European Union is a solution, not a problem, says President

Slovak President Andrej Kiska kicked off his first visit to EU institutions in Brussels on Tuesday by meeting European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for talks that focused mainly on the bloc's further direction, Slovakia's position in it as well as economic issues that directly concern the country's interests. Kiska pointed to Slovakia's EU and eurozone membership as success stories that helped to kickstart the country's economy and set a positive direction for it. "I'm glad to have heard Mr. Juncker say that even his personal initiative for Slovakia's membership has been a success story", said the Slovak head of state. Kiska went on to point to what he called Slovakia's historic opportunity in taking over the EU presidency in the latter half of 2016, presiding over 500 million Europeans, which is something Slovaks could never have dreamed of in the past. That said, he stressed the aspect of responsibility that comes with Slovakia's tenure at the helm of the Council of the EU. "Many politicians like to take potshots at the EU. I agreed with Mr. Juncker that this isn't correct, because the European Union is not a problem; rather, it is a solution to the problem", said Kiska. Hence, responsible leaders need to present the EU as required and show the direction that it should follow. The EU is a power that sometimes acts as if it lacked confidence, but it should show the strength that lies in the unity of its members.