In the Media

Everything indicates that after four years in opposition, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU), which secured nearly a third of the votes (28.5%) in the elections, will return to power. Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, Martin Vokálek, commented for Sestry.eu.

The Central European countries - Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic - are unequivocally in favour of the enlargement of the European Union towards the East and the Western Balkans. At the same time, however, they stress that the path to membership must be conditional on fulfilling all the established criteria. Ukraine recognises that its integration into the EU will be a long haul, but every step forward means further distance from Russia's influence. Jana Faktor Juzová, a research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Euractiv.

We need an overall change of approach to the adoption of legislation. After all, its purpose is supposed to be to unify 27 national regulations into a universal set of rules, but due to the flexibility left to the Member States, gold plating and differences in national implementations, and many other reasons, the complexity of legislation is increasing. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Hospodářské noviny.

Do you know what the second best book after the Bible is? According to Donald Trump, his bestseller, Trump: The Art of the Deal, helped him become popular and build his personal brand in the late 1980s. From this partly autobiographical book, the reader will learn, among other things, a wealth of advice on negotiating successfully. Trump presents himself as the ultimate deal-maker throughout his life. Viktor Daněk, the deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute commented for Český Rozhlas Plus.

The frontrunner to win the German elections, Friedrich Merz, proposes a return to comprehensive border controls. However, some European politicians believe that this measure could lead to the gradual collapse of the entire Schengen area. Experts say the outcome of this weekend's federal elections will affect the entire European Union. Martin Vokálek, the executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute commented for TN Live.

French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to strengthen Europe's role in global politics and to show that Europe must be an active player at the negotiating table, especially on peace in Ukraine. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Deník Právo.

European leaders had a busy agenda – after the Munich Security Conference, a key meeting in Paris followed. The focus is on the future of the war in Ukraine, relations with the U.S., and the loss of past certainties. Analyst Zuzana Krulichová from EUROPEUM Institute breaks down the events for Voxpot in the Puls podcast.

A second EU leaders' summit is held in Paris to discuss European security and the future of Ukraine. This time, other EU countries were invited, including the Czech Republic. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN.cz.

According to experts, the meeting of European politicians in Paris did not produce results that would indicate Europe's ability to play a major role in the negotiations on Ukraine. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN.cz.

Polish President Andrzej Duda talks to the US ambassador about the situation in Ukraine. According to the US embassy, this is the only meeting between an ambassador and a European leader. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, comments for STVR.

The debate will be important because its outcome will determine the direction of the next negotiations. Europe must say what it is able to offer the United States in order to have a seat at the negotiating table. The EU does not yet have a unified position, and it is essential to formulate it now. […]

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, thus breaking a nearly three-year-old diplomatic taboo. In his plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, he called Moscow before Kyiv. How does Donald Trump envision the art of the deal? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Český rozhlas.