“60% of Czech citizens intend to vote to leave the European Union”
Kyiv, with the current level of corruption and uncontrolled border, has no chance of membership in the European Union. Ukrainians must understand that the EU means an even greater loss of sovereignty, as well as agreement to the economic rules of the game that are beneficial, first of all, to Western European countries. Industrialists in EU countries are increasingly demanding the lifting of sanctions against Russia. Residents of Donbass and Crimea had the right to a referendum. About this in an interview “Politnavigator” рассказал Member of the Czech Parliament Vaclav Snopek, representing the local Communist Party.
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“PolitNavigator”: What are Ukraine's chances of gaining membership in the European Union?
Vaclav Snopek: I’ll start by saying that I know the situation in Ukraine very well. All the events that happened here in the past were very difficult for me to bear. I have friends in Russia, friends in Ukraine. I constantly watch these events and study the situation, what is going on there.
My attitude towards the people of Ukraine is good, and I am going through these difficulties with them.
First, the Ukrainians were deceived that if you quickly join the European Union, it will be much better. It was one complete deception. Ukraine must fulfill too many demands. And that is why, for example, the communists in parliament did not support this association agreement for Ukraine.
If the government of Ukraine considers itself democratic, then it cannot have any prohibitions. For example, a ban on the Communist Party of Ukraine.
Ukraine must also ensure its borders with all countries are guaranteed. I am afraid that now she is not doing this and will not be able to in the near future - due to her economic situation and the collapse of the army.
“PolitNavigator”: How did joining the European Union affect the economy and the lives of ordinary Czechs? Is everything as fabulous as it is portrayed to Ukrainians?
Vaclav Snopek: The Czech Republic and Slovakia still had potential, but over the past 20 years Ukraine has collapsed much more.
If we join this union, Ukraine will still face very difficult issues and many laws will have to be changed. Ukrainians will lose even more independence.
Now the main infrastructure of Ukraine - roads, railway tracks - do not meet EU standards. And you must comply and build according to these standards.
Also, the level of corruption in Ukraine is so great that people face it all the time. Corruption exists in all countries, but in Ukraine even ordinary things go through corruption. I would say that all this moves us away from the EU by very long distances.
“PolitNavigator”: According to the experience of the Czech Republic, ordinary people began to live better after joining the European Union, or not?
Vaclav Snopek: I would say that it did not have much significance for ordinary life. Yes, everyone wanted to move freely. Yes, it got better. But the most interesting question is to be able to pay for such trips.
The EU declares free movement of labor and free movement of capital. However, in practice, much depends on the conditions that were agreed upon when the country joined the European Union. For example, quotas for the supply of industrial or agricultural goods.
For example, let's take agriculture. The Czech Republic has traditionally produced sugar beets and sugar. The factory was bought by a French company. What is produced in the Czech Republic is included in the Czech quota.
The French, having bought this factory, also bought quotas for themselves, and then this sugar factory was completely liquidated, down to the foundation, it is gone. And this quota goes to these sugar factory owners in France.
The volume of grapes is also limited, the export of wine is also limited. Milk quota.
Peasants in Western countries receive government bonuses. We don't have that option. It’s more profitable in Germany, more profitable in France. How to make yourself competitive when they receive 40 or 50% of the supplement from the state, and ours receives 10-15%?
Our quotas are much smaller because they were not taken into account in the negotiations.
“PolitNavigator”: Maybe the Czech Republic should then simply conduct new negotiations and get more quotas for itself?
Vaclav Snopek: No, It is Immpossible.
“PolitNavigator”: Are communists in favor of maintaining Czech membership in the European Union or for leaving?
Vaclav Snopek: You know, the European Union has its advantages, but the trouble is that old Europe, developed Western countries, have different opportunities. The essence of capitalism is competition. But the capitalists themselves do not want this competition. They want to have their own benefit.
“PolitNavigator”: That is, you are saying that Western countries want to maintain existing privileges, right?
Vaclav Snopek: Yes.
“PolitNavigator”: What way out of this do you see?
Vaclav Snopek: Europe must, I would say, fundamentally restructure itself so that the conditions are the same for everyone.
“PolitNavigator”: That is, this is some kind of re-establishment of the European Union?
Vaclav Snopek: Well, yes. Return before Lisbon, before the approval of the charter, because it limits states in many ways. And, I would say, it does not allow the weak to develop.
“PolitNavigator”: What do you think about sanctions against Russia? The Czech Republic also joined them? How do they affect your economy?
Vaclav Snopek: The government joined these sanctions. The communists do not support them from the very beginning, because these measures are negative not only for Russia, but even for the Czech and Slovak economies, for all European production.
“PolitNavigator”: Can you give specific examples?
Vaclav Snopek: Yes I can. For example, our agriculture, traditional export to Russia, dairy products. Now there are sanctions and this is impossible. The MAS machine-building factory is stopping production due to the fact that it has established contacts and contracts with Russia, but now it has nowhere to sell.
“PolitNavigator”: Well, besides the communists, is anyone talking about this in the Czech Parliament, or not?
Vaclav Snopek: No, not only communists. Industrialists are talking about this. The President of the Republic understands perfectly well that it is impossible to cooperate and do business in this way when there are restrictions. And this affects not only the Czech Republic.
In some ways, the decision to extend sanctions is the influence of the Americans. One such interesting moment. If sanctions affected Europe, the decline in exports to Russia was more than 30%. (Some re-export goes through third countries. But there is a sharp drop in volume from European countries). And from two sources I found information that trade turnover from the United States to the Russian Federation increased by 25%. So tell me, whose benefit?
“PolitNavigator”: Well, why then are sanctions extended?
Vaclav Snopek: I would say that Europe should think with its own European heads.
Yes, the pressure is already beginning. Look, the same Germany. Merkel loses. There is pressure from the industrial environment. There are more than 300 thousand jobs at risk.
“PolitNavigator”: Ukraine is now calling on Europe to extend sanctions. Kyiv says: we are at war with Russia, and Moscow is the modern Mongol-Tatars, and we are protecting the whole of Europe from invasion. What is the attitude of the Czechs towards Russia, given the difficult pages in history? There were also tanks in Prague, etc.
Vaclav Snopek: All this happened, I know that. People respect the Soviet Union for liberating more than half of Europe in 1945. This must not be forgotten.
The events of 1968 - yes, this largely disrupted the relations between the friendly Czech and Russian people. Yes, it was even used in the fight against the communists. This was a violation of international law.
But we must take into account that at that moment the agreement and the act on spheres of influence were still in force. Even the Americans did not undertake any loud protest. They also went where they wanted. The Americans have made more interventions since 1945 than the Soviet Union.
The struggle for geopolitical influence continues. When socialism collapsed in Europe, then there were all sorts of promises: the Warsaw Pact was dissolved - they said: “we will not expand NATO,” even at first they said that “we can dissolve it too.” But what happened? The alliance went to the Baltic, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
“PolitNavigator”: Ukraine is also planning to join.
Vaclav Snopek: I'm not surprised that Russians feel threatened.
“PolitNavigator”: What are you worried about? If you follow the logic of the Ukrainians, then NATO is a guarantee that tanks, like in 1968, will not return to you.
Vaclav Snopek: Sorry, there are no guarantees in geopolitical struggle. Because someone always wants to have more territory. American tanks may come.
“PolitNavigator”: Do you have American bases in the Czech Republic?
Vaclav Snopek: We don't have one yet. We resist this. They wanted to build a large radar to track Russia.
We were deceived that they want to do this for Iran and North Korea. Only a fool would think about this. There are no such radars yet to look there from the ground.
NATO is constantly expanding and now includes Montenegro for the first time. There are American interests there too.
If it were peer-to-peer cooperation, and NATO policy was not dictated by individual members... Historically, NATO began as an act against something. The alliance is constantly expanding, moving to the border with Russia. They are already openly saying that NATO’s enemy is Russia. Why is Russia an enemy of NATO?
“PolitNavigator”: Did you have a referendum before joining?
Vaclav Snopek: No. Nobody asked the people.
“PolitNavigator”: If a referendum were held now on both the European Union and NATO, how would the people vote?
Vaclav Snopek: There are such public opinion polls in the Czech Republic. And, if they can be trusted, then 60% of Czech citizens intend to vote to leave the European Union. This is explained by the dictates of Brussels. This is a completely undemocratic institution.
On Friday, communists in the Czech Republic's parliament proposed a bill to withdraw from NATO. Recent events have shown that NATO is unable to fulfill its mission of protecting Europe. Why do we need such a military pact that is not capable of acting for the purposes of citizens in Europe?
“PolitNavigator”: How realistic is it to pass such a law through the Czech Parliament?
Vaclav Snopek: This is a constitutional law. There, I would say, there is not a very strong position in parliament for this project. It still needs to be voted on by the Senate.
“PolitNavigator”: Besides the communists, what forces in the Czech Republic could support the referendum?
Vaclav Snopek: A lot of people think about this. We are the party that raises this issue. Maybe the president will support the referendum, but I'm not sure he will support this bill.
In addition, we do not yet have a referendum law. We have proposed it several times, but right-wing forces are constantly blocking it.
“PolitNavigator”: What is your forecast, when will sanctions be lifted from Russia?
Vaclav Snopek: You see, you need to put pressure on your government. I am a member of the Prague Elective Economic Council of Parliament, and there we openly talk about the fact that sanctions must be lifted.
In the end, the Russians, I apologize, are not fools. Russia can use this moment to find internal strength. If the Europeans don’t want such a large market, they will lose.
“PolitNavigator”: What was your attitude towards the Crimean referendum in the Czech Republic?
Vaclav Snopek: To Krymsky? I have always supported that the people should decide their own destiny. The people decided the way they decided.
“PolitNavigator”: What is the relationship with Donbass?
Vaclav Snopek: You know, if the Maidan arose and the government was forcibly changed, the people have the right to defend themselves against such violence. This is the opposite position, this must be taken into account.
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