CNN Prima News | European migration pact: does the Czech Republic have an exemption or not?

The Chamber of Deputies discussed the EU Migration Pact for over three hours. The opposition criticises the pact and claims that it indirectly introduces quotas. At the same time, there is uncertainty about the interpretation of a possible exemption. What does the pact stipulate and what impact could it have on the Czech Republic? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented for Partie Plus on CNN Prima News.

"The Czech Republic has and does not have an exception. That is what this dispute is about. Of course, there is nothing like an explicit exception for the Czech Republic in the legislation. What is there is the possibility for the Czech Republic, as well as for any other state, to request that it take into account the fact that it is already under migratory pressure, or is burdened by a large number of refugee applications from Ukraine who have temporary protection status, which the migration pact takes into account and puts on a par with asylum seekers."

You can watch the full interview from 35:35 here.

Viktor Daněk
Deputy Director

Before entering the NGO sphere, Viktor Daněk worked for almost ten years as a journalist. During his time with the public service Czech radio, he focused mainly on covering EU affairs. He spent almost five years as a permanent correspondent in Brussels, where he cooperated with other media outlets. Before his career in journalism, he gained experience in the area of marketing and communication in the Česká spořitelna banking group and at the Czech Technical University in Prague. He holds university degrees in Media Studies and International Relations. Viktor Daněk joined the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in October 2023. He continues to be active in the media as a freelancer. His main areas of interest are institutional questions of European integration, globalisation and the EU’s climate and migration policy.