At the turn of the year, Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the Czech Republic and will be responsible for leading the Union for the next six months. Although the Swedes have a reputation for being solid and liberal-minded partners, there are concerns about the great unknown because of the composition of their current government. For the first time in history, it is supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka wrote this article for VOXPOT.

The negotiations in Brussels are led by Czech Minister Jozef Síkela. According to him, a plan is ready and he believes in an agreement. Government representatives will try to agree on a cap on gas prices. Our researcher Vít Havelka commented on this topic for ČT24.

The originally scheduled regular meeting between the governments of France and Germany was eventually postponed. Could this be a signal of some major differences in relations between the countries? What are the causes of the contradictions? Are they more personal or political? What impact could it have if Paris and Berlin fail to agree on their position on China? Our senior research fellow Vít Havelka commented on the situation between the countries in the programme Odpolední Plus for Czech Radio Plus.

Until a few years ago, Chinese cars were considered to be copies of European or American cars. Today, China is the largest automotive market, including in the electric car segment, and Chinese manufacturers want to establish themselves in Europe. Our research fellow Vít Havelka commented on this situation.

The driving force of the electric car market is no longer Europe or the United States, but China. It is now trying to push its production into Europe, but the European current production infrastructure is not capable to face the challenge. While the debate about electric cars is mainly limited to environmental friendliness and price for consumers, the future of global competition is often neglected. This is what our researchers Vít Havelka and Michal Hrubý point out in a new analysis on electromobility. To safeguard its automotive industry, Europe needs to work on improving its battery production capacities, as well as its supply chains for primary raw materials, the experts say.

Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka commented for the E15 website on the issue of tourist visas and their restrictions for Russians. At a summit in Prague on Wednesday, EU foreign ministers agreed on a compromise regarding the ban on issuing tourist visas to citizens of the Russian Federation.

Eighteen years after joining the European Union, the Czech Republic assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the second time. Our Senior Research Fellows Vít Havelka and Kateřina Davidová commented for an article in Deník N on the role of the presidency, which in Havelka's opinion can be divided into two parts, namely legislative and political.

Vít Havelka, Senior Research Fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, was interviewed by the Belgian daily Le Soir. In particular, he discusses what is the main priority of the Czech Presidency, how it will be reflected at the European level and what will ensure the success of this Presidency.

Our senior researchers Kateřina Davidová and Vít Havelka provided comments for an article in Deník N on what the government is facing and what role the presiding state has in the development of EU legislation.

What of the Czech priorities can be achieved and what will be the biggest problem? Is there anything missing to reach a consensus among Member States on gas purchases? Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka was a guest on Czech Radio Plus's Topic of the Day.

Our Senior Fellow Vít Havelka appeared live on Radio Z to talk about the upcoming Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. He answered how the Czech Republic will influence the debate and what challenges the Czech Republic will face during the Presidency.

Our senior research fellow, Vít Havelka, wrote OUTLOOK: 2022 Czech EU Council Presidency, which is mentioned in the article of Hospodářské noviny on the Czech EU Council Presidency.