EU

Trump claims that raising tariffs on people and companies buying foreign products will ultimately boost domestic manufacturing. But the tariffs would impact allies as most steel is imported into the US from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. The European Union has been stunned by Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČRo Plus.

Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will return the United States to the use of plastic straws. The new regulation is intended to reduce the packaging material in circulation, by up to fifteen percent by 2040. The European Union wants the new rules to force companies to find sustainable solutions through recycling. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Televizní noviny.

The EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia. This was confirmed by the head of diplomacy Kaja Kallas. Hungary had reservations, but eventually relented after assurances on energy security. The European Commission promised to continue negotiations on Russian gas supplies with Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia. Danielle Piatkiewicz, research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for STVR.

After Donald Trump took office as US President, the slogans of Czech politicians proclaiming their affiliation with the West raise the question of what kind of West Czech politicians, including Prime Minister Fiala, are actually claiming to belong to. Specifically, whether they mean Europe or Trump's America. Klára Votavová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Deník N.

The Competitiveness Compass, now presented by the European Commission, shows where to go to keep the EU strong, innovative and independent. It sets the direction and mentions the main milestones on the road to greater competitiveness. Filip Křenek, Project Coordinator and Analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Euractiv.cz.

The arrival of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America sends a negative message to the global climate, yet Europe should continue its efforts. These were the conclusions reached by experts during a discussion on climate policy organised by Euractiv.cz.

The European automotive industry is in crisis and its future is one of the hottest topics in the EU today. The European Commission has therefore launched a strategic dialogue with car manufacturers on how to ensure that they are able to compete with American and Chinese manufacturers, particularly in the field of electric mobility. Project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute Filip Křenek commented for the Czech Radio podcast Bruselské chlebíčky.

The European Commission has presented a competitiveness compass to tackle expensive energy, dependence on fossil fuel imports and the growing influence of China. Its guiding principle is less bureaucracy, more innovation. "The objectives are going in the right direction, the problem is that paper can take a lot. And Europe is good at painting grand strategies," recalls Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM institute and former correspondent for Czech Radio in Brussels.

Make Permanent Representation Great Again!" This sentence was sent to HN by one of the key employees of the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic in Brussels, i.e. the embassy to the European Union, reacting to the fact that the new ambassador Vladimír Bärtl will take over the leadership of the embassy from Saturday 1 February. He has an excellent reputation among diplomats and EU experts.b

On December 10th, Think Visegrad in Brussels organised an expert discussion on Reassessing EU-US relations after the EP and US elections: Views from Central Europe (and beyond). The debate examined the potential implications of Donald Trump’s re-election for the EU and the transatlantic relationship. Attended by experts, policymakers, and academics, the session explored critical challenges and opportunities across political, security, and economic dimensions. The debate aimed to foster an in-depth understanding of how the policies of the Trump administration might reshape the EU’s strategic choices and influence EU-US relations.

On December 11th, the Brussels Office organised Geopolitics First: Perspectives of CEE on the EU's Global Challenges in the Next Political Cycle. The aim of this expert discussion was to broaden the perspective of the Central European region on key geopolitical challenges, such as the foreign policy influence of Russia and China.

As the EU enters its next political cycle, role of Central European countries within the block seems to have picked up its pace. Not only have Poland, Czechia or Slovenia received ambitious Commissioner portfolios, but the region has also played an important role in the support of Ukraine and more broadly in shaping EU's political priorities for the next mandate. Yet, there is still lack of representation of these countries within the EU institutions while latest reports of Letta and Draghi barely involved any voices from the Eastern part of the EU in their research. This debate organized by Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute therefore summarized latest developments on the EU level and looked into the current Hungarian and upcoming Polish EU presidencies and their potential impacts on the Union.