At the turn of the year, Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the Czech Republic and will be responsible for leading the Union for the next six months. Although the Swedes have a reputation for being solid and liberal-minded partners, there are concerns about the great unknown because of the composition of their current government. For the first time in history, it is supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka wrote this article for VOXPOT.
Show moreWe would like to invite you to an online debate as part of the Café Evropa series, this time on the topic "What has the Czech Presidency brought to the future - how can the Czech Republic build on the previous six months at the head of the EU Council?" The debate will take place on Thursday 19 January at 17:30 online on our Facebook page.
Show moreOur senior researcher Jana Juzová has written an analysis in which she describes the fact that EU enlargement policy and the EU's south-eastern and eastern neighborhood represent some of the most important areas of Czech foreign and European policy in the last two decades.
Show more PDFThe upcoming presidential elections in the Czech Republic are also being noticed by foreign media. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented on the circumstances of the election for Foreign Policy, saying that Zeman's presidency has brought scepticism towards Europe. A victory of Andrej Babiš, she said, would then mean a strengthening of the presidential office.
Show moreThe solution to the energy problems related to the war in Ukraine and Russian gas supplies was clear to the EU. It will lie in energy savings and, above all, in clean energy sources. What will energy reform look like and what plans does the EU have? Our Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová commented on the Green Deal and the impact of the Czech Presidency on this topic.
Show moreSweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the third time on 1 January 2022. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented for ČT24 on what is expected from the Swedish Presidency, how Sweden wants to help Ukraine, and she also summarised the Czech Presidency.
Show moreLots of good work, successful, excellent. These are also the terms used by analysts working in Brussels to assess the end of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In interviews with ČTK, a trio of experts, including the head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, praised the way the Czech Republic has approached directing the debates between the member states.
Show moreHelena Truchlá, Director of Czech Interests in the EU, and Michal Hrubý, our Research Fellow, wrote the EU monitor "Saturday Energy Talks of the Czech EU Council Presidency: what's next?", in which she discusses the current energy crisis during the Czech Presidency.
Show more PDFThe European Union's system for trading the emission allowances that polluters receive or buy to produce greenhouse gases will change. NGOs believe the shift will again benefit industry. Our senior researcher Katerina Davidova commented on the issue for Ekonews.
Show moreOur senior researcher Kateřina Davidová participated in the conference "How did the Czech Republic turn green during the European Presidency?". She commented on what she believes is the success of the Czech Presidency.
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