"It will not be easy and it will not be comfortable": Czech PM on the need to react to changing world order
The international order is undergoing its biggest change since the fall of communism and Europe must respond to it fast, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in an address to the nation on Monday. He said Europe must pull together and put “both money and weapons on the table” in defense of its values.
"We are living in groundbreaking times that have placed new challenges ahead of us," the Czech prime minister said in an address to the nation on the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition to Russia’s expansionist ambitions, he said, Europe now faces a radical change in the position of the US leadership, which has long been the main guarantor of peace and the existing world order.
“This new reality is something that we have to respect. It does not mean that the United States is no longer our ally, but we have been given to understand quite clearly that the time has come for Europe to stand on its own and address its own problems – not just as regards defense, but also business and international relations”.
Mr. Fiala said that the Czech Republic could either take these changes as an opportunity to grow and use them to the best advantage or fail to respond to the changing circumstances and pay a high price economically and security-wise. Given the country’s bitter historic experience, the Czech Republic has the advantage of knowing just how real the threat of Russian expansionism is, Fiala said.
“Membership in NATO, the European Union, European defence cooperation, and spending on common defence are effective tools to keep us safe in the long term. Our basic goal now must be a strong Europe that can deter Russia from further military attacks on sovereign European states.”
The prime minister said it was vital for Czechia to increase spending on defence to at least 3 percent of GDP over the next few years and stressed that the European Union must change its fiscal rules, allowing for huge investments in defense and security. Also he said, money from frozen Russian assets from across Europe should be used for further military support for Ukraine.
At the European level, according to Fiala, the as yet unused 93 billion euros (about CZK 2.3 trillion) from the so-called Recovery Fund should be used to support joint purchases for armies or to support the strengthening of critical infrastructure.
"It will not be easy and it will not be comfortable," the prime minister said of the changes that await Europe in the years to come. Again, he stressed the fact that Czechia should see this as an opportunity to grow.
“We are talking about significant additional expenditures. But it is also an opportunity. Czechia has always had a strong defence industry. Our arms factories are top notch and economically strong, in recent years they have been expanding to other countries, including the United States. So let us use this opportunity to grow. Our allies will need to bolster their defense and we can help. Let that be an impetus for our economy, innovation, competitiveness and employment. Analysts say that one crown spent on defense will create three for the economy. We cannot let this opportunity slip by. “
Fiala said that economic prosperity must go hand in hand with defense since only a strong Europe could stand up to the threat posed by Russia.
In order to do that he said Europe would have to cut back on excessive regulation, revise the Green Deal and work on removing existing hurdles to business and trade.
