Articles and Publications

Kateřina Davidová and Tereza Novotná prepared a background paper for the Round Table of the National Convention on the EU on Reactions to the US Inflation Reduction Act. Three main questions are put to the Roundtable: What impact can the IRA have on Transatlantic relations and free trade in general, and how should the EU try to actively shape these relations? How can the EU ensure the competitiveness and strengthen the productivity of its industry in the future and promote the development of EU produced green technologies? How will the changes affect the Czech Republic directly and how should the Czech Republic proceed within the EU to avoid being left behind in the "green race"? Which specific climate-neutral (net-zero) industrial sectors should the Czech Republic focus on?

Overall, the debate focused on the diversification of global trading partners and how to achieve it. Speakers also discussed the threats associated with dependence on only a few strong countries, which can then take the position of rule makers. The whole debate was linked to the possibilities of global trade with countries that are part of the Indo-Pacific region. Writes Eliska Prostřední in her report on the debate "EU-Pacific Talks: Trade relations with the Indo-Pacific".

Demographic developments – the “greying” of society – remain an issue across the first world; in Europe, the expansion of the welfare state and elevated standards of services has put increasing demands on productivity to maintain the prosperity that has become an integral part of the societal contract.

Our Senior Research Fellow Vít Havelka elaborated recommendations resulting from the roundtable discussion of the National Convention on the EU held on 31 March 2023 on the topic "Energy Market Review". Among the recommendations made for the Czech Republic are, for example, to define its energy concept well in the light of the regional context and European energy policy. Another recommendation is that the Czech Republic should continue to incentivise energy savings as a key part of its preparedness for next winter, in line with the extension of the Regulation on coordinated measures to reduce gas demand.

The second-ever Czech presidency of the EU Council took place in the second half of 2022, a period in which the EU was under considerable pressure following the Russian invasion in Ukraine. What many predicted would be another regular presidency, became half a year of crisis management. Writes Vít Havelka in his Policy Paper called: 2022 Czech Presidency: A Surprising Success.

As noted in previous posts, the Arctic has received considerable attention in the past decade due to climate change, economic opportunities, and the growing military presence in the region. As a result of this trend, shifts in Arctic security dynamics are occurring. What is the future role of the EU in this changing geopolitical environment? Zsanett Gréta Papp asks this question in her blog.

Ensuring that workers in the Union receive an adequate minimum wage is essential to ensure adequate working and living conditions and to build a fair and resilient society, as set out in Principle 6 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Leonor Tavarez writes in her blog.

The United Kingdom has finally found common ground with the EU regarding the provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The current British prime minister can take credit for what three prime ministers failed to do before. So does Britain's foreign policy stand on a shoulder of one man's personal connections? The question answered our Katřina Horáková in her blog.

Read the report from the debate "Shaping Our Digital Future: tackling Disinformation in the EU, case of Central and Eastern Europe", which took place on 27 March in Brussels.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the effective information policy of the Kiev authorities have opened up an opportunity for Ukraine in the form of broad European public support for the idea of Ukraine joining the EU, writes Krzysztof Nieczypor in his policy paper.

The Visegrad countries are facing enormous Russian disinformation pressure aimed at breaking popular support for aid to Ukraine. If Ukraine were to lose Western support, it would most likely lose the war, which is why Russian disinformation aims to end this support. Writes Dorka Takatsy in her policy paper.

A debate on the European commemoration of the victims of the Shoah and the fight against anti-Semitism took place as part of the Café Evropa debate series. What is the path to a Czech national strategy to fight anti-Semitism and is a European culture of Shoah remembrance possible? You can read a summary of the outcomes of the individual guests in the report written by our intern Barbora Jehličková.