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The European Union faces the challenge of how to respond to the new US administration's actions on the war in Ukraine and how to secure its place in the peace negotiations. At the same time, the future direction of the EU27 after the German parliamentary elections is being addressed. These topics are discussed in a new episode of the Europe Up Close podcast by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute.

Do you know what the second best book after the Bible is? According to Donald Trump, his bestseller, Trump: The Art of the Deal, helped him become popular and build his personal brand in the late 1980s. From this partly autobiographical book, the reader will learn, among other things, a wealth of advice on negotiating successfully. Trump presents himself as the ultimate deal-maker throughout his life. Viktor Daněk, the deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute commented for Český Rozhlas Plus.

European leaders had a busy agenda – after the Munich Security Conference, a key meeting in Paris followed. The focus is on the future of the war in Ukraine, relations with the U.S., and the loss of past certainties. Analyst Zuzana Krulichová from EUROPEUM Institute breaks down the events for Voxpot in the Puls podcast.

Polish President Andrzej Duda talks to the US ambassador about the situation in Ukraine. According to the US embassy, this is the only meeting between an ambassador and a European leader. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, comments 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.

Emmanuel Macron said that Europe must protect its sovereignty in the context of Donald Trump's return to the White House and his first steps in office. Olaf Scholz, for his part, said that Europe must remain strong. How will the new US President, and the changes of government in Germany and France, affect their alliance? Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČRo Plus.

The trade and economic security portfolio is one of the most influential in the European Commission - and it is this portfolio that Slovak Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will be in charge of. In an interview with TASR, Filip Křenek, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, explained how he can influence the economic direction of the EU.

In mid-November, a two-day Transatlantic Policy Forum conference was held in Prague, organized by the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy with the support of the US Embassy in Prague. Experts at the conference discussed key topics such as the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the impact of the outcome of the US presidential election on relations with the EU. Ian Brzezinski, an American expert on international relations and military affairs, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO in the George W. Bush administration, accepted the invitation to attend the conference and commented for Seznam Zprávy.

This event will delve into the "super year" of elections occurring in key regions such as Taiwan, the EU´s European Parliamentary elections, the United Kingdom, the United States, Indonesia, and India. Since the critical 2016 US presidential election, the focus on election integrity has evolved from foreign interference and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to threats posed by AI models and deepfake videos. Those who meddle in elections aim to weaken democratic foundations and erode trust in government institutions and factual information.

Although Europe's attention in recent years has been completely absorbed by Russia's aggression in Ukraine, many countries, including the Czech Republic, are increasingly interested in diversifying their business opportunities beyond the transatlantic space. We therefore asked experts from the fields of diplomacy, research and business about the potential pitfalls of EU-ASEAN cooperation, security challenges and the success of Czech diplomacy in the Far East. Zuzana Krulichová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, answered for the Institute of International Relations.

Organisers of this year's climate change conference, which starts today in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the acronym COP 29, have not shown much optimism. The stance of the world's second-largest polluter, the United States, on climate protection is uncertain after last week's presidential election. The Americans withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement during Donald Trump's first presidency and it is expected that they could withdraw from it again during his second presidency. In addition, world leaders still can't agree on financing a green transition in developing countries, which is expected to be a major focus of this year's climate change conference. Rebeka Hengalová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČRo Plus.

The new European Commission is getting clearer. Most of the candidates for European Commissioners have had their hearings in the European Parliament and almost all of them passed without any major hesitation, according to unofficial information. It is said that Donald Trump's victory in the US elections will speed up the creation process of the new Commission. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN Nova.