In 2013, the Chinese president introduced the New Silk Road project, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative. It was to connect China with countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and maritime regions with the purpose to coordinate policies and link infrastructure. However, the initiative, and especially China's role in it, raises many questions and doubts. What is its future? This is what our intern Šárka Váchalová discusses in her blog.
Show moreWe would like to invite you to a debate "EU-Pacific Talks: Europe and the Indo-Pacific: Migration and demographic changes", which will take place on 30 January at 13:00 online on our Facebook page.
Show moreHungarian students from 21 universities are at risk of not being able to participate in the Erasmus+ education programme. The European Commission has temporarily cut them off. "The students who stand to lose the most from Erasmus are not the children of upper-middle-class parents, but those from smaller towns and rural areas. They don't have the means to travel abroad," Hungarist Oszkár Roginer, Global EU project manager at the EUROPEUM Institute, criticised the decision to iROZHLAS.cz.
Show moreAt 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 moreOur senior researcher Jana Juzová and associate research fellow Zuzana Kasáková prepared background material for the Round Table of the National Convention on the EU on the topic of Regional Cooperation Formats from the Czech perspective. The Round Table is presented with three main questions: what position should the Visegrad Group have in Czech foreign policy? How should the Czech Republic approach other regional cooperation formats in Central Europe? How should the Czech Republic use its involvement in European territorial cooperation?
Show more PDFWe 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 moreThe 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 moreIf you missed the EU-Pacific talks: Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Bold vision for bold players, here you can read the report from the debate written by Zsanett Gréta Papp. During the debate it was discussed, for example, that although each country has its own interests concerning the region, there are several global problems that countries should face together, because one country cannot solve them. On the other hand, it is really difficult to establish dialogue with the Indo-Pacific countries.
Show more PDFIf you missed the debate EU - Pacific talks: EU - Security Challenges for the Pacific, EU, and Russia, here you can read the report from the debate written by Tomáš Moudrý. During the debate, it was discussed, for example, that despite the considerable geographical distance, the EU and the Indo-Pacific region are now more interconnected than ever before and both sides are seeking to strengthen their partnership in many areas, with security policy now one of the most important due to many factors.
Show more PDFAgainst all odds, the EU is sticking to its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. The next step is a major reform of emission allowances, tentatively agreed by EU Council and European Parliament negotiators just before Christmas. Emissions trading (ETS) will also apply to buildings and road transport from 2027. Our Senior Researcher Kateřina Davidová commented on this issue for iDNES.
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