Europeum

ČRo Radiožurnál | Use of Russian assets under the European Peace Facility

March 20, 2024

The European Commission has proposed how to make use of frozen Russian assets in Europe after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Up to ninety percent of the assets would be used to buy weapons for Ukraine under the so-called European Peace Facility. The remaining 10% would be transferred to the EU budget and used for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The proposal still needs to be unanimously approved by EU foreign ministers. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on what this proposal will mean for Ukraine and the European Union for Czech Radio Radiožurnál.

BLOG | The Sovereign Protection Office as the Tip of the Iceberg

March 20, 2024

In December 2023, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law establishing the Office for the Protection of the Sovereign, a state agency that now has unlimited access to personal data to search for and prosecute alleged foreign agents among the Hungarian population. Our researcher Henry Barrett, a Fulbright-Schuman Grantee, writes about this topic in his blog.

RTVS | The European Union approves aid to Ukraine of 5 billion euros and creates a special fund

March 19, 2024

The countries of the European Union have approved aid in the form of an increase of the European Peace Facility (EPF) by five billion euros. The decision to create a special fund to help Ukraine represents an important step towards strengthening support for the country against Russian aggression. Žiga Faktor, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute and head of the Brussels office, commented on the creation of the fund and its possible results for Slovakian RTVS.

TN.cz | European Commission to allocate hundreds of milions of euro to support ammunition production of EU manufacturers

March 18, 2024

Military industry in Europe is not able to cover the needs related to the supply of ammunition to Ukraine. The situation of the long-neglected EU weapons industry is now being addressed by the European Commission with financial support of 500 milion of euro. But is the decision on financial support coming too late? And how long before the industry can be renewed? Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TN.cz.

TV Nova | Emmanuel Macron's turnaround: taking a swipe at the Kremlin and not ruling out the deployment of troops in Ukraine

March 15, 2024

Is 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.

ČRo Radiožurnál | European Parliament's lawsuit against the European Commission

March 15, 2024

The European Parliament is now taking the European Commission to the Court of Justice of the EU over the controversial release of EU funds to Hungary. Why do some MEPs consider the release of funds to be the result of blackmail by Hungary? Why have MEPs taken the matter to court? What could the lawsuit cause comments Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute for Czech Radio.

iROZHLAS | Segregation of Romani children persists in the Czech Republic

March 13, 2024

In 2007, the European Court of Human Rights condemned the Czech Republic for discriminating against Romani pupils in their access to education. The Ministry of Education has admitted that this problem continues to this day. Not only is the Czech Republic under scrutiny by the Council of Europe, but it is also at risk of renewed infringement proceedings in the European Union, which could lead to financial sanctions. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this issue for iROZHLAS.cz.

Preparing news media in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia for the digital age

March 14, 2024

The project aims to equip civil society organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with comprehensive knowledge of media pluralism, media freedoms, and access to information necessary in the digital transition of the news media sector.

RTVS | The European Commission recommends initiating accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina

March 12, 2024

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that the European Commission will recommend initiation of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. In recent months, reform efforts have been evident, the Bosnian government has reached agreements even with the separatist entity of Republika Srpska on key reforms. However, the conditions have not yet been fully met, and many other reforms, such as electoral system reform, are still pending. Researcher from EUROPEUM Institute, Jana Juzová, discussed it for Slovakian RTVS.

MF DNES | Cooldown in relations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia

March 11, 2024

The Czech government has suspended intergovernmental consultations with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's cabinet over differing views on the war conflict in Ukraine. Our project manager Kristína Chlebáková commented on the move for MF DNES.