In the Media

In France, final preparations for the July summer Olympic Games are underway, but according to surveys, less than half of the French believe the country can ensure a their smooth course. Confidence in current political leaders has also been undermined by the European elections, where the opposition scored a significant victory. The opposition far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen no longer wants to leave the EU; they want to influence it. However, they need allies for that. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office at EUROPEUM Institute, comments on this for Respekt magazine.

The luxury Alpine hotel Bürgenstock on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland will host the largest peace conference on Ukraine to date this coming weekend. Leaders and diplomats from nearly 90 countries will be there to seek ways to end the worst armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The ambitious event has been accompanied by criticism over the non-participation of Russia, China and US President Joe Biden. Even so, experts say the summit could be an important first step towards peace. Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute, describes the possibilities the conference will offer for e15 journal.

Even thought parties belonging to the far right achieved good results in the European elections, their growth was not enough to have a major impact on politics in the future European Parliament. What developments can we anticipate with regard to the policy of enlargement of the EU after the elections? Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, comments on the situation for Serbia's Radio Free Europe.

The European Parliament has many negotiations ahead of it, be it the distribution of political parties in the political groups, the filling of key positions or the names of the new European Commissioners. What is the most interesting thing to watch on the European stage right now? What other moments will now influence the development of European politics? Vít Havelka, research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, comments for ČT24.

According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský, it is crucial for the future of Europe how it deals with Russia's brutal aggression towards Ukraine and its increasingly aggressive stance towards the West. He also emphasized that it will be essential for the European Union to ambitiously strengthen its role as a global player in the coming period, including prompt action in the development of the defense industry. He presented this vision in his speech at the Prague European Summit co-organized by EUROPEUM Institute and the Institute of International Relations.

Despite the weakening of the strongest supporters of the Green Deal in the European Parliament elections, the parties that promoted it still dominate the political scene in Brussels. Experts agree that the Green Deal for Europe will not be abolished, however, adjustments may be made to it. Commenting for Respekt magazine is Kateřina Davidová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute.

The political group Volt received five times more votes in this year's European elections compared to 2019. Does it have the potential to gain even more support? Where did this political group come from and what is in its program? Vít Havelka, Senior Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for The Parliament Magazine.

The green parties has weakened, while the eurosceptic, far-right and climate-sceptic factions have strengthened. However, this is unlikely to be a significant obstacle to the implementation of the Green Deal for Europe. The parties behind it have retained the most seats. What implications will the results of the European Parliament elections have for the Union's climate and environmental policy over the next five years? Senior researcher of EUROPEUM Institute Kateřina Davidová commented for Seznam Zprávy.

Ninety countries and organizations confirmed their participation in the Peace Summit focusing on the war against Ukraine in Switzerland. The United States will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris, China refused to participate and Russia was not invited. What are the key goals of the summit? Why did China decide not to come? Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute Tereza Novotná commented for Ukrainian-Polish online outlet Sestry.eu.

After Filip Turek and Kateřina Konečná achieved significant success in the European Parliament elections in the Czech Republic, a debate has arisen about their stance on the migration pact. Turek aims to free himself from its constraints, while Konečná advocates for its complete abolition in its current form. But is this even feasible? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented this topic for Novinky.cz.

Who will take a seat in the European Commission for the Czech Republic? What portfolio should he/she focus on? And which government party has the right to nominate a new Commissioner? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the topic for Czech Radio Plus.

After the European Parliament elections, the two largest factions retained their positions. However, far right parties has made gains at the expense of the Liberals and Greens. It was significant in France, Germany, Austria and other Member States. Why more and more young people vote for them? Will the right-wing groups in the EP join forces? And how can they influence migration policy, support for Ukraine or the Green Deal? For RTVS programme Z prvej ruky comments Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office.