Russia's war in Ukraine has destabilised supply chains and strained food systems in Africa and the Middle East, highlighting their vulnerability and the need to increase their resilience. Writes Clément Steuer, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague.

Given the lack of adequate EU responses over rule of law violations, politically-willing European states ought to consider a novel accountability mechanism. It is high time for committed European states to take innovative and decisive action on more than a decade of democratic backsliding sweeping the region and the world. Should European Union Member States concerned about rule of law violations seek a solution outside the EU institutions? Our researcher Henry Barrett, a Fulbright-Schuman Grantee, writes about this topic in his blog.

On April 18th, EUROPEUM’s Brussels Office in partnership with PISM Brussels Office under the Think Visegrad platform hosted a discussion titled “Regional Cooperation in Central Europe in the Aftermath of Russia’s War: Changes and Prospects”. This event was attended by 15 experts from think tanks and representatives of EU institutions.

Another in the series of EU-Pacific talks dealt with fostering work-life balance in diverse societies. The debate focused on examining current demographic trends and their social consequences in high-income countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. The discussion also touched on social systems, flexible job opportunities, and the pressures women face when balancing work and private life.

On April 11, 2024, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy along with its partner INCIEN Institute for Circular Economy, held a roundtable titled A Circular Solution for Czechia. This round table was part of a project called The End-of-Life Management of the Automotive Industry and the Opportunities for Czechia.

Are you interested in the European Union and the future of the European continent? Do you want to work in an international team and gain experience in organising events at the highest political level? Apply by 10 May and get a unique experience organising the Prague European Summit conference.

The Think Visegrad platform, which brings together think tanks from the Visegrad countries, including the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, is offering eight visiting fellowships to non-Visegrad expert fellows for the period Summer/Autumn/Winter of 2024. The duration of fellowships varies from 6 to 8 weeks (based on agreement with the hosting institute).

With Hungary taking over the EU presidency in July 2024, many are questioning the EU's ability to promote its values in its member states. Indeed, the EU is about to hand over its presidency to a state that has been criticised for its actions that threaten the rule of law and is subject to the procedure set out in Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), writes Maxime Painot in his blog.

The end of Charles Michel's mandate as president of the European Council this year comes at a time of seismic — and consequential — geopolitical shifts. Hugo Blewett-Mundy, a non-resident associate research fellow from the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, explains why he views the current Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as the best fit for the position soon to be vacant.

Energy communities are an effective means to decentralize and renew our energy systems with sustainable solutions as they are usually based on renewable energy. They have already started emerging in 1970´s, yet there has been a significant increase in their development only in recent years, also in terms of their introduction into the EU legislation. Especially in Western and Northern European countries the concept already enjoys vast popularity. On the other hand, in Central and Eastern European countries (further referred to as CEE) energy communities are only beginning to emerge. The policy brief (based on literature and interviews with various stakeholders ) examines the benefits energy communities may bring, and more importantly, the main obstacles remaining in their way for greater evolution in the CEE region – and especially Visegrad countries (V4). As these initiatives progress, sharing the best practices will ensure the success of the community energy in the energy transition. Writes Alžbeta Gavalcová.

In December 2023, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law establishing the Office for the Protection of the Sovereign, a state agency that now has unlimited access to personal data to search for and prosecute alleged foreign agents among the Hungarian population. Our researcher Henry Barrett, a Fulbright-Schuman Grantee, writes about this topic in his blog.

The selection of candidates to fill the highest positions in the EU institutions is always a complex alchemy, where the results of the European elections must intersect with political, geographical and, in recent years, gender balances. Read the full article here.