"V4: Back to Basics" - this is the motto of the Polish presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4).Poland took over the annual presidency of the V4 Group for the seventh time.
Flags of the Visegrad Group countries - Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary - and the European Union. Photo by Łukasz Gągulski/PAP
On 1 July 2024, Poland for the seventh time begins its one-year presidency of the Visegrád Group (V4) under the motto “V4: Back to Basics.” Assuming the rotating annual position from the Czech Republic on July 1, Poland’s Foreign Ministry announced that this year's theme, 'V4: Back to Basics,' underscores the core principles of Visegrád cooperation: freedom, human rights, the rule of law, and a steadfast commitment to European integration and security collaboration in Europe.
The three priorities of Poland’s V4 presidency
The program of the Polish presidency is based on the above-mentioned principles. Additionally, support for Ukraine is an element closely connected with three priorities of Poland’s V4 presidency: "Citizens’ Safety", "Connectivity" and "Unleashing the Potential".
The International Visegrad Fund plays a crucial role in the implementation of the third objective by offering grant and scholarship programmes aimed at deepening cooperation between citizens and civil society organisations.
Although the countries of the Visegrad Group have different political approaches to military aid for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, they are united by interpersonal cooperation in fields such as culture, tourism, and science. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are also connected by economic and infrastructure issues.
A very important role in the program of the Polish presidency is also the discussion on horizontal EU issues, including cohesion policy after 2027, agricultural policy, forestry, and EU finances.
The symbolic handover of the V4 chairmanship from the Czech Republic occurred in Prague during a meeting of Visegrad Cooperation National Coordinators on June 20, 2024. This is the seventh time Poland has taken on the V4’s presidency since the group was created in 1991. From January 1, 2025, the Polish Presidency of the Visegrad Group will coincide with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Visegrad Four
The Visegrad Group (also known as the "Visegrad Four" or simply "V4") is an informal regional format of cooperation between the four Central European countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. The Visegrad Group was formed on 15th February 1991, when the Presidents of Poland and Czechoslovakia, Lech Wałęsa and Václav Havel, and Prime Minister of Hungary József Antall signed a joint declaration on the objectives and conditions of cooperation in the Hungarian town of Visegrad. The so-called After the breakup of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993, the Visegrad Triangle was transformed into the Visegrad Group (V4), which today consists of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
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