Central European countries are becoming more assertive within the European Union and should use their growing economic and political weight to shape the bloc's future, the prime ministers of Croatia, Czechia and Slovenia said at the Bled Strategic Forum.

The leaders argued that the region, once largely viewed as a recipient of EU funds and a beneficiary of enlargement, now has experience and political influence that can help determine the direction of the 27-member bloc.

"Central Europe, and especially the V4, is crucial for the future of Europe," Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said, referring to the Visegrad Group of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

"Now cooperation is being renewed. We are waiting for the Visegrad Four meeting with the Irish Prime Minister on September 10. We are glad that we have more partners with whom we can work together for a better future for Europe, because Europe is not in the best shape at the moment," he said, according to a Czech government statement.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the participation of four Central European prime ministers at the forum itself demonstrated the region's increasing importance. Central European states were becoming "stronger, more resilient, more competitive and more influential" in the EU, he said.

The countries were also becoming more confident in advancing their interests, Plenković said, pointing to closer regional links and the completion of difficult reforms and structural changes.

The shift comes as the EU faces pressure to strengthen its competitiveness, energy security and defence while managing the war in Ukraine, migration, demographic decline and the prospect of further enlargement.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša said Central and Eastern European countries had lessons to offer the rest of the bloc after two decades of membership.

"When we joined the European Union, it was the golden age of enlargement. We believed that we had joined an almost perfect structure," Janša said.

He argued that the EU should draw more heavily on the experience of its members rather than relying primarily on regulation. "There is something in every Member State that works great. The European Union is a treasure trove of good practices," he said.

Janša said Europe had become too dependent on cheap Russian energy, Chinese goods and US security guarantees, leaving it vulnerable as the geopolitical environment changed.

"Over the past 20 years, we have become too dependent on cheap Russian energy, cheap Chinese products and the American security shield, and now we are falling behind," he said.

Central European governments increasingly argue that their experience of dependence on Russia, exposure to geopolitical instability and the economic transformation since EU accession gives them a particular perspective on the bloc's current challenges.

Migration is one area where Central European governments believe their views have gained wider acceptance. Janša said countries in the region had warned early about the need to strengthen the EU's external borders, while recent discussions had brought greater consensus around migration policy.

The region also wants a stronger voice in determining EU spending. Babiš opposed plans to shift a larger share of EU funding towards programmes managed centrally by the European Commission, arguing this could make it harder for Central European states to access resources.

"It is unacceptable for us that Member States should have fewer funds available - while in the current period 2021-2027 Member States manage approximately 64% of the budget, the Commission proposes that this share should fall to less than 45% in the next period," Babiš said.

He said the change would make it harder for countries in the region to participate in centrally managed programmes and obtain funding.

Energy is another potential area of influence. Plenković said Croatia wanted to exploit its position as an Adriatic-Mediterranean gateway for Central and Eastern Europe, highlighting infrastructure as a means of strengthening regional energy security and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The Croatian prime minister also argued that EU decision-making should remain politically driven rather than becoming overly bureaucratic.

"Because the more, I would say, sensitive topics are brought before the Council, I think it will be better for our democracies. If the Council is run too administratively and bureaucratically, with all due respect, then I think we will sometimes miss what is politically important for all of us," Plenković said.

The region's ambitions come with limits, however. Central and Eastern European economies remain, in general, less wealthy than their Western European counterparts and many continue to depend heavily on EU cohesion funding and investment. Their populations are also generally smaller, reducing their individual weight in EU institutions.

The region's political influence also does not always match its growing economic and strategic importance. Plenković said that, during recent foreign policy crises, major powers had often preferred dealing directly with large EU member states rather than with EU institutions. That can leave smaller Central European countries with less influence individually, particularly on issues of foreign policy and security.

"Various interconnected crises have significantly strained the functioning of the Union in recent years. Therefore, now more than ever, we should work to strengthen solidarity among us and focus on what unites us," Plenković said.

Janša argued that Europe needed to compensate for its economic strength with greater defence capabilities. "Investing in soft power alone is not enough," he said, pointing to the war in Ukraine as evidence that the EU needed greater military capabilities and deterrence.

The Central European leaders also backed continued EU enlargement, particularly to the Western Balkans, viewing the process as an important instrument for strengthening Europe's security and geopolitical position.