Articles Archive

After the European Parliament elections, government leaders of the EU member states must agree on the leadership of the European institutions. The agreement must be finalized by the end of the month. Vladimír Bartovic, President of EUROPEUM Institute, answered questions about the negotiations.

After the European Parliament elections, the elected national political parties have to split into different factions. This process is ongoing, with question marks surrounding the ANO party. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TV Nova.

The results of the European elections are favorable for Ukraine; the center-right European People's Party (EPP) won the most seats, thereby strengthening the position of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a strong supporter of Ukraine. On the other hand, while some groups to the right of the EPP also had successes, their support for Ukraine is mixed. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, commented the situation for The Parliament magazine.

The EUROPEUM Brussels Office is offering an internship from September 2024 to January 2025. Find out more information below.

The Mayor's party, who have the right to nominate a European Commissioner under the Czech coalition agreement, have announced that they will nominate both Danuše Nerudová and Jozef Sikela for the position of the next Czech European Commissioner. The government is due to decide on a candidate by the end of August. Can the Czech Republic get a highly sought-after economic portfolio? What are the advantages for the country if it gets it? And how difficult is the process of questioning candidates in the European Parliament, the so-called grilling? Klára Votavová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, answered these and other questions in an interview for Czech Radio.

Through interviews with officials and other relevant actors at national and regional level, this research report identifies conditions for regional preparedness to draw on the Just Transition Fund. Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute Klára Votavová compares the situation in two of the three Czech regions that are drawing on the Fund: Moravian-Silesian and Karlovy Vary Region.

After the European elections, institutions in Brussels are facing personnel changes. Who is likely to assume the most important positions, namely the the head of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament? Vít Havelka, senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this in the main evening broadcast on TV Nova.

On Monday 17 June, the leaders of the European Union Member States headed to Brussels for their first joint meeting after the European Parliament elections. They discussed the distribution of key posts at the head of the EU institutions - the President of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the likely distribution of forces for ČRo Plus.

On Monday, June 17, an informal meeting of the 27 member states of the European Union took place. Their leaders discussed the nominations of members for the new European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen will also have to compete for her position as President of the European Commission again. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discussed her chances on the Slovak television RTVS.

Filip Turek, originally an outsider, pulled the Přísaha and Motorists coalition into third place and gained more than ten percent of the vote. He bet on a ban on internal combustion engines and social networks. How realistic are his election promises? Who did he take votes from and who helped him? Filip Křenek, Project Coordinator and Analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the topic for Czech Television's investigative programme 168 hodin.

In France, final preparations for the July summer Olympic Games are underway, but according to surveys, less than half of the French believe the country can ensure a their smooth course. Confidence in current political leaders has also been undermined by the European elections, where the opposition scored a significant victory. The opposition far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen no longer wants to leave the EU; they want to influence it. However, they need allies for that. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office at EUROPEUM Institute, comments on this for Respekt magazine.

The second day of the Prague European Summit 2024 conference at the Czernin Palace was opened with a speech by Czech Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvořák. He thinks of the enlargement of the European Union as crucial. "We have to realize that the enlargement of the EU, our defense and security and the current Central European position are interconnected," he said.