Czechia

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar energy is the cheapest source of electricity in the world, but the Czech Republic still lags far behind the European average. What are its advantages, and how to speed up its implementation in the Czech Republic as quickly as possible? These are the topics discussed by Jonathan Lyons and Kristína Kráľovská, research associates at EUROPEUM Institute, in collaboration with editor Kateřina Horáková in a new article on EURACTIV.cz.

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.

Discover Jana Juzová's article titled "To be or not to be: Czech Republic’s ambiguous attitude towards the 3SI" in the working paper series Anticipating the 2023 Three Seas Initiative Bucharest Summit. Advancing the common agenda. Juzová, a senior researcher, provides valuable insights into the complexities of the Czech Republic's stance on the 3SI. Explore this thought-provoking analysis today to understand the dynamics surrounding this strategic initiative.

The 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.

The German government plans to finance so-called price brakes, which are similar to the Czech price caps for consumers. The fundamental difference of the price brake in Germany is that it will also apply to large industrial enterprises. Our researcher Michal Hrubý commented on the situation.

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.

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented for Visegrad Insight. Žiga Faktor points out that the centre-left opposition parties united in an informal coalition known as the "Constitutional Arch Coalition" have not coordinated as closely as the opposition parties in the Czech Republic, which have formed two coalition blocs, the centre-right SPOLU and the centrist PirStan.

The director of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, comments for Balkan Insight on the new government's stance on vaccination and the upcoming presidential elections in 2023. The article focuses on the current political situation in the Czech Republic and the challenges it will face in 2022.

Our researcher Zuzana Stuchlíková commented for Euractiv.cz on the upcoming French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to her, the French presidency will be more visible, unlike the Czech presidency, which is likely to choose the tactic of a "maintenance presidency".

Our researcher Jana Juzová, in collaboration with Nikola Burazer from Centar Savremene Politike, has written a handbook for reporting on EU accession. The handbook is intended for those reporting on Serbia's EU accession process, either as representatives of the media or civil society.

In May 2020, EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, in cooperation with the STEM Institute of Empirical Research (project initiator), the Association for International Affairs (AMO) and Europe in Data portal, launched the Czech Interests in the EU project. It aims to explain to the Czech public how Czechs influence politics in Europe, and to examine whether politicians in Europe really promote Czech interests.

Łukasz Ogrodnik's publication entitled "The Czechia's EU Policy in the Context of the Upcoming European Council Presidency" was published as part of a study stay in the Brussels office of the Think Visegrad platform. It describes priorities of the upcoming Presidency in relation to the Czech European policy, and most probable challenges.