Europeum

Deník N: An explosive passenger is already waiting for the Czech train driver: how we will drive the EU legislative train

July 01, 2022

Our senior researchers Kateřina Davidová and Vít Havelka provided comments for an article in Deník N on what the government is facing and what role the presiding state has in the development of EU legislation.

iDnes: Czech sounds through Brussels. Spejbl and Hurvínek will be there with the Presidency

July 01, 2022

The Czech Republic will sit on the EU Council for the second time in July. Thanks to the presidency and the growing number of visiting diplomats, the Czech language is spreading through Brussels more than usual, so you can hear "ahoj" or "rád tě vidím" here and there in the streets, writes Žiga Faktor in his commentary for iDNES.cz.

LA LIBRE: Reputedly Eurosceptic, the Czech Republic is trimming its European suit

July 01, 2022

Our research fellow Žiga Faktor commented for the Belgian daily La Libre on the topic of Czech Euroscepticism. The positive attitude of Václav Havel (the so-called great European) towards Europe was also reflected in the incoming Czech presidency, specifically in the motto "Europe as a task". The motto is inspired by his speech in Cácy in 1996. Despite a positive attitude in the past, according to the latest data from STEM, only 33 % of Czechs have a positive view of the Czech Republic's EU membership.

DELO.SI: Prime Minister Fiala's presidency will be hampered by past mistakes

July 01, 2022

The Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU begins today. One of the challenges that the Czech Republic will face is the possible extension of sanctions against Russia, for instance in the gas sector. However, the geographical proximity of Ukraine to the Czech Republic should facilitate negotiations on this issue. Žiga Faktor, head of our Brussels office, commented on this topic for the Slovenian online daily DELO.

Info.cz: EU enlargement: The stalemate could be unblocked by a solution that is beginning to emerge across Europe

June 28, 2022

Our senior researcher Jana Juzová wrote an article for server Info.cz about the Brussels summit of EU leaders. In her commentary, she discusses in more detail what topics were on the agenda and whether the question of future EU enlargement was answered.

ČRo Plus: The European Union is preparing joint gas purchases. The summit has not yet produced an agreement on how to lower prices.

June 27, 2022

Our research fellow Zuzana Stuchlíková commented on the ongoing negotiations on the European summit to help further joint action towards Russia and European energy independence. What will the energy crisis mean for the incoming Czech presidency?

iDnes.cz: Ukraine's invitation to the EU spoils the bitterness of unfulfilled promises to the Balkans

June 27, 2022

The news server iDnes.cz published a commentary by our Senior Research Fellow Jana Juzová. In her commentary, she discusses Ukraine's candidate status and compares it with the situation in the Balkans, where some countries have been waiting for EU membership for decades.

EKONEWS: MEPs agree on reform of emission allowances, free allocation for industry to end gradually

June 24, 2022

Our researchers Kateřina Davidová and Michal Hruby commented for the news website Ekonews. In the article, they comment on ETS and their reform, which was approved by the European Parliament.

RTV: Fall of the bulgarian government

June 24, 2022

Our research fellow Žiga Faktor commented on the fall of the bulgarian government in the main news programme of Radio Slovakia. The government there lasted only six months in power. One of the reasons for the fall is, among other things, the dispute over EU enlargement. According to our researcher, recent weeks suggest that Sofia is willing to back down from its Veto, which would give the stagnant enlargement process a new impulse. He also mentions that the political instability in the Balkans suits pro-Russian parties.

E15: European politicians underestimated Russia 13 years ago. Czech Republic faces a more difficult presidency

June 24, 2022

Michal Hrubý, our Research Fellow, commented on the topic of the Czech EU Presidency in an article for the news server E15 in which he addresses the issue of gas from Russia. The article also compares the situation with 2009, when the Czech Republic held the EU Council Presidency for the first time.