Articles Archive

The package consists of ten legislative proposals. Its support was by no means certain, with the fractions counting every vote. What demands does this comprehensive package place on the Member States? And does the package contain mandatory quotas, as the Czech opposition claims? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented on the approval process of the new legislative package for ČT24.

French President Emmanuel Macron is talking about sending troops to Ukraine, but his country has already sent 600 million euros to Russia for liquefied gas this year. And the country is not alone in this. What do Martin Vokálek and Vít Havelka from the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy say about this?

Russia has a significant interest in influencing European elections, which raises awareness in the European Parliament. The issue of Russia's interference will also be addressed in the plenary session. Measures such as restricting visits to the Parliament building or holding events on its premises are being considered. Nevertheless, member states still play a crucial role in foreign and security policy of EU, as commented Jonáš Syrovátka, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute, for main evening news broadcast on TV Nova.

On 10 and 11 April 2024, Prague will host a two-day conference entitled "20 Years of Reuniting Europe's East and West", organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Think Visegrad platform and the project (Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement (REWEU) supported by the International Visegrad Fund and the European Commission. The programme will also include the second edition of the EU Enlargement Forum.

The newly elected Slovak President Peter Pellegrini will follow a long-standing tradition and his first foreign trip will be to the Czech Republic. This is despite the cooling of diplomatic relations between the countries. According to Kristína Chlebáková, project manager of EUROPEUM Institute, the relations are still highly superior and the new Slovak president will not want to disturb them. She commented on the future of Czech-Slovak diplomatic relations for the daily MF DNES.

The remaining two months until the European Parliament elections in June represent a crucial period for political debate and public discussion. What kind of issues will resonate across Europe? And can we expect a strengthening of nationalist parties? EUROPEUM Institute analyst Vít Havelka commented on the upcoming elections for TN.cz.

The Czech Republic ranks among countries with highest emissions, with industrial and domestic heating being the main source. From 2027 onwards, new measures will be implemented, affecting households and automobiles, as part of the European commitment to the Green Deal for Europe. One of these measures is, for example, the second version of emission permits. Research associate from the EUROPEUM Institute, Rebeka Hengalová, discussed this system on the main broadcast news on TV Nova.

Recent investigation into the purchase of Pfizer vaccines by the EU has revealed the involvement of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, raising questions about transparency and accountability. With the interconnection of several cases, including allegations of undisclosed agreements and legal actions, attention to negotiation processes and financial management within the Commission is increasing. The outcomes of these investigations may influence public trust and future leadership of the EU, highlighting the delicate balance between transparency and privacy protection. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute, offered a commentary for iRozhlas.cz.

We would like to invite you to a debate on a topic "20 Years of Reuniting Europe’s East and West: Is the EU Ready for Another “Big Bang” Enlargement?" The debate will take place on Thursday, April 4, from 16:00 to 17:15 h at Prague University of Economics and Business.

We invite you to a regional debate marking the 25th anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to NATO, which will take place on Wednesday, April 3rd, at 5:00 PM in the AKORD Cultural House located at SNP Square 1, 700 30 Ostrava-Zábřeh.

The Czech Republic uses the most money from EU funds for the reconstruction of railway stations, new railway corridors or new motorways. At the same time, traffic is continuously increasing and in some places the capacity is no longer sufficient. Rebeka Hengalová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this issue for the main evening broadcast of TV Nova.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faces charges related to the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer. The first information came from the The New York Times, which has subpoenaed European Commission documents relating to the negotiations for the purchase of the vaccines. Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented on the case for TN.cz.