Heads of state in Slavkov format: Europe demands a wise course and cooperation!

Heads of state in Slavkov format: Europe demands a wise course and cooperation!

At a historic summit in Austerlitz Castle, the presidents of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia discussed the explosive geopolitical situation in Europe. Alexander Van der Bellen, the Austrian Federal President, warned that the world was becoming increasingly unstable and called for a “smart peace and defense policy”. He stressed that it is time to step up cooperation in Europe, especially in light of US President Donald Trump's recent decisions regarding military support to Ukraine. According to Van der Bellen, the escalations of the last few weeks are a clear call to action Small newspaper reported.

The differences between the countries are obvious despite the common cooperation. Czech President Petr Pavel strongly supports military aid to Ukraine, while Slovakia, represented by President Peter Pellegrini, opposes renewed arms deliveries. Pellegrini also expressed criticism of the Ukrainian government's guest emissions and fears negative effects on the Slovak economy. He called for patience and a reflection on the importance of the European defense efforts. For the future of military aid, it may be necessary to form a “coalition of the willing” if no agreement is reached, as both Vienna.at as well as the Kleine Zeitung report.

Closer cooperation in the region

A central point of the summit was cross-border cooperation. Topics such as health, emergency services and infrastructure were on the agenda. Transport routes between the countries were also discussed, with Pellegrini pointing out the need for more bridges. Van der Bellen praised the successful cooperation between the three countries, which should be strengthened not only in dealing with crisis situations, but also in economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the summit, students presented innovative projects that were recognized by the heads of state. There was a clear desire for closer cooperation in the Slavkov format, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.