ČT24 | The first plenary session of the new European Parliament

MEPs will elect the new leadership of the European Parliament at the inaugural session in Strasbourg. Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola from the European People's Party is once again running for the position of president. On Thursday, they will also choose the head of the new European Commission, with most leaders supporting the current president, Ursula von der Leyen. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

The position of the President of the European Parliament is largely symbolic; it is still a legislative role and not an executive one. The President represents the Parliament externally, and their moment comes when it concerns the internal functioning of the European Parliament or when representing the interests of MEPs at member state summits. In both cases, I think Roberta Metsola has proven herself, especially regarding the internal functioning of the European Parliament.

You can watch the entire interview here from the 21st minute.

Viktor Daněk
Deputy Director

Before entering the NGO sphere, Viktor Daněk worked for almost ten years as a journalist. During his time with the public service Czech radio, he focused mainly on covering EU affairs. He spent almost five years as a permanent correspondent in Brussels, where he cooperated with other media outlets. Before his career in journalism, he gained experience in the area of marketing and communication in the Česká spořitelna banking group and at the Czech Technical University in Prague. He holds university degrees in Media Studies and International Relations. Viktor Daněk joined the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in October 2023. He continues to be active in the media as a freelancer. His main areas of interest are institutional questions of European integration, globalisation and the EU’s climate and migration policy.