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.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreEuropean Parliament's moving from Brussels to plenary sessions in Strasbourg carry symbolic significance, but the logistics costs up to 3 billion CZK annually. Implementing a change would require amending the fundamental treaties of the European Union, which would need approval from all member states. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this topic for Radio Impuls.
Show moreFrench President Emmanuel Macron is talking about sending troops to Ukraine, but his country has already sent 600 million euros to Russia for liquefied gas this year. And the country is not alone in this. What do Martin Vokálek and Vít Havelka from the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy say about this?
Show moreOn 10 and 11 April 2024, Prague will host a two-day conference entitled "20 Years of Reuniting Europe's East and West", organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Think Visegrad platform and the project (Re)uniting the East and West: Reflections on the 2004 EU enlargement (REWEU) supported by the International Visegrad Fund and the European Commission. The programme will also include the second edition of the EU Enlargement Forum.
Show moreIs Emmanuel Macron becoming a watchdog in relation to Russia? Will his statements be backed up by his actions? Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented for TV Nova on the evolution of positions towards Ukraine from president Emmanuel Macron.
Show moreFrench President Emmanuel Macron visited Prague on Tuesday, met with Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and briefly visited the Czech-French Nuclear Forum. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, discussed the programme of the state visit and its impact on the Czech Republic in an interview for TN.cz.
Show moreFrench President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Prague to meet with Czech officials. The main topic of the discussion is the construction of a new block of the Dukovany nuclear power plant, which has drawn interest from both the French state company EDF and the Korean KHNP. Amongst the main topics is also support for Ukraine and the issue of new ammunition. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, spoke about Macron's visit for ČRo Plus.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreThe foreign ministries of Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands have summoned Russian ambassadors over the death of opposition activist Alexei Navalnyj. Germany has proposed an approval of another sanctions package against Russia, while the last proposed package has not yet been approved. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, analysed how effective the sanctions are and whether Western countries should continue to push them.
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