In the Media

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented for ČRo Plus on the Czech Republic's position as the presiding country in Ukraine's EU accession talks. In his commentary, he mentioned what is the decisive factor for the length of the accession talks and whether it is possible to change these procedures during the state of war.

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented for Visegrad Insight. Žiga Faktor points out that the centre-left opposition parties united in an informal coalition known as the "Constitutional Arch Coalition" have not coordinated as closely as the opposition parties in the Czech Republic, which have formed two coalition blocs, the centre-right SPOLU and the centrist PirStan.

Our researchers Kateřina Davidová and Zuzana Stuchlíková assessed for Deník N the motto of the Czech Presidency, which will be "Europe as a task: reform, renew, strengthen". According to both researchers, this is a good choice. The speech by Václav Havel, to which the motto refers, is still relevant today.

Our senior research fellow Vít Havelka provided an analysis of the future progress of the Czech EU Presidency, which the Czech Republic will take over from France. The Czechs will have the opportunity to show that they are good negotiators who can bring the EU together. According to Havelka, we have the skills to do so and the benchmarks for success are already clear.

New cars sold in the EU after 2035 are to have zero tailpipe emissions. It is the electric cars only that meet the zero-emission criterion. The shift to electric vehicles will be what will help the Czech Republic maintain a stable position in the automotive value chain in the long term. Our research fellow Michal Hrubý wrote an article for Hospodářské noviny about the future of electromobility and the automotive industry in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic will take over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. How is the Czech Presidency prepared for its task and how will it cope with the challenges posed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine? In an interview for ČRo, our senior research fellow Vít Havelka commented on the topic.

The Fit for 55 package is designed to bring the EU to the already agreed target of a 55 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. Specifically, the Czech Republic must reduce emissions by 14 to 26 percent by 2030 compared to 2005. How will the Czech Republic face this change and manage the transition to electromobility?

The European Parliament votes to gradually tighten CO2 emissions for cars and trucks. Our research fellow Michal Hrubý gave an interview for the Czech Interests in the EU portal about the future of the car industry in the Czech Republic. How do Czech citizens feel about electric and hydrogen cars?

On Friday 10 June, the EuropaSecura competition culminated and the students from the teams that placed in the top three positions can look forward to a three-day trip to Brussels. "This is a competition for high school students interested in international politics, current affairs and security policy. But it is not only about knowledge, it is unique in the Europe thanks to the practical part," explained the main coordinator of the project Martin Vokálek, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

Our researcher Michal Hrubý wrote an article for Lidové noviny about the impact of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes an import embargo on Russian oil. In his article, he outlined the current situation on the oil market and the position of the majority of the European Union states.

In connection with the approval of the proposal to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines after 2035, Michal Hruby's commentary for the Seznam Zprávy news website is an optimistic view of the future that awaits us with electric cars.

According to Michal Hrubý, our researcher, the state's responsibility for the overall reduction of emissions in transport is a signal for the transition to cleaner mobility. In his commentary, he discusses what challenges await us in the transition to emission-free car models after 2035 and what opportunities are open to the Czech Republic in this direction. Kateřina Davidová, a researcher at our institute, adds her words on European climate policy, describing the possible impacts of weakening the EU ETS.