Europeum

BLOG | Belgium’s 2024 elections: Navigating Flemish nationalism amidst European challenges

February 07, 2024

Belgium is gearing up for several elections this year. In addition to the European elections, Belgian citizens will also vote for the federal and regional parliaments on the same day. Although this arrangement is nothing new in Belgium, it may make it more difficult for voters to distinguish between the different election campaigns. Growing Flemish nationalism may also bring complications. These topics are addressed by Nicolas Rouillard in his new blog.

BLOG | Migration and climate at the forefront of the European elections in the Czech Republic. What does our research tell us about them?

December 12, 2023

Ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections in the Czech Republic, migration and climate are the main topics. Parties are using them to shape voters' opinions and to criticise or support European policies. Klára Votavová writes.

Op-Ed | The grain dispute is the first sign that Ukraine's EU accession will not be easy. What obstacles await on this path?

May 02, 2023

The Ukrainian grain situation is making waves in Europe. Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office Ziga Faktor wrote an Op-Ed about the impact of the situation on the country's EU accession and how some member states are reacting.

Deník N | It's a nightmare for Europe, expert assesses the electoral triumph of the Dutch far right

November 23, 2023

The far-right populist Party for Freedom (PVV) won the Dutch general election. This will not only affect the Netherlands - it will have an impact on the direction of the country itself, but also outline a broader European trend for the upcoming European Parliament elections. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM, explained to Deník N what all this could mean not only for the Dutch, but also for the European Union, migrants, and Ukraine.

CRo Plus: Voters will make a final decision about the Turkish president in 14 days

May 15, 2023

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently leading the election over opposition candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. But the voters will decide on the Turkish president in 14 days. Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Politics, commented on the course of the elections for Český Rozhlas Plus.

Blog | US Midterms: Consequences for the security of Eastern Europe

December 13, 2022

The 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."

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RTVS: Slovenia will have a new president. What decided the victory of Natasha Pirc Musar?

November 15, 2022

Nataša 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.

Radio Slovensko: Italy has been hit by an expected political earthquake.

September 27, 2022

A right-wing coalition triumphed in early elections for the first time since the end of the Second World War, with the most successful party being the Brothers of Italy, led by the controversial Giorgia Meloni. Is the incoming prime minister a populist or will she commit to serious politics? Why is the European Union itself worried about her victory? Our research fellow Alexandr Lagazzi contributed to the debate.

ČRo: Giorgia Meloni is very likely to become Italy's new Prime Minister

September 27, 2022

As expected, Italians chose the right in the early elections. According to commentators, the winner of the election is clearly the Brothers of Italy party, whose leader Giorga Meloni has already announced that she is ready to govern. Our research associate Alexandr Lagazzi also analysed this topic for Český rozhlas.

Politico: Czech Republic braces for rocky EU presidency amid Ukraine war, high inflation

June 23, 2022

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented for the news website Politico on the approach of the Czech government and the attitude of the Czech electorate towards the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.