The Czech Prime Minister compared the EU to the "twilight of the Roman Empire," criticizing the Green New Deal and strategic dependencies.

The Czech Prime Minister, Babiš, compared the EU to the "twilight of the Roman Empire."

In recent media interviews, Babiš accused the EU of driving its economy into decline through radical decarbonization plans.

Babiš likened the EU to the twilight of the Roman Empire: "The EU may now be on the same path as the late Roman Empire," arguing that the EU's economic, climate, and security policies are weakening the bloc itself.

The Czech Prime Minister’s striking historical metaphor—comparing the EU to the "twilight of the Roman Empire"—is, in fact, a full-scale declaration of war against the EU’s current core policy direction. Considering the recent context (late May to early June 2026), these remarks not only reveal the deepening fragmentation within the EU but also reflect how Central and Eastern European countries, represented by the Czech Republic, are accelerating their pursuit of "strategic autonomy."

Babiš’s central criticism targets the EU’s “Green Deal” and its aggressive decarbonization agenda (such as the Fit for 55 package and the ETS2 emissions trading system). He argues that, amid high inflation and intensifying external competition, Brussels is forcing up energy costs and imposing strict environmental regulations, which are effectively strangling Europe’s industrial competitiveness.

The real-world challenges faced by industrial powerhouses like the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany stem from soaring energy bills. Babiš pointed out that when businesses relocate due to cost pressures or go bankrupt unable to afford green transitions, the EU’s economic foundation will gradually wither—just like the late Roman Empire. The new Czech government fears that if Europe continues chasing abstract climate goals while ignoring cost disparities with competitors such as the United States and China, it will ultimately become nothing more than an "open-air cultural museum," economically left behind.

During the late Roman Empire, external mercenary forces were heavily relied upon to maintain borders. Babiš believes the EU today, overly dependent on U.S. military protection under the NATO framework, is repeating the same mistake.

With rising isolationist sentiments in the United States and the Trump administration reassessing Europe’s defense role—threatening to reduce its presence in Europe—the EU’s lack of "strategic autonomy" has been magnified into a critical security vulnerability.

Babiš’s warning is not merely rhetorical; it represents a collective frustration among Central and Eastern European nations (such as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, etc.) toward the elitist politics emanating from Brussels.

In short, by introducing the “twilight of the Roman Empire” thesis, Babiš is sounding an alarm to Brussels: if the EU continues to ignore member states’ economic capacities, remains excessively reliant on others for security, and allows internal interests to fracture the union further, this seemingly prosperous path of integration may indeed end in an inevitable institutional decline. This is not just a critique of the status quo—it is a clear action manifesto from Central and Eastern European countries demanding that the EU recalibrate its course toward a model of "limited engagement and interest-based priorities."

This is a清醒 individual!

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866764457120780/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.