Demonstrating that the bond between the two states is more than just political declarations or self-interested cooperation, Hungary is marking the Day of Hungarian–Polish friendship with a series of cultural events across the country.

Gergely Gulyás spoke at a conference organised by the Mathias Corvinus Collegium and stated that Hungary’s dependence on the EU is not due to its 1.4 per cent contribution to the Hungarian GDP, but rather because Hungary is a part of a unified Europe and Schengen area, and the common market is essential for Hungary’s economy.

While President Katalin Novák had to respectfully decline her invitation for 1 January, the Prime Minister made sure to pay respects on behalf of his country within a week.

The Czech Prime Minister said at the joint press conference that he was convinced the V4 cooperation had a future. He underscored that the meeting in Kosice was important, as ‘an open dialogue can be held even on issues on which there are different views.’

A homogeneous tax would create a certain order in the taxation of multinational corporations, but for the Visegrád countries it could be a drag on economic development. If it is accepted, the countries in question will have to find other ways of attracting foreign capital.

Although the Visegrád Four may be facing one of the most severe disruptions of its history, it is too early to discount it as a “collateral victim of the war,” as the cooperation’s main virtue has always been its ability to overcome momentary political disputes.

In the last decade, both Poland and Hungary have been actively formulating European policy; however, this duo is not strong enough without the active support of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is also a warning sign that the loudest criticisms of Hungary and Poland can often be heard from inside the V4.

To sum up, there are the so-called ideological ‘leftists’ who are in power in much of Europe, including Berlin and Paris, and there are the pragmatic ‘rightists who are in power in the Visegrád Group countries, especially in Budapest and Warsaw, but, for the time being, they are in opposition to most of Europe.

Evaluating the past and projecting scenarios for the future is especially important at a time when the V4 countries experience one of the greatest challenges to their alliance since its inception, due to very different national approaches to the war in Ukraine.

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán also condemned the Russian move and at the same time made it clear that deploying Hungarian soldiers or military equipment to Ukraine was out of the question.

The latest public opinion survey from 2021 examines a wider range of V4 members’ self- and group perceptions, including pandemic topics.

A well-known Hungarian politician is said to have remarked that Hungary was a difficult country to govern, as the country comprised ten million freedom fighters.

Beyond business-as-usual cooperation between the
Visegrád countries, the chapter “Partnership” foresees a greater role for the so-called V4+ platform, with other partners joining in from time to time.

The 2021/22 Hungarian Presidency Programme also correlates to the emerging Korean-European dynamics of recent years.

According to Hungary’s viewpoint, due to the changing status quo in world politics, it is essential to strengthen economic relations with the Eastern major powers.

In the context of the EU foreign policy, the V4 act as an excellent role model for the Eastern Partnership (EaP), promoting its own know-how of the European integration.