Articles Archive

Despite the fact that women make up half of the population, they are still not equally represented in the key institutions of the European Union, even in leadership positions. The European Parliament and the European Commission are taking a number of steps to improve gender equality, both internally and towards the public. Adéla Gajdošíková writes in her blog what the current representation in these institutions looks like and what concrete measures they are taking.

How has the Czech Republic changed during its membership in the EU, how has it managed to catch up economically with its western neighbours? Where has it moved and where is the next potential? And does the Czech Republic have a strategy to build on? Come and listen to renowned speakers from across Europe and join the discussion on what we have achieved in the last 20 years in the EU and where we are moving as a country. We are co-organising the conference with the Prague University of Economics and Business.

This year's summer school of the Center for an Informed Society is over! In Horka nad Moravou, it offered students a unique opportunity to meet and discuss current issues of security and European politics. The event was held in cooperation with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Eurocentrum Olomouc and EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.

Boosting European productivity and competitiveness hinges on both the development and uptake of technology, especially AI. Europe has a chance to place itself centrally in the AI value chain if the EU and its member states ensure access to computing power, data and finance as well as improving citizens’ basic and advanced digital skills. Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute Silke Maes, among other contributors, writes in this Policy Brief.

The main man in charge of migration in the new European Commission will be Austrian Magnus Brunner. The Commission's head Ursula von der Leyen has also given the topic of migration partly to the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, to focus, among other things, on the fight against smugglers. The migration pact is not expected to change. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Novinky.cz.

The draft composition of the new European Commission is already known, the names of the Commissioners were announced by President Ursula von der Leyen a week ago. The candidate for the sustainable transport and tourism portfolio is Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who has served as governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia since 2013. Following the announcement on LinkendIn, Tzitzikostas himself considers it a great honour and responsibility for him to be entrusted. Deputy Director Viktor Daněk commented for Ekonomický deník.

In a report to the European Commission, Mario Draghi, former Italian Prime Minister and head of the European Central Bank, warns that without massive investment in green technology, digitalization and defense, Europe will lose its competitiveness. The report was commented by Associate Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute Klára Votavová.

The new composition of the European Commission and the distribution of portfolios caused puzzlement in Prague. The head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, entrusted Jozef Síkela with the agenda of International Partnership and Global Gateway – a name that, apart from a handful of insiders in the Czech Republic, few people have heard of, instead of the long-talked about energy sector or international trade. EUROPEUM Institute analyst Zuzana Krulichová commented for Hospodářské noviny.

Thanks to his existing reputation in the European Commission, Jozef Síkela has a certain advantage over other upcoming Commissioners. Though it remains to be determined whether he will be able to use this advantage well. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, told Prostor radio what impact the International Partnership portfolio can have on the Czech Republic and what competencies it actually contains.

Disappointment with the negotiations and the weak position of the Czech Republic was voiced when the new composition of the European Commission was announced. The presentation of the post to the Czech nominee Jozef Síkela is accompanied by a debate on how influential the position of Commissioner for International Partnerships is. Experts say that although the government had bigger expectations, much can be achieved even with the portfolio at hand. The current Trade and Industry Minister could help the EU to be a counterweight to Russian and Chinese influence in emerging economies, and could also push for greater raw material security. For daily Česká justice commented Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela has been appointed Commissioner for International Partnerships at the European Commission. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on TN Live whether this is a win or a loss.

Instead of trade or energy, the current Minister of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela, will eventually be put in charge of International Partnerships in the European Commission. According to the opposition, this is a failure of the domestic government, but the Prime Minister and other leaders of the five-coalition praise Síkela's portfolio. So how did the distribution of the seats of the European Commissioners work out for the Czech Republic? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for podcast 5:59 of Seznam Zprávy.