Macron’s EU charm offensive stops at Eastern Europe

Central and Eastern Europe clearly didn’t get the memo about “Macron-mania.” French President Emmanuel Macron earned a rockstar’s welcome at his Brussels debut, telling a packed press conference it was time to “redefine” the European Union’s priorities. But while Germany and other EU states echoed his optimism, the Visegrad Group — Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic — were of the opposite mindset. Angered by Macron’s suggestion that they used Europe as a “supermarket,” aides from those countries briefly contemplated calling off a planned meeting with the French president.

Ultimately, the meeting did take place and the Visegrad countries used it to make sure the “new guy” knew what they were thinking. “It’s not the best entrée for a new president — kicking at those with whom you want to engage in dialogue,” said an aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. “This is not the way we speak to one another at a European Council.” Despite the apparent early hostilities, Macron, determined to win over Europe after his successful election in France, pledged to work harder to win over friends in Eastern Europe.

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Source: POLITICO