Germany

The government has fallen in France, early elections are coming in Germany. Europe's two strongest economies are in political crisis. Tereza Novotná, Associate Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Radio Prostor.

Germany wants to introduce checks at all its land borders for six months from September 16. The federal government wants to reduce illegal migration and increase security in the country. Germany will be able to refuse refugees at its borders. Austria has already announced that it will not accept any rejected migrants at its borders. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for the main evening news broadcast on TV Nova.

Klára Votavová, our research fellow, was interviewed by Slovak RTVS about the future of the European Union and Germany.

The war in Ukraine and the subsequent economic crisis caused by Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels showed Europeans the danger of keeping too tight economic ties to autocratic regimes. However, while Europe is shedding its dependence on Russia, another economic reliance is gaining strenght, namely that of Germany on China. In her blog, our intern Kristina Kropáčková explores the broader context of this phenomenon and its implications for EU cohesion.

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.

The originally scheduled regular meeting between the governments of France and Germany was eventually postponed. Could this be a signal of some major differences in relations between the countries? What are the causes of the contradictions? Are they more personal or political? What impact could it have if Paris and Berlin fail to agree on their position on China? Our senior research fellow Vít Havelka commented on the situation between the countries in the programme Odpolední Plus for Czech Radio Plus.

Jakub Ferenčík has written a blog on German dependence on Russian gas. In his post he discusses how the German government's initially positive intention to tie Russia to Europe through economic intergation for political stability has backfired and resulted in the opposite. It mentions the role of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who contributed significantly to Germany's dependence on Russian supplies, and the circumstances surrounding the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The second part analyses the legacy of former Chancellor Merkel and her failure to perceive Russian expansionist tendencies.

At an emergency meeting of EU ministers called by the Czech Republic, ministers came up with proposals on how to tackle rising energy prices in the EU. The meeting was an important demonstration of European unity, says our senior research fellow Kateřina Davidová. At the same time, Davidová points to the overestimated and often demonised impact of Germany's nuclear exit on the energy situation.

Tereza Novotná, an associate research fellow at our Institute, has provided a commentary for the E15 portal. In the article, she discusses the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Prague and the energy crisis that threatens the EU. According to Novotná, responsibility also lies with other countries, including the Czech Republic, which also failed to develop other energy sources in time.

Our research fellow Michal Hrubý commented for the news server E15.cz on the German government's preparations for energy shortages during the coming winter. He also comments on Germany's temporary return to nuclear power.

The return of coal as a source of electricity production is a direct consequence of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The resumption of coal-fired power stations in Europe means an increase in harmful emissions, jeopardizing the EU's climate targets. EUROPEUM Institute researcher Kateřina Davidová spoke in detail about the energy crisis in Europe, the measures that Brussels is taking to prevent countries from turning to sources of electricity such as coal, and the compensatory measures taken by member states.

We would like to invite you to the debates within the rEUnify project, which will take place on Friday 3 June at the Technical University in Liberec. The event is organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy and the Technical University of Liberec.