In the Media

EUROPEUM Institute examined the influence of MEPs on addressing european issues in the Czech Republic, and their activity in Brussels. How did Czech candidates fare? What will be the most important topics for the upcoming five-year term of the European Parliament? Researchers Vít Havelka and Rebeka Hengalová from Institute EUROPEUM discussed the ranking of the most active MEPs for the main broadcast TV Nova.

Cooperation inside the Visegrad Group depends on the political situation of each country. In recent years, the alliance has drawn attention to itself with its criticism of the southern European states and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Klára Votavová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, wrote her commentary for the biweekly A2.

MEPs who are running for re-election in the upcoming European Parliament elections emphasize their influence in Brussels and Strasbourg, as well as their ability to shape public opinion in the Czech Republic. The actual extent was examined by EUROPEUM Institute, which compiled a ranking of the influence of Czech MEPs based on a survey of 100 Czech EU experts. Vít Havelka from EUROPEUM Institute discussed this ranking in Hospodářské noviny.

Elections to the European Parliament are approaching, and MEPs face an important task: to maintain the competitiveness of the European union in the face of growing dominance from China and the United States. Europe must also grapple with rising debt in most member states. What attracts investors to the United States and China? And where does Europe lag behind? For the main evening broadcast TV Nova commented EUROPEUM Institute analyst Filip Křenek.

Democracy and the rule of law in Slovakia are in even greater danger after last week's assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico than before. According to the local media, there are fears that government politicians, led by Fico's interim deputy Robert Kaliňák, will try to take advantage of the current situation to introduce repressive measures against the opposition and the liberal media, which could also affect local business. Project manager of EUROPEUM Institute Kristína Chlebáková comments on the situation for e15.

What is the work of journalists in Brussels like? How difficult is it to find respondents for interviews? And is a lot of media in the Czech Republic interested in the EU? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of Institute EUROPEUM, talked about his experiences as a journalist in Brussels on the programme Newsroom ČT24.

What are the borders of Europe and how do they coincide with the borders of the European Union? What are the prospects for EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans and the former Soviet states? These questions are addressed by Jana Juzová, senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute for the Timpul Prezent podcast. She also discussed the consequences of the recent attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and highlighted the growing polarization of Slovak society and the potential threat to media independence.

The threat of Russian nationalism poses a serious danger to Europe, as emphasized by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in his speech in April. Russia is attempting to reassert its influence, particularly through its war against Ukraine, which undermines European security. What impact does the reemergence of Russian nationalism, supported by China, have on European security, and how should the West respond to this geopolitical reality? In his commentary for the American news website The Hill, Hugo Blewett-Mundy, an external collaborator and research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, addresses this topic.

The Slovak political scene has unified and called for calming political tensions following the attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. However, there are concerns that the governing parties might exploit this tragedy to strengthen their power. It is necessary for political leaders to act responsibly and consider long-term consequences, commented Kristína Chlebáková, Project Manager at Institute EUROPEUM, for the Slovenian newspaper Delo.

According to predictions, conservative right-wing parties are expected to gain strength in the upcoming European elections. How significant will their influence be? Or do they only have blackmail potential? Will the rhetoric change in traditional EU parties as well? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, answered these questions on the programme "Pre-election Europe" on ČT24.

Migration will be one of the main issues in the European Parliament elections. Experts say the newly approved migration pact will not save the European Union, but strengthening controls at the external border of the Schengen area would help. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the migration issue for the main evening broadcast on TV Nova.

With the upcoming elections, political parties are expressing their views on potential candidates for EU commissioner and their chances. Among the most frequently mentioned names are Danuše Nerudová, Jozef Síkela, and Marcel Kolaja. What experiences are most important for potential new members of the European Parliament? And is it better for them to have a narrow specialization or a broader overview? These questions are answered by Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, for newspaper Mladá fronta Dnes.