EU elections

Rising prices, defence of the country and migration are topics that motivated Czechs to participate in the European Parliament elections this June. Although similar issues have drawn voters to the polls in other EU countries, Czech turnout remains far below average. However, the real impact of European regulations is making more and more Czechs interested in the elections. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for iDnes.cz.

Veronika Vrecionová was elected as the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Luděk Niedermayer as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Does this signify a strengthening or weakening of the Czech position? In which committees will the Czech MEPs be active? How significant is the "cordon sanitaire" of the Patriots for Europe political group? And isn't this isolation of the Patriots for Europe a limitation of democracy? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discusses this topic in an interview for ČT24.

How could the strengthening of the far right in the European Parliament manifest in practice? How strong and influential could the political group Patriots of Europe become? Could it affect decision-making at the level of the European Council? What developments can we expect in the European Commission under von der Leyen's leadership? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, answered in an interview for FORUM24.

This year's elections to the European Parliament have sparked debates about continuing the European plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, despite recent events suggesting the need to reassess this plan. The election results did not signify as much of a setback for European green ambitions as anticipated. The priority of climate and environment is no longer as high among most Europeans as it was five years ago, reflecting current political and international challenges such as security, economic prosperity, and the competitiveness of European industry. Kateřina Davidova, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, wrote an opinion piece on this topic for Hospodářské noviny.

The results of the European elections are favorable for Ukraine; the center-right European People's Party (EPP) won the most seats, thereby strengthening the position of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a strong supporter of Ukraine. On the other hand, while some groups to the right of the EPP also had successes, their support for Ukraine is mixed. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, commented the situation for The Parliament magazine.

In France, final preparations for the July summer Olympic Games are underway, but according to surveys, less than half of the French believe the country can ensure a their smooth course. Confidence in current political leaders has also been undermined by the European elections, where the opposition scored a significant victory. The opposition far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen no longer wants to leave the EU; they want to influence it. However, they need allies for that. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office at EUROPEUM Institute, comments on this for Respekt magazine.

Despite the weakening of the strongest supporters of the Green Deal in the European Parliament elections, the parties that promoted it still dominate the political scene in Brussels. Experts agree that the Green Deal for Europe will not be abolished, however, adjustments may be made to it. Commenting for Respekt magazine is Kateřina Davidová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute.

The political group Volt received five times more votes in this year's European elections compared to 2019. Does it have the potential to gain even more support? Where did this political group come from and what is in its program? Vít Havelka, Senior Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for The Parliament Magazine.

The ANO movement won the European elections, while the Spolu coalition took second place. The biggest individual winner was Filip Turek. In other European countries, the most resonant event was the significant defeat of French President Emmanuel Macron, who subsequently announced early elections. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, analyzed the European elections in the Novinky Express program.

Surveys suggest that the far-right is gaining strength. Experts predict the possibility of a "Trump-like moment" in Europe. How significant is this risk for key EU players such as Germany, France, or Italy? Are there similar reasons for the rise in support for right-wing parties across Europe? These and other questions were answered by Vít Havelka, Senior Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute for Czech Radio.

What was the voter turnout in past years in the elections to the European Parliament in the Czech Republic? What are the reasons for such voter turnout? What were the most common myths spread during the campaign? Which topics were key during the Czech European elections? These and other questions were answered by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

The European Parliament elections held from June 6th till 9th not only introduced a new lineup of MEPs but also brought significant changes in the distribution of seats among various countries. The European Union is gearing up for new challenges with its new leadership, and Hungary will assume the presidency in July. How will the European institutions transform, and what priorities will dominate over the next five years? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Television.