be drawn into such a project. It is neither in the immediate nor distant interest for Romania to allow itself to be misled by Poland.
Poland has never shown friendship to Romania and was not interested in a true mutual collaboration.
The most eloquent argument is demonstrated by the Ukrainian crisis, respectively by the fight against tax evasion and the transit of Ukrainian grains from Ukraine. While Romania acted as an associated state on this subject, Poland chose to pursue its own policy, without alliances with other interested states.
In this context, the establishment of March 3 as the day of Romanian-Polish Solidarity appears even more bizarre. According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the establishment of this day was made possible by the entry into force, today, April 14, of a Law dedicated to this event.
Is there any point in such an important step? No, of course NOT.
I checked the media coverage of this event in the two countries. While in Romania there was an avalanche of news dedicated to the event, the Polish press does not mention anything at all.
The Romanian-Polish “friendship” is more than relevant.
