Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union Proves to be Effective and Economical

The Czech Republic held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2022, for the second time after its first presidency in the first half of 2009. Czech Deputy Prime Minister Marian Jurecka (KDU-CSL) announced that the cost of the presidency was CZK 2.03 billion, 15% less than the original expectation of CZK 2.4 billion. The Czech government allocated CZK 3.75 billion for the presidency in 2007-2009, which would be CZK 5 billion at today’s prices.

The presidency was successful both politically and economically, compared to the states that presided over the Council of the EU before and after. The Czech Republic managed to keep spending in check, spending CZK 545 million on the Interior Ministry, CZK 471 million on the Foreign Ministry, and CZK 468 million on the Government Office as the central coordinator.

The presidency faced significant challenges, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rising energy prices. These challenges were among the five political priorities of the presidency, which also included the strengthening of European defence capacities, cyber security, and resilience of the European economy and democratic institutions.

The Czech presidency worked to lower energy consumption during peak hours and impose a tax on the windfall profits of power companies and fossil fuel suppliers. Negotiations between EU countries resulted in the parameters for emergency caps on gas prices in the case of a significant increase. The EU unanimously approved three packages of sanctions against Russia, and finally approved financial support for Ukraine of 18 billion euros in 2023 after Hungary initially blocked it.

The presidency agreed to limit sales of new cars with standard combustion engines by 2035 and to reform carbon credit trading. Accession talks with Albania and Northern Macedonia were unblocked, and Bosnia and Herzegovina became a candidate country.

Experts praised the well-managed Czech EU presidency, but criticized the government for failing to present its results effectively to the Czech citizens.

In conclusion, the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union was successful in terms of cost management, political priorities, and accomplishment of goals. The presidency faced significant challenges, but the government managed to overcome them effectively. The EU agreed on significant energy policies and sanctions against Russia, as well as took measures towards a more sustainable future. Despite criticism, the Czech presidency was overall a positive experience for the country and the European Union.

Article by Prague Forum