Articles Archive

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary met in Prague to discuss the war in Ukraine and the future direction of the Visegrad Group. According to Viktor Daňek, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, migration will be another possible common topic and Donald Tusk will become one of the most important politicians in Europe in the next years.

Paris meeting of EU and NATO leaders wrapped up with a clear call - to strengthen the defense capabilities and increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine. The executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, Martin Vokálek, spoke more about the reasons and consequences of this extremely quickly summoned meeting for Slovakian RTVS channel.

The new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to the Prague V4 summit asking whether the Visegrad group is still relevant. Cooperation on a high political level is complicated by the countries' different approaches towards the war in Ukraine. While the Czech Republic and Poland continue to support its interests with the same intensity, Slovakia and Hungary are reassessing them. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, talked about the importance of the summit and the relations between Poland and the Czech Republic for ČT24.

In light of the debates on the migration pact, which represents the next step in solving the migration issue, the Czech political scene is once again focusing on this topic. However, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and the head of the opposition ANO party Andrej Babiš criticize the agreement, despite their previous positions. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, spoke in the 5:59 podcast about the change in their opinions, the possible reasons that led to it, as well as the content of the pact itself.

What can we expect from the upcoming summit in terms of aid to Ukraine? Vít Havelka, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, describes possible developments of the negotiations for ČT24.

How much people in the Czech Republic trust the European Union and what does this tell us about the mood in society? Why is economic prosperity and security so important to the Czechs? Vít Havelka comments on the STEM sociological survey for Czech Radio Plus.

Farmers across all Europe call for changes in legislation. What are their demands? How fast are the negotiations going and how can farmers be relieved of some of the current bureaucracy? Viktor Daněk explains in an interview for ČT24.

The Green Deal, a strategy towards greener technologies and climate protection, has recently been a major topic of discussion on the European scene. The Green Deal is also fiercely debated in the Czech Republic, with many farmers calling for its withdrawal in the streets in recent days. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the farmers' protests and their demands for Czech Radio Plus.

The new thirteenth package of sanctions against Russia was approved today by representatives of the EU. The sanction list has been expanded by another 200 individuals, companies, and institutions. These include entities outside of Russia that are involved in bypassing measures preventing the purchase of military technologies by Moscow. An expert commentary for the Radiožurnál program was provided by EUROPEUM's deputy director Viktor Daněk.

Establishing a new European fund to support coal regions may be perceived as a positive political step towards affected areas. However, the management of this fund poses challenges, not only in terms of finances but also in terms of personnel and time constraints, which could jeopardize its effective utilization. This conclusion arises from consultations with representatives of public administration and relevant regions and from their analysis conducted by Klára Votavová, member of research team at EUROPEUM.

As expected, Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed her interest in continuing as President of the European Commission. Since her arrival, she has faced crises such as Brexit, the global pandemic, the battle over vaccines and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The announcement of her candidacy was analysed by Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM institute, in Deník Právo.

The foreign ministries of Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands have summoned Russian ambassadors over the death of opposition activist Alexei Navalnyj. Germany has proposed an approval of another sanctions package against Russia, while the last proposed package has not yet been approved. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, analysed how effective the sanctions are and whether Western countries should continue to push them.