Articles Archive

In this blog post, EUROPEUM intern Emma Šílová examines how digital exclusion continues to limit older people’s access to eHealth services in Czechia. Drawing on national data, EU and national strategies, and recent reforms in healthcare digitalisation, the article explores the barriers faced by older adults when accessing eHealth services, assesses Czechia’s performance in eHealth inclusion, and outlines policy recommendations to ensure that the digital transition in healthcare does not leave seniors behind.

Although Andrej Babiš claims to have resolved his conflict of interest by transferring Agrofert into a trust structure, Brussels remains cautious. The European Commission has so far refrained from issuing a clear position, waiting to see whether the proposed solution genuinely addresses the legal and political risks related to the use of EU funds. Commented by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

As there is a shifting trend towards a geopolitical framing of several EU-related policy areas, such as enlargement, agriculture and energy, a geopolitical turn in EU public diplomacy is an approach one must also contemplate in the highly competitive communication environment of today, writes Oszkár Roginer-Hofmeister. He argues that to tackle the challenges from Russia, China, and more recently the US, the EU is making an effort to rebrand itself as a geopolitical actor. Find out more in Oszkár’s text below.

Andrej Babiš is returning to the European stage at a time when decisions are being made in Brussels regarding hundreds of billions of euros. The main topics at the EU leaders’ summit will be the financing of Ukraine, the shape of the next seven-year budget, and the future enlargement of the EU. For Seznam Zprávy, the situation was commented on by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office at the EUROPEUM Institute.

Are you a student interested in European politics? Would you like to be involved in the running of the Prague office of a leading Czech think tank or in its communication activities right in the heart of Prague? At the EUROPEUM Institute, we are looking for students for a six-month internship in our organisational and communications team!

The European Commission has softened its original plan to ban the sale of cars with internal combustion engines after 2035. Under the new proposal, CO₂ emissions from new vehicles would have to be reduced by 90 percent compared to 2021 levels, rather than eliminated entirely as initially planned. For ČT1, the situation was commented on by Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute.

A kind of “Christmas bonus” awaits German companies: the governing coalition will secure them significantly cheaper electricity. Czech industry, by contrast, will pay at least 30 percent more, which for companies such as Třinecké železárny means cost differences running into billions of crowns compared to their German competitors. For iDNES, the situation was commented on by Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute.

The proposed reparations loan for Ukraine, backed by frozen Russian assets, has encountered resistance within the EU, mainly due to Belgium’s firm stance. While legal concerns play a role, the blockade is also shaped by domestic political considerations and fears over fiscal stability. Despite these obstacles, a compromise may still emerge ahead of the December European Council summit, particularly if risk-sharing mechanisms are clarified and pressure from other member states increases. Commented by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.

EU member states have taken the first significant step toward releasing frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. Despite opposition from Slovakia and Hungary, they approved a mechanism ensuring that the funds will not depend on sanctions or the decisions of individual countries, allowing them to help Kyiv obtain the necessary financial support. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels office of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this for Denník N.

Is it possible, in an environment of growing Euroscepticism and media polarisation, to connect the European Union’s value-based language with a utilitarian understanding of its role? Drawing on two EU communication campaigns in Hungary conducted in 2024–2025, the text examines this tension and shows that the clash between the EU’s normative framing and the Hungarian government’s transactional, sovereignty-centred narrative is not merely a matter of messaging, but a structural feature of the domestic political and media landscape. The analysis suggests that isolated campaigns have only limited capacity to shift public attitudes in such a hostile and saturated information environment.

The European Union is looking for ways to fund Ukraine in the long term without indebting its member states. The most promising solution appears to be using frozen Russian assets, particularly those held in Belgium. According to Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office at the Europeum Institute, this is the fairest and most sustainable option, surpassing all other alternatives.

Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in London that a peace plan to end the war must be created exclusively under the condition of unity between the European Union, the United States, and Ukraine. At the same time, he announced that a joint peace proposal would be finalized by Tuesday and then handed over to the US, while reiterating that Ukraine is not willing to make territorial concessions. This article was commented on by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director and Head of the Brussels Office of the EUROPEUM Institute.