Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said today during an informal European Union (EU) summit in Cyprus that he, like most EU member state leaders, rejects double standards in EU enlargement policy: Ukraine must meet all the conditions for membership, just as is required of the Western Balkan countries.
"We need to have the same yardstick for everyone. If the Western Balkan countries have to meet individual entry conditions, then Ukraine must also meet them. That is the position of most leaders - we demand the same conditions for all new member states," Babiš told Czech journalists.
Babiš also protested at the summit because the plan for the new EU multiannual budgetary framework from 2028 includes less funding from EU funds for some countries, including the Czech Republic, because they are successfully closing the initial gap with rich, developed member states.
"The European Commission is proposing approximately 20 percent less funding for us nominally. Allegedly because the Czech Republic is getting richer. I don't know how they concluded that we have become so rich. They want to take about nine billion euros from us. That is unacceptable," Babiš said.
He said that his government's main task is to ensure that the Czech Republic has at least the same funds in the next seven-year EU budget.
"We managed to do it last time," said Babiš.
He said he expected difficult negotiations on the future EU budget and warned that his government also rejects the introduction of some additional sources of funding.
"EU member states have diametrically opposed opinions. It's a classic: net payers don't want to pay more, net users don't want to get less, and the European Commission wants more," Babiš said.
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