Regional geographer and university president Jaroslav Koutský believes geography, family ties and long-standing habits all help explain why. Freedom of movement has been one of the European Union's defining principles ever since Czechia joined the bloc in 2004. As then European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit reminded the European Parliament, labour mobility remains central to the European project: "Labour mobility is a crucial element... It is at the heart of a well-functioning single market," Schmit said, adding that mobility is "a fundamental freedom of the European Union." Even university students stay close to homeKoutský sees the same tendency among today's university students.