The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, appeared on Czech Television to comment on the reaction of Brussels to the results of the presidential elections. He also mentioned the role of the president in relation to the EU and NATO and how this relationship will change after two terms of Miloš Zeman.
Show moreIn 2013, the Chinese president introduced the New Silk Road project, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative. It was to connect China with countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and maritime regions with the purpose to coordinate policies and link infrastructure. However, the initiative, and especially China's role in it, raises many questions and doubts. What is its future? This is what our intern Šárka Váchalová discusses in her blog.
Show moreWe would like to invite you to an online debate as part of the Café Evropa series, this time on the topic "What has the Czech Presidency brought to the future - how can the Czech Republic build on the previous six months at the head of the EU Council?" The debate will take place on Thursday 19 January at 17:30 online on our Facebook page.
Show moreThe upcoming presidential elections in the Czech Republic are also being noticed by foreign media. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented on the circumstances of the election for Foreign Policy, saying that Zeman's presidency has brought scepticism towards Europe. A victory of Andrej Babiš, she said, would then mean a strengthening of the presidential office.
Show moreThe recent US midterm elections made headlines around the world. The main issues that voters were interested in were the state of democracy and the rule of law, abortion, the economy and education. Our intern Tomáš Moudrý addressed these topics in his blog. "The most expensive midterms in the US history are over. Republicans gained the House majority with 221 seats and the Democrats retained the Senate with 51 seats. Is this a surprising result? Partly yes, partly no. Firstly, polls and even Republicans were sure about a “Red wave“ that would sweep across the US. Instead, there was a tossup in both Chambers of the Congress. Secondly, the President’s party usually lose the midterms. One can argue that midterms from the incumbent President’s party perspective traditionally have just one major goal – to mitigate losses by the closest possible margin. The Democrats seem to have found a way to deal with this fate, despite Biden's low approval rating."
Show more PDFWe would like to invite you to the debate called "Defending our Democratic Norms: Strengthening Transatlantic Relations in Times of Conflict". The debate will take place on November 23 at the American Center at 10:00 am. The language of the debate will be English.
Show moreNataša Pirc Musar won Sunday's second round of the presidential election, receiving 54% of the votes. She defeated her rival, former Foreign Minister Andrej Logar. Musar will replace current president Borut Pahor, who has been unable to run for two terms. Our analyst Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office, also commented on the situation.
Show moreItaly has a new government headed by Giorgia Meloni. She took over from her predecessor Mario Draghi on Sunday and was sworn in by President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday. Meloni will lead Italy's most right-wing government since World War II, with Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League of the North party and Antonio Tajani of the conservative Up Italy party as her deputies. The first steps of the new Italian prime minister were outlined by our Associate Research Fellow Alexandr Lagazzi for Czech Radio.
Show moreIn the framework of the conference Think Tank Forum: EU enlargement, an article on the views of member and candidate states on EU enlargement was written in cooperation with EURACTIV.cz.
Show moreWhat will the first meeting of the European Political Community bring? Will it be possible for the Community to function without formal processes and institutions? And will the meetings have any real results? Representatives from more than 40 countries, including non-EU countries, gathered at Prague Castle to discuss the most important issues of the day. An article for E15 was written by Žiga Faktor, head of our Brussels office.
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