EUROPEUM Institute organized a survey among selected experts and stakeholders in European politics to evaluate the performance of current Czech MEPs. The performance of MEPs is difficult to evaluate because there is no completely objective set of criteria that would clearly show this. Therefore, EUROPEUM approached diplomats, officials, academics and other experts from the EU policy environment to compile its own ranking.
Show moreFive 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.
Show moreMigration will be one of the main issues in the European Parliament elections. Experts say the newly approved migration pact will not save the European Union, but strengthening controls at the external border of the Schengen area would help. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the migration issue for the main evening broadcast on TV Nova.
Show moreEUROPEUM Institute examined the influence of MEPs on addressing european issues in the Czech Republic, and their activity in Brussels. How did Czech candidates fare? What will be the most important topics for the upcoming five-year term of the European Parliament? Researchers Vít Havelka and Rebeka Hengalová from Institute EUROPEUM discussed the ranking of the most active MEPs for the main broadcast TV Nova.
Show moreElections to the European Parliament are approaching, and MEPs face an important task: to maintain the competitiveness of the European union in the face of growing dominance from China and the United States. Europe must also grapple with rising debt in most member states. What attracts investors to the United States and China? And where does Europe lag behind? For the main evening broadcast TV Nova commented EUROPEUM Institute analyst Filip Křenek.
Show moreMEPs who are running for re-election in the upcoming European Parliament elections emphasize their influence in Brussels and Strasbourg, as well as their ability to shape public opinion in the Czech Republic. The actual extent was examined by EUROPEUM Institute, which compiled a ranking of the influence of Czech MEPs based on a survey of 100 Czech EU experts. Vít Havelka from EUROPEUM Institute discussed this ranking in Hospodářské noviny.
Show moreThe Migration Pact heads to its final vote in the Council of Ministers. The Czech Republic will abstain in this final vote. What is the process of approval within the European Union? What led to the change of position? And what are the implications for the EU of the just-approved migration pact? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments for Czech Radio.
Show moreThe 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.
Show moreThe 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.
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