Ukraine

The elections to the European Parliament, which are taking place place from June 6 to 9, could bring significant changes to the EU's political scene. Polls suggest that there could be a strengthening of right-wing and populist parties, which could weaken current support for Ukraine and bolster Eurosceptic and pro-Russian positions. Martin Vokálek, director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for the Ukrainian server Sestry.eu.

What was the last parliamentary term like in the European Parliament? How did it manage two crises – the war in Ukraine and COVID-19? And how can the aid to Ukraine be assessed? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, answers these and other questions in an interview for Slovak television RTVS.

We invite you to a public podcast recording focusing on the discussion of changes in the Czech approach to refugees due to the Russian war in Ukraine. We will delve into shifts in Czech solidarity towards refugees and also discuss the new migration pact, its content, and significance.

There have been opinions that call for changes of the EU including defense cooperation or foreign policy. The topic that should stay important even after the EU elections is the support of Ukraine. Do the EU elections have the potential to change the intensity of the EU's support of Ukraine? Vít Havelka, a senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute answered for the main evening broadcast of TV Nova.

On April 18th, EUROPEUM’s Brussels Office in partnership with PISM Brussels Office under the Think Visegrad platform hosted a discussion titled “Regional Cooperation in Central Europe in the Aftermath of Russia’s War: Changes and Prospects”. This event was attended by 15 experts from think tanks and representatives of EU institutions.

The current format of the Visegrad Group lacks common topics; the group fragmented into two pairs that have different opinions in many areas, particularly regarding the issue of Ukraine. However, the interests of Hungary and Slovakia are not in conflict with others, despite what their leaders claim. The conflict in the Middle East, where the Czech Republic is in the minority in its full support of Israel, was also discussed on this meeting. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation within the V4 for TN Live.

The countries of the European Union have approved aid in the form of an increase of the European Peace Facility (EPF) by five billion euros. The decision to create a special fund to help Ukraine represents an important step towards strengthening support for the country against Russian aggression. Žiga Faktor, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute and head of the Brussels office, commented on the creation of the fund and its possible results for Slovakian RTVS.

Although Viktor Orbán didn't make good on his threat to veto the EU aid proposal for Ukraine, his actions have opened a debate on the need for a veto in the EU. Does it still make sense or has it become a blackmail tool? Even now, the veto isn't the only way to block a proposal. In addition to it, unanimity may be threatened by the so-called blocking minority, in which a group of at least four states representing at least 35% of the EU population can prevent a proposal from being presented. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the Czech Republic's position in the EU and the possible reform of the approval mechanisms for the weekly Respekt.

The new European Defence Industrial Strategy primarily responds to the Ukrainian need for ammunition supplies due to Russian invasion. It includes measures such as support for collective procurement of defense systems, focus on the involvement of European firms in public tenders, support for national budgets in transitioning to new weapon systems, and the development of stronger ties with Ukraine and NATO. Zuzana Krulichová, a researcher specializing in European defense policy at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the funding of the new strategy for Euractiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Prague on Tuesday, met with Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and briefly visited the Czech-French Nuclear Forum. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, discussed the programme of the state visit and its impact on the Czech Republic in an interview for TN.cz.

We invite you to a public recording of the Café Evropa podcast: two years since the invasion: what's next for Ukraine? The recording will take place on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 17:30 at Langhans - Kavárna a Centrum Člověka v tísni, Vodičkova 37, Prague.

Czech governments have always been strong supporters of EU enlargement, and the same is true of the current one. The cabinet of Petr Fiala of the ODS might even like to be seen as the one that has done the most of Czech governments for the accession of new members to the shared club so far.