When the whole nation unanimously condemns the Canadian diplomacy, one needs to be alert. Aren’t we giving into a summer hysteria? Aren’t we provoking ethnic intolerance by headlines like “Canada imposed visas (on Czechs) due to Roma migration”? Don’t we also have, like the Canadians do, some homework left to do? Isn’t recalling an ambassador an exaggerated reaction?
Everything suggested already in late June that Canada will introduce the visas. Opposite information was only coming from a single source: the Foreign Ministry. So either the Canadians deliberately pulled their counterparts’ leg, or the Czernin Palace was unable to decode the information. The shocking move is a result of both the failure of the Czech Foreign Ministry and of Canadian “betrayal”.
The visa introduction is only understandable from the viewpoint of its internal politics, but not from the perspective of correct bilateral relations.
Why is Canada restricting access for people whom it grants asylum later?
It either regards Czech, Moravian and Silesian Roma as people facing discrimination – and wants to offer citizenship to discriminated people; then, however, there is no reason to have visas.
Or they are not discriminated and are not entitled to asylum – and there is therefore no reason for visas.
That’s why we don’t even want to think of what the “visa” policy will look like. The only administrative way to prevent Roma exodus is for Vienna to reject applications filed by all dark people whose surname is Lakatoš. And only that will be genuine discrimination – like when British officers years ago put the “G” mark next to Romanian names on the list of passengers!
On principal, there is no reason for visa introduction – but principles is mostly not what moves politics. Canada gave us a lesson on tough real politics.
It waited until our EU presidency is over so that our Euro-alliance is weakened. It waited until a weak caretaker prime minister takes office. It waited until summer, when Europe is moving to the seaside and nobody cares about Czech troubles. Brussels, and especially France and Germany, don’t like us since the instant that we managed behind their back to achieve visa-free relations with the USA.
Despite the inconsistent effort of Czech politicians to improve the real economic situation of the local Roma, despite the catastrophic behaviour of Foreign Minister Kohout, despite the Brussels hypocrisy, it is apparent that Canada has simply told the Czechs where to get off.
The welcome sentence on the Canadian embassy website reading “Canada and the Czech Republic enjoy excellent bilateral relations” suggests hypocrisy as big as the Hudson Bay.
