In the Visegrád Group, there is a desire to both strengthen the powers of member states, but also defend the Schengen area, and the four freedoms. Unsurprisingly, talk of treaty change is in the air. Euractiv’s Central European partners report.

As for the Czech Republic, the country has always been opposed to either opening the treaties or a deepening of differentiated integration. There is a prevailing opinion that the legal framework and instruments at hand offer enough room to tackle the current challenges. Regardless of possible variable speeds, the EU should address the biggest expectations of its citizens.

These discussions tend to be currently overshadowed by those focusing on the security aspects of future European cooperation.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats) plans to discuss Brexit and the European project’s future with all parties elected to the Czech Parliament next week. Sobotka says he wants to have a “nation-wide” discussion across the political spectrum.

According to Pavel Fára, of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, one of the problems of Czech EU debates is that European topics are used by populists for raising a “storm in a teacup” and sidelining the important issues. Read more opinions and reports on other Vid\segrad partners (Poland, Hungary and Slovakia).