With the change of Czech government, Budapest could lose Prague’s support in its disputes with the EU over the rule of law. The next Czech Minister for European Affairs, former university rector and member of the Czech Senate Mikuláš Bek (PPE) told Deník N in an interview.

“For years I have watched the situation in Hungary with growing concern. As a former rector, I was concerned about how Hungary positioned itself with regard to university autonomy, ”Bek underlined.

Regarding the decision of the Polish Constitutional Court against the supremacy of EU law, Bek noted that “the situation is really serious”.

It is still unclear whether the Czech Republic would agree to the possible triggering of a conditional mechanism that could suspend EU funding to Hungary or Poland, as the future government does not yet have an official position. However, Bek stressed that the European Affairs Committee of the Czech Senate, where he chaired, supported the conditionality mechanism.

Yet finding consensus among future coalition parties on the issue will be difficult. While the Pirates (Verts / ALE) are staunch opponents of the current Hungarian and Polish governments, the conservative Civic Democrats (ODS, ECR) have never spoken out against Viktor Orbán or Mateusz Morawiecki.

Czech Prime Minister-designate Petr Fiala (ODS) and his Polish counterpart will be the sole leaders of the EU member states of the European conservative and reformist political group. “He (Fiala) is aware of it,” Bek noted.

“Although ODS is not part of the EPP, Petr Fiala has a good chance of having a more correct relationship with them, even closer than before,” said Bek. According to him, Fiala’s position will not be that different from that of the EPP.

(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)