# Central 5

Central 5, also Central Five (C5), is an informal Central European political cooperation between Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia that began in 2020. It is organised in the format of ministers responsible for foreign affairs. The group was initiated by the Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
The main reason for closer cooperation between the countries is the coordination of the activities connected with the COVID-19 pandemics. Meetings are focused on border crossing and the exchange of views on EU activities to overcome the economic and social crisis caused by the pandemic.

## Current representatives

* Austria Alexander Schallenberg Minister for European and International Affairs
* Czech Republic Jan Lipavský Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Hungary Péter Szijjártó Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
* Slovenia Tanja Fajon Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
* Slovakia Juraj Blanár Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

## Country comparison

| Name | Republic of Austria Austria | Republic of Austria Austria | Czech Republic Czechia | Czech Republic Czechia | Hungary Hungary | Hungary Hungary | Slovak Republic Slovakia | Slovak Republic Slovakia | Republic of Slovenia Slovenia | Republic of Slovenia Slovenia |
| Name | Republik Österreich | Republik Österreich | Česká republika | Česká republika | Magyarország | Magyarország | Slovenská republika | Slovenská republika | Republika Slovenija | Republika Slovenija |
| Arms | | | | | | | | | | |
| Flag | | | | | | | | | | |
| Population | 8,902,600 (2020) | 3rd | 10,693,939 (2020) | 1st | 9,772,756 (2019) | 2nd | 5,457,926 (2020) | 4th | 2,095,861 (2020) | 5th |
| Area | 83,879 km$^2$ | 2nd | 78,866 km$^2$ | 3rd | 93,030 km$^2$ | 1st | 49,035 km$^2$ | 4th | 20,271 km$^2$ | 5th |
| Government | Federal parliamentary constitutional republic | Federal parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
| Capital | Vienna | Vienna | Prague | Prague | Budapest | Budapest | Bratislava | Bratislava | Ljubljana | Ljubljana |
| Head of state | Alexander Van der Bellen (Ind.) President (2016–) | Alexander Van der Bellen (Ind.) President (2016–) | Petr Pavel (Ind.) President (2023–) | Petr Pavel (Ind.) President (2023–) | Katalin Novák (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) President (2022–) | Katalin Novák (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) President (2022–) | Peter Pellegrini Voice – Social Democracy President (2024–) | Peter Pellegrini Voice – Social Democracy President (2024–) | Nataša Pirc Musar (Ind.) President (2022–) | Nataša Pirc Musar (Ind.) President (2022–) |
| Head of government | Karl Nehammer(ÖVP/EPP) Federal Chancellor (2021–) | Karl Nehammer(ÖVP/EPP) Federal Chancellor (2021–) | Petr Fiala (ODS/ECR) Prime Minister (2021–) | Petr Fiala (ODS/ECR) Prime Minister (2021–) | Viktor Orbán (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) Prime Minister (2010–) | Viktor Orbán (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) Prime Minister (2010–) | Robert Fico (SMER/unaffiliated) Prime Minister (2023–) | Robert Fico (SMER/unaffiliated) Prime Minister (2023–) | Robert Golob (GS/RE) Prime Minister (2022–) | Robert Golob (GS/RE) Prime Minister (2022–) |
| Foreign minister | Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP/EPP) Minister of European and International Affairs (2021–) | Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP/EPP) Minister of European and International Affairs (2021–) | Jan Lipavský (Pirates/G-EFA) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2021–) | Jan Lipavský (Pirates/G-EFA) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2021–) | Péter Szijjártó (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2014–) | Péter Szijjártó (Fidesz/EPPsuspended) Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2014–) | Juraj Blanár (SMER/unaffiliated) Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs (2023–) | Juraj Blanár (SMER/unaffiliated) Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs (2023–) | Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2022–) | Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2022–) |
| GDP (nominal) | $477.672 billion (2018) | 1st | $261.732 billion (2020) | 2nd | $180.498 billion (2020) | 3rd | $111.874 billion (2020) | 4th | $56 billion (2020) | 5th |
| GDP (nominal) per capita | $53,764 (2018) | 1st | $24,569 (2020) | 3rd | $18,535 (2020) | 5th | $20,495 (2020) | 4th | $27,452 (2020) | 2nd |
| GDP (PPP) | $461.432 billion (2018) | 1st | $432.346 billion (2020) | 2nd | $350.000 billion (2020) | 3rd | $209.186 billion (2020) | 4th | $83 billion (2020) | 5th |
| GDP (PPP) per capita | $51,936 (2018) | 1st | $40,585 (2020) | 2nd | $35,941 (2020) | 5th | $38,321 (2020) | 4th | $40,343 (2020) | 3rd |
| Currency | Euro (€) – EUR | Euro (€) – EUR | Czech koruna (Kč) – CZK | Czech koruna (Kč) – CZK | Hungarian forint (Ft) – HUF | Hungarian forint (Ft) – HUF | Euro (€) – EUR | Euro (€) – EUR | Euro (€) – EUR | Euro (€) – EUR |
| HDI | 0.914 (very high) (2018) | 1st | 0.891 (very high) (2018) | 3rd | 0.845 (very high) (2018) | 5th | 0.857 (very high) (2018) | 4th | 0.902 (very high) (2018) | 2nd |
| Gini | 27.5 (low) (2019) | 4th | 24.0 (low) (2019) | 3rd | 28.0 (low) (2019) | 5th | 20.9 (low) (2019) | 1st | 23.9 (low) (2019) | 2nd |

## Meetings

| Date | Place | Host |
| 16 June 2020 | Vienna, Austria | Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs |
| 14 July 2020 | Budapest, Hungary | Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| 15 September 2020 | Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia | Anže Logar, Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| 12 November 2020 | Virtual | No host |
| 13 May 2021 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Ivan Korčok, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs |
| 20 July 2021 | Mělník, Czechia | Jakub Kulhánek, Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| 12 April 2022 | Kamenice, Czechia | Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| 13 June 2022 | Budapest, Hungary | Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| 27 September 2023 | Vienna, Austria | Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of European and International Affairs |
| 26 March 2024 | Ljubljana, Slovenia | Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign Affairs |