In the Media

The conflict in the Middle East has further intensified the fighting within the European Union. Some states are on the side of Israel, others on the side of the Palestinian Hamas movement. Brussels was not formally involved in the ceasefire agreement, but the European Union supported the signing of the ceasefire from the start and can play an important role now in implementing the agreement and ensuring that it is respected. Researcher Danielle Piatkiewicz at EUROPEUM Institute commented for Slovakian STVR.

On Monday, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. In his inaugural speech, he did not mention Europe even once. What message does this send? Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute Martin Vokálek commented for Horizont ČT24.

The European Union is awaiting the first steps of the new American leader with concern, especially in terms of support for Ukraine and the economic sphere. Trump has made no secret of the fact that he would substantially reduce funding for a country that has been resisting Russian aggression for almost three years. The prospect of higher US tariffs on all incoming goods is also another uncertainty. Research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute Danielle Piatkiewicz commented for Czech Press Agency.

Donald Trump will be sworn in today at the US Capitol, becoming the 47th President of the United States. What could this mean for Europe? Trump has already announced the introduction of tariffs, negotiations on the war in Ukraine or pressure on European allies. Deputy director and head of the Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute Žiga Faktor commented for Czech TV.

The European Commission, together with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has published a report on the aviation environment for 2025. In several scenarios, it lowers the outlook for the growth of flights across Europe by 2050 and describes the tools to help reduce emissions from aviation. Project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute Filip Křenek commented for Ekonomický deník.

Inauguration of incoming US President Donald Trump will be different from his first one in 2017. While last time he mainly addressed how big the crowd was that came to the event, this year the talk is about who will attend the ceremony. Among those invited to the Monday, January 20 event are politicians from the populist radical right and heads of state who do not respect the Constitution. From the Czech Republic, representatives of ANO, Motorists and Senator Robert Šlachta are heading to Washington. For iRozhlas.cz commented EUROPEUM Institute analyst Filip Křenek.

Is it waste or raw material? For almost a decade, the European Union has been trying to make the answer increasingly sound like raw material. In that time, it has adopted rules on how to better manage plastics, textiles and batteries. Now the new European Commission is preparing general rules for the so-called circular economy. EUROPEUM Institute analyst Filip Křenek commented for Czech Radio.

As part of the EU's broader strategy to reduce energy dependence on Russia and strengthen energy security, a proposal has been put forward to ban Russian gas imports to all 27 EU Member States, including the Czech Republic and Poland. The move is part of a response to geopolitical tensions and Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which has exposed the vulnerability of the European energy sector. How do the ten countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, justify this proposal? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Radio Plus.

The Czech Republic faces key elections at the end of the year. Geopolitical pressures from the East, domestic political problems and economic issues will be among the main challenges. Will the Czech Republic return to the illiberal bloc of Central and Eastern Europe? The fickle economy will decide. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Balkan Insight.

In November last year, Josep Borrell struck a deal with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, which he described as "historic and very timely", as one of his final steps as EU foreign policy chief. The ground-breaking agreement struck in Tokyo coincides with a new strategic partnership agreement between Japan and the EU, which came into force on 1 January 2025. EUROPEUM Institute Associate Research Fellow Hugo Blewett-Mundy commented for EUobsever.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico describes the decision of Ukraine, which is resisting the Russian invasion for the third year, to stop gas transit from Russia as a threat to Slovakia. Despite the announced end of gas transit, his government has not prepared Slovakia for this situation. It is negotiating both with Moscow over supplies from Russia and with the European Commission. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for morning news on Czech Radio Plus.

Poland assumes the Presidency of the European Union for the second time in its history. The main priority will be to strengthen European security. What results can Poland actually achieve during its presidency? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Radio Dvojka.