Europeum

Aktuálně.cz: Good, but not very specific. Czechs missed a lot in von der Leyen's speech

September 18, 2023

The current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will end her term next autumn. It remains to be decided whether she will run again, but her strong State of the Union speech puts her in an favourable position. Žiga Faktor, director of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented on the current situation for Aktuálně.cz.

Deník N: More aid to Ukraine, EU enlargement and Chinese electric cars. European Commission chief unveils her plans for next year

September 14, 2023

EUROPEUM Institute analyst Vít Havelka commented on Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech, in which the European Commission President covered a number of key topics for the current and future development of the EU.

RTVS: Review of Ursula von der Leyen's latest State of the Union speech

September 13, 2023

Žiga Faktor, director of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented on the latest State of the Union speech by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

ČT24: Under Ursula von der Leyen's leadership, the European Commission has succeeded in meeting more than ninety percent of its priorities

September 13, 2023

Ursula von der Leyen delivers her last State of the Union speech of her term today. Our researcher Klára Votavová responded to questions from the Czech Television about the speech.

ČT24: How did the European commission under Ursula von der Leyen's leadership manage to overcome crises?

September 11, 2023

The outgoing President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen prepares for her State of the Union speech. Žiga Faktor, Director of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, assessed her tenure and achievements for Czech Television.

ČRo Plus: Proposal for a radical reform of the functioning of the European Union

September 08, 2023

Žiga Faktor, director of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented for Czech Radio Plus on a proposal for a radical reform of the functioning of the European Union, which would have to be approved by all member states. Among the changes mentioned would be, for example, the renaming of the European Commission.

EURACTIV.cz: "Being prime minister is still more than being a heavyweight in Brussels." Boss von der Leyen is falling apart Commission

July 27, 2023

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, spoke to EURACTIV.cz about the departure of Dutchman Frans Timmermans from the European Commission. The influential vice-president of the European Commission was lured by the prospect of the prime minister's chair in the Netherlands, and his boss, Ursula von der Leyen, has to manage without him. But her difficulties do not end there, a year before the European elections.

Analysis | Reinvigorating the EU enlargement policy: Phasing-in as a way to overcome the enlargement impasse

June 30, 2023

In this paper, Jana Juzová, together with Žiga Faktor and Constanza Celoria, are providing a comprehensive analysis of the proposals initiated by the think-tank community as well as the current initiatives and discussions at the EU level; they are identifying opportunities and areas where tangible progress can be achieved, and providing recommendations to policymakers on how to turn these concepts into reality in the foreseeable future.

iDNES.cz: Gas pipeline from Poland, oil pipeline from Italy. Czech Republic to borrow billions for projects

June 08, 2023

The Czech Republic wants to borrow tens of billions through the National Recovery Plan for projects such as the gas pipeline from Poland or the strengthening of the oil pipeline from Italy. The money will come from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility, which should make the loan profitable. Not all projects have been given the green light by the European Commission. Funding for the Dukovany hot water pipeline has been put on hold. Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka commented on this topic.

Studio ČT24 | European Commission chief Leyen to visit Prague

May 02, 2023

Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented in Studio ČT24 on the planned meeting between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Czech President Petr Pavel.