Europeum

RTVS | The Last Parliamentary Term in the European Parliament

June 02, 2024

What was the last parliamentary term like in the European Parliament? How did it manage two crises – the war in Ukraine and COVID-19? And how can the aid to Ukraine be assessed? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, answers these and other questions in an interview for Slovak television RTVS.

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.

TN.cz | Possible changes in European subsidies

May 28, 2024

The European Parliament elections are less than two weeks away, and one of the main topics will be the subsidy system. A number of experts are calling for it to be changed, and questions arise as to where the European Union will get the money for subsidies. The transformation of the EU towards green technologies could limit financial resources for structural funds, which would have a negative effect mainly on poorer countries, including the Czech Republic. Economists also point to possible financial problems for the EU after the departure of Great Britain, one of the biggest contributors. Klára Votavová, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TV Nova.

Position | National Convention Round Table on the EU

May 27, 2024

How to improve the EU enlargement process? How to ensure that the democratising effect of the accession process is sustained beyond the eventual accession to the EU? And are EU institutional reforms a necessary condition for EU enlargement? Answers to these and other questions are offered by the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy's contribution to the National Convention on the EU's roundtable on Balkans, Turkey or Ukraine: the future of enlargement policy in the context of institutional settings.

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.

The Hill | The threat of Russian nationalism looms over Europe

May 19, 2024

The threat of Russian nationalism poses a serious danger to Europe, as emphasized by the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in his speech in April. Russia is attempting to reassert its influence, particularly through its war against Ukraine, which undermines European security. What impact does the reemergence of Russian nationalism, supported by China, have on European security, and how should the West respond to this geopolitical reality? In his commentary for the American news website The Hill, Hugo Blewett-Mundy, an external collaborator and research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, addresses this topic.

TN.cz | The elections to the European Parliament are approaching. The main topic is security

May 10, 2024

The European Parliament elections will take place in just one month's time. The main issue is the security of the European Union, according to experts. The new composition of the European Parliament will address the war conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as migration. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments for TN.cz.

CNN Prima News | Future of Europe after the European Parliament elections

May 11, 2024

In addition to the usual established parties, there are also recessionary movements running for the European Parliament. We are also seeing an increase in support for national conservative parties or far-right entities. What tendencies are visible on the European political scene today? Is the European Parliament facing a rise in Euroscepticism? And where will Europe go after the forthcoming elections? This and more comments Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

ČT24 | Euroskeptic parties strengthen a month before the European Parliament elections

May 09, 2024

The European elections are about a month away. Czechs will vote for 21 of the 720 MEPs. This will be the first election since Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic or the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Turnout is expected to be higher than in the last elections five years ago, with right-wing and Eurosceptic parties strengthening. Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, described the possible reasons for daily broadcast of Czech TV.