Uncertainty over US tariffs is increasing pressure on the European Union to speed up the conclusion of long-negotiated trade agreements. The closest to completion is the agreement with the South American Mercosur grouping, which could save Czech companies up to CZK 2.2 billion a year, according to estimates. Although the agreement is de facto ready, its approval is blocked by some member states, led by France. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for iRozhlas.

Giorgia Meloni is heading to the White House. Although EU leaders had long feared that the Italian Prime Minister, known for her close ties to Donald Trump, would undermine European unity, they now see her as the main link to the White House. Her trip to Washington was commented by Filip Křenek, an expert on EU economic and competition policy from the Institute EUROPEUM.

On major transport routes across Europe, public charging and refuelling stations will be required to share information on their location and availability in a uniform and automated way. New rules to simplify access to this data for users and operators were approved by the European Commission in early April. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the Europeum Institute, commented for Ekonomický deník.

The European Commission is proposing retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. at a rate of 25 percent. According to Reuters, they would apply to products such as nuts, soybeans, sausages, or diamonds. The issue was analyzed by Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute.

The European Union is showing its willingness to negotiate with the United States on the issue of tariffs, but at the same time it is preparing its own defence scenarios. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plans to strengthen the single market in response to possible US tariffs. Ministers of the member states meet in Luxembourg. Filip Křenek, analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Radio Plus.

The White House has imposed tariffs on its trading partners in an effort to restore US sovereignty. Filip Krenek, analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, comments for the program Střepiny.

Two years old and never used yet. The so-called instrument on protection against economic pressure is one of the options that the European Union can resort to in response to the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump. An extreme option would be to partially cut off US banks from European public procurement. These are projects worth up to two trillion euros a year (about 50 trillion crowns). Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, comments for iROZHLAS.

Emission allowances for transport and housing are due to come into force in 2027. Prime Minister Petr Fiala wants to postpone the directive by at least one year. The ANO movement, on the other hand, intends to abolish it altogether if it comes to power. However, if the Czech Republic does not adopt the EU directive, it faces financial penalties. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation for CNN Prima News.

The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is the EU's key instrument for determining the expenditure and revenue components of the common European budget. The negotiations on the long-term budget are among the most important and lengthy at European level. It decides on overall spending in traditional areas such as agriculture and cohesion, but also on new priorities such as defence and competitiveness. The European Commission is expected to present its proposal for the 2028-2034 financial framework by mid-2025, but informal discussions on the shape of the proposal are already taking place at both working and political level - the new European Commissioner for Budgets is now touring Member States and the Commission has launched a public consultation on the subject. The Commission has already presented the broad outlines of the next MFF, including a greater focus on efficiency, added value and simplification. It has also stressed the need for more flexibility to make the budget more responsive to crises. The number of (old) new priorities, including defence, climate and competitiveness, also raises the question of the size of the next European budget and new own resources. The current debate on the Czech priorities for the next MFF is therefore more than appropriate and the Czech Republic should actively enter into negotiations at the European level. The background paper for the round table of the National Convention on the EU was prepared by Josef Bič (FSV VŠE) and Filip Křenek (EUROPEUM).

The National Convention on the European Union has published a new policy paper with recommendations on the topic Czechia and the Priorities of the New Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034. The document is based on the roundtable discussion held on 28 March 2025 and responds to current debates on the shape of the next EU budget in the context of increasing expenditure pressures — for example, in the areas of defence, the reconstruction of Ukraine, or competitiveness. The recommendations focus on the need to clearly define Czech priorities, take new challenges into account, and strengthen the involvement of Czech stakeholders in European programmes. They also reflect the need to streamline budgetary instruments and emphasise the importance of broader public and expert debate on the benefits of the EU budget for the Czech Republic. The expert guarantors of the roundtable were the Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM and the University of Economics in Prague.

The European Union refuses to make energy cheaper by abolishing emission allowances, even though Czech economists and businessmen believe this would bring the greatest relief. Instead, it is coming up with its own plan to lower electricity and gas prices. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the Europeum Institute, commented on the situation for iDnes.

The National Convent on the European Union issued recommendations based on the roundtable held on 28 March 2025 on the topic "The Czech Republic and the Priorities of the New Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034." The discussion focused on the priorities of the next EU multiannual budget, with emphasis on efficiency, added value, simplification, and the need to strengthen European defense spending. The expert guarantors of the roundtable were the Institute for European Policy EUROPEUM and the University of Economics in Prague.