BREAKING NEWS! Hungary no longer alone: Czech Republic rejects EU migration pact

The new coalition government in the Czech Republic opposes the EU’s migration pact and is preparing a new plan, Radio Prague International reported.

Czech Republic says no to EU migration pact

The populist government led by Andrej Babis, prime minister and leader of the ANO party, plan to reject the pact and prepare a new regulation on migration and asylum.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Babis, who won the October election, said the government will actively participate in efforts by EU countries to find real solutions to migration outside the territory of the union.

According to former Interior Minister Vit Rakusan, by rejecting the EU migration pact the country would lose the tools against illegal migration that would remain with neighboring states.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has also rejected implementing the EU’s migration pact, saying his government will not spend “a single dime on them.”

According to Anadolu, the EU governments approved the Pact on Migration and Asylum in May 2024, despite opposition from Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. It aims to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across member states and reform the bloc’s border and asylum procedures.

Presumably, Poland’s new government will no longer obstruct the implementation of the EU migration pact.

Orbán’s Slovak socialist ally, Robert Fico, is also unlikely to change his opinion, although there is serious conflict between the Hungarian and Slovak sides due to the passing of a law against the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.

Expected to be a hot topic in the elections

Orbán, on the other hand, is preparing for elections, and one of his main messages is criticism of illegal migration, so he is expected to send even stronger messages to Brussels than he is now, for example, by featuring President von der Leyen in a negative context on billboards.

Von der Leyen Zelenskyy Magyar billboard campaign orbán campaign — Photo: Daily News Hungary

Orbán’s primary challenger, Péter Magyar, also appears on the posters, although Magyar has repeatedly emphasized that illegal immigrants will not be allowed to enter Hungary under his future government.

Read here for more articles about migration in Hungary.

Czech President: New Government Must Act Responsibly in NATO and EU

According to Anadolu, Czech President Petr Pavel on Monday appointed a new government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, urging the Cabinet to provide domestic stability while acting as a responsible and constructive member of NATO and the European Union.

Speaking at Prague Castle, Pavel said the new Cabinet was formed following the October parliamentary elections and completed within the time frame agreed upon. The procedure adhered to constitutional guidelines and met public expectations, he added.

“I am very pleased that today we are concluding the process of forming and appointing a new government,” Pavel said, noting that the Cabinet was appointed by Dec. 15, as agreed with Babis, Radio Prague International reported.

Pavel said he held individual meetings with nearly all incoming ministers prior to their appointment, focusing on policy priorities and leadership of their respective ministries.

He described the consultations as a standard part of the process aimed at clarifying expectations before ministers took office.

He warned that the new government is assuming power at a turbulent time marked by international tensions, economic uncertainty, and heightened domestic expectations. He called on ministers to help unite society and provide citizens with a sense of stability and direction.

Emphasizing the country’s foreign policy orientation, Pavel said the Czech Republic’s security and prosperity are inseparable from its membership in NATO and the EU. Without NATO, he said, the country would not be safer, and without the EU, it would lack economic stability and long-term prosperity.

He urged the government to be a reliable partner in both organizations, stressing that while disagreements with decisions made in Brussels or within NATO may arise, they must be accompanied by constructive proposals.

Pavel added that he would closely monitor the government’s adherence to democratic standards, specifically the independence of public service media, the judiciary, public prosecutors, and security services.

The ANO, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), and Motorists parties have formed a coalition to support the new cabinet, which has 16 members, including four deputy prime ministers.