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The International Partnership and Global Gateway portfolio of Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela has significant and untapped potential. In an interview for TASR, Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented.

Shortly after midday, the European Parliament approves the new European Commission by a majority. The new executive will take office on 1st December. It will also include the Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela, who will be in charge of the international partnership. President Ursula von der Leyen has identified innovation, decarbonisation and security as her top priorities for the next term. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

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.

The government has partially adopted rules for emissions trading based on European regulations. However, failure to adopt some key aspects could lead to problems, including possible fines from the European Union. The main issues are the sharing of profits from allowances and the protection of vulnerable groups from rising energy costs. Rebeka Hengalová, an researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Ekonews.

Who’s who in the new European Commission and what can we expect from it? What will the relationship between the European Union and the United States look like following the inauguration of Donald Trump and his administration? And why has the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on these topics for Czech Radio Dvojka.

According to some commentaries, a new majority is emerging in the European Parliament outside the traditional block of the populists and socialists. Martin Vokálek, the executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, spoke to Rádio Prostor about the changes in the Parliament and also about what the new European Commission will look like.

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. Rem Korteweg, an expert on European trade policy from the Clingendael Institute in the Netherlands, accepted the invitation to the conference and commented for Hospodářské noviny.

How strong will the next European Commission be and what will be its position on the core and the Green Deal? What has enabled agreement on the three controversial candidates for European Commissioner? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČRo Radiožurnál.

The factions of the European Parliament approved all the candidates for the new European Commission. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions also have less discussed impacts, such as transport poverty. While wealthier households invest in green technologies such as electric cars and solar panels, low-income families often do not have the means to buy new, low-emission vehicles. Rebeka Hengalová, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented for iDNES.cz.

MEPs have approved the European Commission. The deadlock, during which individual groups raised objections to some candidates, lasted for more than a week. The new composition of the Commission could therefore be approved next Wednesday. This would allow the Commission to begin its work by December 1. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for CNN Prima News.

What the new European Commission will look like is still unclear, it looks like it does not hold the agreement of the factions. While all the candidates for European Commissioners have passed the grillings, the situation surrounding the negotiations of the executive vice-presidents of the European Commission has become complicated. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, discusses the issue in a new episode of the podcast Europe for Czechs.