Final Word from Wednesday, January 14, 2026

FAZ wrote about the mixed signals the new Czech government is sending toward Brussels. Andrej Babiš is in the Coalition of the Willing and refuses to join the anti-EU chants of SPD or anti-Ukraine coalition of Slovakia and Hungary, FAZ said, but he also refuses to make financial commitments to Ukraine. He initially opposed the ammunition program but then made an about-face under pressure from the U.S., FAZ said, probably because he still has an ear for economic arguments. FAZ could have mentioned Visegrad but didn't. In his speech yesterday before today's confidence vote, Babiš said we need the V4 as a tool against Brussels, but he also glossed over the failure of the V4 to take a united stance on Mercosur, which Poland and Hungary oppose. With almost no public debate, and despite opposition from the Agrarian Chamber, Babiš said last month that his government was keeping the favorable stance toward Mercosur of the Fiala cabinet because of the export opportunities. The Czech vote couldn't change anything anyway, so instead of showing solidarity with the Poles and Hungarians, Babiš threw a bone to the Germans. [ Czech Republic trade deal agreement EU Commission United States Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Germany Volkswagen Škoda Auto ]