The contours of the European Union's core could be known by the end of this year, Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday. There, Fico met French President Emmanuel Macron, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. "The contours of what Europe's 're-establishment' is to involve must be set out by the end of this year," said Fico. The Prime Minister also asserted that Slovakia aims to be engaged in reflections about the EU's core from the very outset.
By Fico's own admission, being involved in the EU's core will come at a price. "We'll need to move closer to one another in social and defence policies," said Fico. Macron pledged his commitment to drafting a joint plan, or an inclusive road map, by the end of 2017. "We need a new dynamic in Europe," stated the French President. Moreover, membership of the EU's core will not be strictly defined and it is not out of the question that some of the EU's founding members may not want to be its part.
The EU's Posting of Workers Directive was also discussed at the meeting. On Wednesday, before Fico's departure for Salzburg, the Slovak Government agreed on its stance that people posted from abroad should receive the same wage for doing the same job as local people. Thus, Slovakia wants to have social dumping prohibited by law.
"We cannot endanger Slovak employees by allowing employers to hire foreigners under conditions which would discriminate our workers. Banning social dumping is hence a very serious topic for us as well," stated Fico.
According to Kern, an agreement on the directive itself could be thrashed out in October.
