In the Media

Differences on key issues between the leaders of the Visegrad Four countries are now being widely discussed in the context of the ongoing summit in Prague. How the relations between the countries will develop, whether we are heading towards the disintegration of the V4 or whether this is an eternal partnership of reason, was analysed by Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office, for the RTVS podcast Z prvej ruky.

Czech MEP Martina Dlabajová had applied for the post of EU's small and medium-sized enterprises Envoy last fall, but at the end of January Markus Pieper was appointed to this role. He is Ursula von der Leyen's running mate, who came third in the open competition behind the winning Dlabajová. The anti-corruption organisation Transparency International, among others, has called for an investigation into the selection procedure. Viktor Daněk, the deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this for Czech Radio.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met separately ahead of the Visegrad Group summit in Prague, where the main points of discussion were the war in Ukraine and energy security. Vít Havelka, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the position of the Hungarian or Slovak Prime Minister and the overall direction of the Visegrad Group for Slovakian television RTVS.

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary met in Prague to discuss the war in Ukraine and the future direction of the Visegrad Group. According to Viktor Daňek, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, migration will be another possible common topic and Donald Tusk will become one of the most important politicians in Europe in the next years.

Paris meeting of EU and NATO leaders wrapped up with a clear call - to strengthen the defense capabilities and increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine. The executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, Martin Vokálek, spoke more about the reasons and consequences of this extremely quickly summoned meeting for Slovakian RTVS channel.

The new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to the Prague V4 summit asking whether the Visegrad group is still relevant. Cooperation on a high political level is complicated by the countries' different approaches towards the war in Ukraine. While the Czech Republic and Poland continue to support its interests with the same intensity, Slovakia and Hungary are reassessing them. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, talked about the importance of the summit and the relations between Poland and the Czech Republic for ČT24.

In light of the debates on the migration pact, which represents the next step in solving the migration issue, the Czech political scene is once again focusing on this topic. However, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and the head of the opposition ANO party Andrej Babiš criticize the agreement, despite their previous positions. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, spoke in the 5:59 podcast about the change in their opinions, the possible reasons that led to it, as well as the content of the pact itself.

What can we expect from the upcoming summit in terms of aid to Ukraine? Vít Havelka, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, describes possible developments of the negotiations for ČT24.

How much people in the Czech Republic trust the European Union and what does this tell us about the mood in society? Why is economic prosperity and security so important to the Czechs? Vít Havelka comments on the STEM sociological survey for Czech Radio Plus.

Farmers across all Europe call for changes in legislation. What are their demands? How fast are the negotiations going and how can farmers be relieved of some of the current bureaucracy? Viktor Daněk explains in an interview for ČT24.

The Green Deal, a strategy towards greener technologies and climate protection, has recently been a major topic of discussion on the European scene. The Green Deal is also fiercely debated in the Czech Republic, with many farmers calling for its withdrawal in the streets in recent days. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the farmers' protests and their demands for Czech Radio Plus.

The new thirteenth package of sanctions against Russia was approved today by representatives of the EU. The sanction list has been expanded by another 200 individuals, companies, and institutions. These include entities outside of Russia that are involved in bypassing measures preventing the purchase of military technologies by Moscow. An expert commentary for the Radiožurnál program was provided by EUROPEUM's deputy director Viktor Daněk.