Europeum

Prague European Summit | Slovak President Čaputová warned against the rise of extremism and hatred on social media

June 13, 2024

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová was the guest of honour at the 10th anniversary Prague European Summit. At the Czernin Palace, she received the traditional Vision for Europe Award from the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský.

Seznam Zprávy | People experience multi-crisis, success of the far right could be greater

June 10, 2024

Despite the rise in support for the far right in most countries, the direction of the EU will not fundamentally change. The People's Party maintains its position as the strongest faction and gains support from centrist parties. The victory of the extreme right in the elections signals the strengthening of conservative and populist parties. However, it is expected that key issues such as the environment and migration will remain on the agenda. The election result does not signify a radical change but serves as a signal to focus on voters favoring conservative and far-right parties. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the results for Seznam Zprávy.

Novinky.cz | How to Interpret results of the European Elections

June 10, 2024

The ANO movement won the European elections, while the Spolu coalition took second place. The biggest individual winner was Filip Turek. In other European countries, the most resonant event was the significant defeat of French President Emmanuel Macron, who subsequently announced early elections. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, analyzed the European elections in the Novinky Express program.

TV Nova | Brussels will deal with the enlargement of the Union. Among the candidates are Turkey or Ukraine

May 30, 2024

The elections to the European Parliament are less than a week away, and one of the main topics that Brussels will have to deal with in the coming years is the enlargement of the European Union. A total of nine countries are waiting to join the EU, but according to experts, rapid expansion is unlikely. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, talks about the possibility of enlargement until 2030, which requires reforms from both the candidate countries and the Union itself. Jana Juzová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TV Nova.

IEMED | Serbia: The Dilemma between European Accession and Alliance with Russia

May 30, 2024

With Ukraine’s defence against Russia heading toward a stalemate in the second half of the year and increased pressure inside the EU to deliver on its promises to provide the country with needed financial and military support, Serbia’s ambiguous relationship with Russia and the West has been brought increasingly into the spotlight in 2023. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), ruling since 2012, and President Aleksandar Vučić have been responsible for continued democratic backsliding and have failed to align with the Union’s foreign policy during Serbia’s lengthy EU accession process, pushing the situation closer towards a tipping point in Serbia-EU relations. Senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, Jana Juzová, describes this in more detail in her article for the European Institute of the Mediterranean.

Aktuálně.cz | Von der Leyen is almost certain to secure a second nomination, but she may face challenges in the European Parliament

May 28, 2024

The campaigns for the European Parliament elections are not only relevant to Czech politicians but also to those from other countries. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, spoke with Aktuálně.cz about the chances of the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. How did she perform in the previous electoral term? And what points should she focus on in her campaign?

TN.cz | Up to a third of Czech voters do not know the EU Commissioner Věra Jourová

May 24, 2024

Czech Commissioner Věra Jourová has been Vice-President of the European Commission for the past five years, as well as Commissioner for Values and Transparency. EUROPEUM Institute has assessed her tenure and popularity in the Czech Republic in cooperation with STEM. The results of the survey were presented to TN.cz by EUROPEUM analyst Vít Havelka.

ČT24 | Representatives of two factions absent from the Spitzenkandidaten debate

May 24, 2024

Five candidates for the post of President of the European Commission faced each other in the Spitzenkandidaten debate. Two factions did not send a representative at all. Moreover, these are the very factions that could be significantly stronger in the European elections than in the previous period. Missing were representatives of the far-right Identity and Democracy group, of which the SPD is a member for the Czech Republic, as well as the European Conservatives and Reformists, on which the Czech ODS sits. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24 about whether they were significantly absent from the debate.

RTVS | Does von der Leyen have a clear opponent after the Spitzenkandidaten debate?

May 23, 2024

Five candidates for the post of European Commission chief clashed in a Europe-wide debate on Thursday. Two factions did not field a candidate. The system of spitzenkandidaten, i.e. the leading candidates of each group for the post of president of the European executive, was created as an effort by MEPs to increase transparency in the filling of the highest posts in the European Union, which clearly includes the president of the Commission. Who will be the one who will form the majority after the elections and does the current head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, have a significant opponent among the other spitzenkandidaten? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, analysed the debate for RTVS.

TN.cz | Candidates' debate for the post of European Commission chief

May 23, 2024

With less than two weeks to go until the European Parliament elections, voters can choose their representatives with the help of a Europe-wide debate of candidates for the post of the future President or President of the European Commission. Five candidates, including the current head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is seeking her second mandate this year, met in the debate on Thursday. Topics discussed included defence and security, the environment and the importance of democracy. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, spoke to TN.cz about the importance of the debate for Czech voters and the outcomes of the individual candidates.