Articles Archive

According to latest polls, the far-right parties are expected to strengthen in the upcoming European Parliament elections. How will this change the distribution of seats in the European Parliament? Martin Vokálek, Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for the Střepiny programme on TV Nova.

What was the last parliamentary term like in the European Parliament? How did it manage two crises – the war in Ukraine and COVID-19? And how can the aid to Ukraine be assessed? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, answers these and other questions in an interview for Slovak television RTVS.

The Green Deal is becoming one of the main topics of the upcoming European Parliament elections. Candidate parties emphasize its importance and influence on future politics, with the expected changes affecting various sectors of the economy and the daily lives of citizens. In particular, the amendments to the rules for the ban on the sale of cars with internal combustion engines from 2035 and the upcoming ESG reporting, which could mean a significant administrative burden for medium-sized companies, are being discussed. The transformation towards green technologies brings both opportunities and challenges, and the outcome will depend on the skills and strength of individual negotiators in the coming negotiations. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, discussed the topic in the Hospodářské noviny podcast.

How does the Czech public view climate change and the development of renewable energy sources? Do they see it as a path to competitiveness? According to Czechs, should the European Union focus on environmental issues? Rebeka Hengalová, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, discussed the STEM survey results in collaboration with the EUROPEUM Institute on the program "Naše Evropa" on TV Nova.

The essential components needed to grow the modern economy include chips and semiconductors, solar panels and batteries for electric cars. All of these are imported into Europe from Asian countries instead of manufacturing capacity being built here. Viktor Daňek, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, said it is necessary to open a debate on the reform of the common budget and new revenues.

The elections to the European Parliament are less than a week away, and one of the main topics that Brussels will have to deal with in the coming years is the enlargement of the European Union. A total of nine countries are waiting to join the EU, but according to experts, rapid expansion is unlikely. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, talks about the possibility of enlargement until 2030, which requires reforms from both the candidate countries and the Union itself. Jana Juzová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TV Nova.

The far right is often disunited, as it lacks electoral discipline and prioritizes its own interests of national politics over its political group. In an interview for the Slovak television JOJ24, Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, describes the role European Conservatives and Reformists and the far right from the Identity and Democracy Group could play in coalition building.

The European Parliament elections are less than two weeks away, and one of the main topics will be the subsidy system. A number of experts are calling for it to be changed, and questions arise as to where the European Union will get the money for subsidies. The transformation of the EU towards green technologies could limit financial resources for structural funds, which would have a negative effect mainly on poorer countries, including the Czech Republic. Economists also point to possible financial problems for the EU after the departure of Great Britain, one of the biggest contributors. Klára Votavová, a researcher at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for TV Nova.

The campaigns for the European Parliament elections are not only relevant to Czech politicians but also to those from other countries. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, spoke with Aktuálně.cz about the chances of the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. How did she perform in the previous electoral term? And what points should she focus on in her campaign?

If Ursula von der Leyen wants to sit at the head of the European Commission for a second term, she will likely have to prepare a less green program than five years ago. While no surprises are expected for her nomination, a power shift is anticipated in the European Parliament, which approves the new head of the Commission. Pre-election models predict a strengthening of parliamentary factions critical of the Union. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Euractiv.

The Green Deal for Europe is an ambitious strategy to ensure that Europe becomes the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Most of the parties running for the European Parliament want to change this strategy, despite the fact that the car companies are already anticipating the transition. EUROPEUM Institute researcher Kateřina Davidová commented on the topic in an article for iRozhlas.cz.

Education is one of the topics on the agenda ahead of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. The Member States themselves should increase the amount of funding flowing into schools. For example, the recognition of university diplomas, could be worked on. Zuzana Krulichová, a researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, described the issue for the main evening broadcast of TV Nova.