Central Europe happy with roles in new EU commission

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – The prime ministers of four Central European countries say they are satisfied with the role of their countries’ representatives in the European Union’s powerful executive arm.

The premiers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia that form an informal grouping known as Visegrad Four, or V4, met in Prague on Thursday with their counterparts from Western Balkans states.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have a vice-president each in the new European Commission that was presented earlier this week. Hungary has a commissioner responsible for EU enlargement while Poland has an agriculture portfolio.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has called it “a great success,” while Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban says: “V4 is stronger.”

The four countries often clashed with the previous commission over migration.