Saviors Of Europe? The Self-Perception of the Visegrad Group between Migration and the War in Ukraine

Författare

Giovanni Sabbadin

Summary, in English

The Visegrad Group (V4) has often portrayed itself as the protectors and saviors of European civilization. This thesis investigates how that collective self‐image evolved across two major crises: the migration crisis (2015-2019), and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2022–2025). Using critical discourse analysis of prime‐ministerial speeches and press releases, and drawing on securitization theory, social‐identity theory and intergovernmentalism, this thesis compares how the V4’s narratives on their self image, sovereignty, solidarity and security shifted between these events. The study finds that during the migration crisis, V4 leaders produced a unified discourse that securitized non‐European migration, invoked shared cultural identity and opposed EU redistribution quotas, presenting the group as protectors of Europe. In contrast, the war in Ukraine exposed divergent national priorities: Poland and Czechia advocated sanctions and solidarity with Ukraine as a way to protect Europe as a whole, whereas Hungary and later Slovakia emphasized national interest, energy dependence and calls for a cease‐fire. These contrasting responses reveal that the V4’s saviour narrative is mutable and dependent upon geopolitics. When faced with a perceived civilizational threat, the group can mobilize a common identity; however, when national and economic interests diverge, the discourse fragments, underscoring tensions between sovereignty and solidarity and challenging the V4’s coherence as a regional actor.

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