In the Media

Chinese clothing and accessories company Shein has been included by the European Commission among the large platforms regulated by the EU's Digital Services Regulation. The company now has four months to comply with the stricter rules. Rebeka Hengalová, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Radio Plus.

The next European Commission should have a new Commissioner for Defense. There is speculation that this position could go to the Czech Republic. However, some European politicians, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, are calling directly for the creation of European army. But what are the pitfalls of the project? Vít Havelka, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, talked about the usefulness and possibilities for CNN Prima News.

Twenty years ago, the European Union underwent its biggest enlargement with the addition of ten Central and Eastern European countries. According to Vít Havelka, Senior Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, this is enough time for all accession countries to learn how to navigate the EU institutions and its decision-making process.

Will the migration pact make it compulsory for the Czech Republic to accept refugees? Will the pact limit the flow of refugees into Europe? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, discussed this on Czech Television's programme Máte slovo.

The MEPs discussed the difficulty of changing the seat of the European Parliament, which periodically moves from Belgium to France. Most agreed that they would welcome if this movement was canceled. However, France would probably veto such a change in the treaties. What are the arguments for and against moving the European Parliament periodically? Is there any way out of this problem, or will Strasbourg's role remain the same for decades to come? Martin Vokálek, Director of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented for CNN Prima News on the issue.

There are simply no quotas in the migration pact that would force the Czech Republic to accept refugees from other EU countries, Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, says unequivocally on the Deník's Evropa pro Čechy podcast.

The last plenary session of the European Parliament before the June elections took place in Strasbourg, France. In addition to the ceremonial commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the biggest EU enlargement to date, which also saw the Czech Republic become a member state, MEPs also discussed the Iranian attack on Israel and a regulation to combat violence against women. Martin Vokálek, director of the EUROPEUM Institute, gave a detailed analysis of the meeting for TN.cz.

Polls opened in North Macedonia on Wednesday for the first round of the presidential elections. Seven candidates are running for the presidency in a country gripped by political tensions, disappointment with democratic reforms and aspirations to join the European Union. Jana Juzová, a senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, analysed the situation in an interview for ČT24.

This year the Czech Republic celebrates 20 years since joining the European Union. Czechs are very sceptical about the EU, despite the fact that about 70 percent acknowledge that the Czech Republic benefits from EU membership and would vote to remain. Sceptical perceptions of the Union could be changed by the country's new pro-European leadership. Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office and deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this topic for BalkanInsight.

The Czech Republic will be able to apply for an exemption from the migration pact because of Ukrainian refugees on its territory. If this exemption is not granted, the Czech Republic will either have to accept more migrants or pay a sum of up to 480 million CZK per year into an EU fund. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the migration pact for online outlet Novinky.cz.

Donald Tusk was joined in Warsaw by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The aim of this meeting, according to Tusk, is to strengthen Poland's position in security policy. Polish President Andrzej Duda has even said that Poland is willing to let NATO allies deploy nuclear weapons on their territory. Martin Vokálek, director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the visit for Czech Radio.

The Chamber of Deputies discussed the EU Migration Pact for over three hours. The opposition criticises the pact and claims that it indirectly introduces quotas. At the same time, there is uncertainty about the interpretation of a possible exemption. What does the pact stipulate and what impact could it have on the Czech Republic? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented for Partie Plus on CNN Prima News.