EC Commissioner

Disappointment with the negotiations and the weak position of the Czech Republic was voiced when the new composition of the European Commission was announced. The presentation of the post to the Czech nominee Jozef Síkela is accompanied by a debate on how influential the position of Commissioner for International Partnerships is. Experts say that although the government had bigger expectations, much can be achieved even with the portfolio at hand. The current Trade and Industry Minister could help the EU to be a counterweight to Russian and Chinese influence in emerging economies, and could also push for greater raw material security. For daily Česká justice commented Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

Instead of trade or energy, the current Minister of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela, will eventually be put in charge of International Partnerships in the European Commission. According to the opposition, this is a failure of the domestic government, but the Prime Minister and other leaders of the five-coalition praise Síkela's portfolio. So how did the distribution of the seats of the European Commissioners work out for the Czech Republic? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for podcast 5:59 of Seznam Zprávy.