The impact of populism in the V4 countries on European integration and migration reform

This paper analyses the influence of the main populist parties in the Visegrad Four (V4) on the process of European integration, especially in the context of the discussion and approval of the proposed migration reform. The paper is divided into three chapters. The theoretical part defines key concepts such as populism, Euroscepticism and their interconnection in the form of Eurosceptic populism. The first chapter of the practical part first identifies the main populist movements of the Visegrad Four countries that were in power between 2020 and 2023, including ANO, Fidesz, OĽaNO, PiS and Smer. Next, the chapter analyses the impact of the V4 countries on European integration in terms of violations of The Rule of Law and European climate policy. The last, key chapter focuses on the influence of populist parties on the European Pact on Migration and Asylum. It first introduces the current Dublin asylum system and then compares it with the content and objectives of the new migration reform. It then identifies the main points of criticism of the migration reform by the V4 populists. Following this, the key moments at which Eurosceptic populists in the V4 countries have tried to influence the adoption of the migration pact are identified. It concludes with an assessment of their overall influence on the course of the approval process and identifies the means by which they attempted to influence the approval of the reform.