18.07.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Our guest today is Dr. Radim SRŠEŇ, President of European Leader Association for Rural Development (ELARD), member of the European Committee of the Regions, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Czechia, Mayor of Dolní Studénky, former vice-chairman of STAN (a liberal political party in Czechia)
Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of CJ: Dear Radim, welcome to the Caucasian Journal. You have recently visited Georgia taking part in the Kutaisi Fourth International Forum, and it was not your first event in Georgia. May I ask you to tell a bit about yourself, and how you became familiar with our country?
Radim SRŠEŇ: It is my great pleasure to participate in this interview. I must say that I love Georgia. My first visit was in 2015, when I was president of European Leader Association for Rural Development. The European neighborhood policy program started with supporting Georgia mostly in the area of agriculture, but we tried to use other tools, like so-called LEADER and Local Actions Groups [LEADER is a European programme with the aim to involve local actors in rural areas in the development of their regions by forming Local Actions Groups (LAGs) – CJ]. I was asked by the biggest Czech NGO which is very active in Georgia – “People in Need” – to participate, so from 2015 to 2017 we established groups in Georgia.
I have a great appreciation for Georgia and believe it has huge potential. I strongly feel that it belongs to Europe and the European Union. So, also in my role as Deputy Minister, we are working to establish systematic cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. Additionally, we are trying to foster relationships and partnerships between the cities and the regions.
Secondly, in the European Committee of the Regions, which brings together mayors and governors of the regions from the European Union, there is a special body that focuses on the relations between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries. I'm also a part of this group.
I have a great appreciation for Georgia and believe it has huge potential. I strongly feel that it belongs to Europe and the European Union.
The relations between Czechia and Georgia are traditionally very good. We are currently exploring various cooperation projects, including those under Erasmus or Horizon Europe. Georgia is one of the target countries of Czech Republic, and I see a lot of potential for collaboration.
I was very impressed by the successful Kutaisi Forum and the high level of expertise of the EU experts who participated. Kutaisi is a great example of a successful Smart City, similar in some ways to Brno in Czechia. It would be great to establish a partnership between Kutaisi and Brno.
Kutaisi is a great example of a successful Smart City, similar in some ways to Brno in Czechia. It would be great to establish a partnership between Kutaisi and Brno.
AK: Recently the European leaders in a joint EU statement called on Georgian authorities “to clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of actions which jeopardizes Georgia’s EU path, de facto leading to a halt of accession process.” That’s a pretty sharp wording. How do you assess the situation?
RS: I always refer to the European Union as a family for us. We celebrated 20 years in the EU recently, on May 1st. As in every family, there are some frictions, but the most important aspects are the values and common goals shared by all members. This is not just the case of Georgia – it was also with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, sometimes Poland, and of course Hungary.
Our European family is built on important values, I believe. It's not just about money, but about security, and upholding and preserving these values. Maintaining and promoting these values is crucial and is a key requirement for EU membership.
I was very happy last December when the European Council finally decided to open the doors to Georgia. This decision was not easy, as there were certain tasks that needed to be completed before obtaining the status, and while they were fulfilled, they were not at 100 percent. However, we chose to welcome these countries into Europe and open our doors to them. Unfortunately, there are concerns regarding the Foreign Agent Law that are not in line with the EU values. This means that there will be numerous obstacles on the path to membership. I believe that this is fundamentally a question of values, and it seems that the EU will stand firm on this issue.
EU is like a family. But before the wedding, you have to learn to live together and accommodate different needs and customs. That's all I can say.
So it's up to the people going to the upcoming elections. I believe that Georgia's EU membership is crucial for the country's economic, social, and security interests. And it's also good for Europe, but we really need to ensure that members and candidate countries demonstrate a genuine commitment to the EU values. We are looking ahead to the upcoming elections, and I hope that Georgia will recognize the significance of joining the EU. Based on this, we will deal with this legislation.
EU is like a family. But before the wedding, you have to learn to live together and accommodate different needs and customs. That's all I can say.
AK: We also hope that the European door is not closed for Georgia. You have a wide experience with the Czech and EU institutions. Which mechanisms would you like to highlight that might be important to Georgia?
RS: I believe that the most important principle in the European Union is subsidiarity. It's beneficial to address issues such as security and various market issues at the European level; however, I also appreciate the multi-governance model, which delegates issues from the European level to national, regional, and local levels. The regional aspect is crucial and provides numerous tools that can be used to meet the needs of the country or region.
Europe is different because it's built on stakeholder associations that advocate for their interests. Although the structure is complicated, it provides a unique opportunity for any stakeholder and citizen to be heard.
Europe is different because it's built on stakeholder associations that advocate for their interests. Although the structure is complicated, it provides a unique opportunity for any stakeholder and citizen to be heard.
I believe it's important for Georgia to settle its position and be active on all levels, especially considering that Georgia is already represented in the European Committee of the Regions, just like Ukraine. It's crucial to be active in these platforms because they are parts of the EU, and they provide a window through which Georgia can express its opinions and positions.
AK: Maybe you would like to tell more about the STAN party, which seems to be more than a typical political party? How successful is it?
RS: Yes, it's quite unique and very much connected to the existence of many municipalities in the Czech Republic. We have 6,257 municipalities that are self-governing and have their own Mayor's offices.
I served as the mayor of Dolní Studénky for 14 years. Around 2008, the mayors were dissatisfied with the budgets they received. For example, Prague received 30,000 Czech crowns per citizen from Czech taxes, while a small town received only 4,000, creating a sevenfold difference. It was challenging to address this without a strong political force, so the STAN party was established as the Mayors' party. Our main goal was to achieve fairer tax distribution between large cities and small municipalities. We successfully entered the parliament in coalition with the TOP 09 party, forming a unique combination of a "city liberal" party and a "party from the regions". We got six members of parliament, and in next elections 3 years ago we got 34 members of parliament. We are the second strongest coalition party. We have representatives also in the European Parliament. This is an example how to build a party from the bottom up. I would recommend it also in other countries, but it's not so easy to build a successful party.
STAN party was established as the Mayors' party. Our main goal was to achieve fairer tax distribution between large cities and small municipalities.
AK: I wanted also to ask you about the European Leader Association for Rural Development (ELARD) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). Can you tell a bit about them, and whether their programs are in any way relevant for Georgia?
RS: I will start with European Committee of the Regions (CoR) because it's an official institution of the EU. It was initially intended to serve as the second chamber of the European Parliament when it was established by the Maastricht Treaty. The CoR primarily plays a consultative and advisory role, producing opinions that are not legally binding but carry strong recommendations. These opinions should be taken into account by European institutions, particularly the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and others.
Its mandate is similar to that of the European Parliament. The Czech Republic has 12 members of the CoR and 21 members of the European Parliament. Half of them are mayors of big cities, and I am the only one from a small municipality. I am the first vice chairman of the commission, which deals with the development of natural resources, agriculture, tourism, and healthcare. I'm also part of CORLEAP (Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership), where Georgia is already represented by two members. We hold conferences, one of which was last year in Batumi. Once you become a member of EU those members will become members of the CoR.
The second institution you mentioned is the European Leader Association for Rural Development (ELARD). It's a typical example of how civil society and stakeholders from different interest groups are organized in Europe. The Georgian Association of Local Action Groups (GALAG) is a member of this association.
ELARD is a respected bottom-up association with NGO status which serves as the voice of the local action groups and rural areas at the European level. When an organization is recognized by EU, it becomes an official partner of the European institutions. This allows representation in different working and advisory groups during the legislative process. Furthermore, it offers the opportunity to meet with European Parliament Commissioners and ministers. This provides a powerful tool for representing the interests of local groups and rural areas at the European level.
There is another initiative called European Rural Parliament, where more rural organizations are organized under the roof of European Parliament. It’s also a kind of lobby actor, quite powerful on the European level. Georgia is also a part of this Rural Parliament, and your representatives are coming for the sessions. So those are doors and windows are open.
EU is not a paradise, so it's tough work and will take several years to fulfill all the requirements. But I think it's worth it. I cross fingers for you on this way, and I hope that we will have opportunity to assist you.
AK: If there is anything else that you would like to add for our readers the floor is yours
RS: It's really important for Georgia and also Europe to be a part of the EU, and I think this window is quite unique now. When I spoke to my friends 8-10 years ago it was hardly imaginable for Georgia because of its geographical position. Turkey won't be a member of EU at that time, and there was no discussion about Ukraine, so it would be difficult for Georgia to become a member as an isolated country. The accession of Ukraine opened this new opportunity, and I think it's very unique.
I'm happy that I can very imagine Georgia being in EU. I've been to Georgia 35 times and when I come to the airport I’m always impressed by European flags everywhere and this enthusiasm. EU is not a paradise, so it's tough work and will take several years to fulfill all the requirements. But I think it's worth it. I cross fingers for you on this way, and I hope that we will have opportunity to assist you. The doors are always open to your cities, municipalities, regions and also the ministries.
AK: Thank you very much.
RS: Thank you very much, it was my pleasure.
Read the Georgian language version here.
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