Articles Archive

The European Commission erred in refusing to disclose messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer chief Albert Bourla, according to the EU court's ruling. The communications concerned the purchase of billions of euros of vaccines. The Commission said it respected the verdict and would prepare a new justification for its action. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Television.

Wednesday's verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which upheld the European Commission's misconduct in refusing to publish text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and the Pfizer chief, sets an important precedent for the entire EU, according to Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

The European Union has adopted the seventeenth package of sanctions against Russia in response to the ongoing aggression in Ukraine. The new restrictions will target, among other things, ships from the shadow fleet that Moscow uses to circumvent existing restrictions. Viktor Danek, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for CNN Prima News.

An EU court has ruled that the European Commission erred in refusing to publish text messages exchanged between its President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer during the pandemic. The court said this breached transparency rules and the Commission's decision is annulled. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for Radiožurnál.

The EU court will consider whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen violated transparency rules by refusing to disclose text messages she exchanged with the CEO of Pfizer during the pandemic. The court is to decide whether there was a concealment of information. Martin Vokálek, director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TV Nova.

The European Commission has asked the Czech Republic to postpone the signing of the contract for the construction of the Dukovany nuclear power plant. It is investigating whether the Korean company KHNP has obtained advantages in the tender that could distort the EU's internal market. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TV Nova.

President Petr Pavel opened the Europe as a Task conference, which is being held on the occasion of Europe Day and the 21st anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the EU. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the theme of the conference directly from Prague Castle.

We would like to invite you to the next in a series of debates that provide an up-to-date perspective on key topics discussed in the plenary sessions of the European Parliament. The aim of the debates is to offer a clear overview of the decisions taken and their wider impact on the European Union and the Czech Republic. Each debate will provide a space for reflection on major legislative and political steps taken by the European Parliament, direct discussion with MEPs and experts, and an open dialogue with the professional and general public.

The coalition of the willing met on Saturday 10 May in Kiev. What are the parameters of the ceasefire they proposed?

Hungary has repeatedly used its veto power not only to pressure Ukraine on bilateral issues, but also to win concessions from the EU, especially in the budget and rule of law areas, says Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute in Prague.

The Second World War was a fundamental event in the development of Europe and its current shape. But are we still aware of this today? How does the younger generation feel about the conflict, which is 80 years away this year? And do we still need to remember it?

Europe is experiencing a significant shift to the right. In Germany, the result of the far-right AfD party, which came second with 20.8%, attracted a lot of attention, consolidating its position especially in the eastern part of the country. In Romania, the Eurosceptic nationalist George Simion dominated the first round of the presidential elections, winning over 40% of the vote and advancing to the run-off. These results confirm the growing support for the far right across Europe, which poses a challenge to the traditional political parties and to European integration as a whole. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments for Czech Television.