On the day of the EU summit in Bratislava, President of the Institute for Public Affairs Grigorij Mesežnikov commented its course and context for a website SME.sk in a section Minute after minute.

Slovak self-reflection after the summit in Bratislava

Bratislava summit should show Europe and world a power and an ability of the EU to answer current serious challenges and to make a self-reflection. Let’s root for the participants to prove it. When the summit passes and Bratislava streets fill with cars and walkers, there must come time for our own domestic, Slovak, Bratislava self-reflection. How have we contributed to the success of the common European integration project so far (of which we have been an integral part for 12 years)? However, beside the fact, that we have successfully absorbed astronomical sums from EU funds every year?

It will be beneficial if thr self-reflection is done particularly by those Slovak politicians (and there are many - both in the coalition and opposition) who know what an EU membership means for Slovakia but never miss an opportunity to kick to “over-bureaucratic“, “centralist”, “detached from life”, “eurocratic” Brussels.

Membership in the EU (and NATO) is the best thing that has happened to this country in its history. The one, who would dare to look into an imaginary abyss which will be formed if the EU and our membership in it cease to exist, would certainly not see the bottom.

However the situation in the EU after Brexit and when dealing with the migration crisis will evolve, Slovakia’s strategic vital interest is to remain in a core of integration. Although geographically is Warsaw or Budapest closer and V4 has up to now been our safe regional harbour (unfortunately, recently it has rather been becoming a part of a problem instead of a solution), today, when unity and future of the EU and therefore future of our country is more important than ever, Brussels should be the closest to us.