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Policy Paper | Between Control and Contradiction: The V4 in the Age of the EU Migration Pact and Labour Shortages

Since the 2015 migration crisis, the Visegrád Four (V4) countries – Poland, Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia – have adopted strongly securitised migration narratives focused on control, sovereignty, and national identity. Although the region faces only minimal migratory pressure, migration remains a key political issue, often invoked during elections and EU-level negotiations. Yet this narrative of exceptional threat contrasts with the V4’s growing dependence on legal labour migration from third countries, driven by shrinking working-age populations, structural labour shortages, and low wages in key sectors. This paper examines these contradictions and governance gaps, focusing on the tension between securitised political discourse and economic reality.

Articles and Publications

8. December 2025

Katarina Schachtschneider works as a Project Coordinator at GLOBSEC and simultaneously serves as a Country Coordinator within the Think Visegrad – V4 Think Tank Platform. She has extensive experience in managing a wide range of projects, including proposal drafting, budget supervision, and the organisation and moderation of expert events, workshops, and podcasts. Her professional focus is on civic participation, the inclusion of minorities and vulnerable groups, and feminist approaches to public policy-making. At GLOBSEC, she coordinates the CEE Her Initiative, which aims to empower women across Central and Eastern Europe through capacity-building activities, public debates, and the development of strong support networks.

Read the full policy paper in the PDF below:

Policy Paper_TV_K.Schachtschneider LC_edited_7.12.25 Stáhnout