Europeum

e15 | European politicians boycott Hungarian presidency. Will Orbán continue to provoke?

July 24, 2024

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took over the EU Council presidency less than a month ago, but he has already managed to provoke the EU institutions and most member states with his unauthorized "peace" mission to Russia and China. During this mission, he presented himself as a representative of the European Union, despite having no authority to do so. European politicians have responded to this situation with initial retaliatory measures. How will Viktor Orbán proceed? What strategies and tactics might the Hungarian Prime Minister use during his presidency? Oszkár Roginer-Hofmeister, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this for e15.

STVR | Boycott of the Hungarian Presidency in Council of the EU

July 23, 2024

Most European Union states have decided to boycott the Council meeting in Budapest. This decision is a reaction to Orbán's "peace mission", during which he met with Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and former US President Trump under the banner of the Hungarian presidency without any mandate from the EU. Will EU criticism slow Orbán down in his next steps? Can Hungary's presidency be revoked? Does EU foreign policy even need to be unified? The situation is commented on by Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute.

FORUM24 | The Impact of the Patriots of Europe Group Power

July 19, 2024

How could the strengthening of the far right in the European Parliament manifest in practice? How strong and influential could the political group Patriots of Europe become? Could it affect decision-making at the level of the European Council? What developments can we expect in the European Commission under von der Leyen's leadership? Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, answered in an interview for FORUM24.

Novinky.cz | The number of migrants arriving in Europe has significantly decreased, with many heading to the Canary Islands

July 18, 2024

The European agency Frontex has released data on the number of migrants arriving in the European Union. This year, it recorded a third less migrants who have entered the Union illegally compared to last year. What are the reasons behind the decrease in migrant numbers? Did the failed agreement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda have an impact? Will the recently approved migration pact, which will come into effect in two years, also help? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on this for Novinky.cz.

ČRo Plus | Reactions of European leaders to Joe Biden's campaign withdrawal

July 22, 2024

There are relatively few comments from European leaders on Joe Biden's withdrawal from the U.S. presidential campaign, and those that do appear are rather restrained. How significant is Joe Biden's withdrawal for European leaders? Should the European Union prepare for what will happen after the U.S. elections? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, answered for ČRo Plus.

ČT24 | Von der Leyen re-elected as president of the European Commission

July 18, 2024

Ursula von der Leyen has retained her position as President of the European Commission. She received a total of 401 votes, significantly exceeding the required majority of 361 votes. The result was not as close as expected. What ultimately helped her achieve victory? And how difficult was it for her to negotiate support? Deputy Director and Head of the Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute, Žiga Faktor, commented for ČT24.

STVR | Constituent meeting of the European Parliament

July 17, 2024

Members of the European Parliament continue to assign themselves to various committees, familiarize with the agendas assigned to them, and have already started working. At the constituent meeting, the first discussion was on a new legislative proposal concerning Ukraine, during which MEPs expressed continued support for the country. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Slovakian STVR.

ČRo | The European Commission boycotts the Hungarian presidency due to Orban's unexpected visit to Russia

July 16, 2024

The European Commission has announced that, in light of developments since the beginning of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, it plans to boycott informal ministerial meetings and send only senior officials instead of commissioners. Viktor Orbán has come under criticism for his recent trip to Russia, which he described as a peace mission aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and which he did not consult with the leaders of other EU states. This move comments Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute for Czech Radio.

Policy paper | Managing imperial decline: a new EU policy towards Russia

July 16, 2024

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has shattered the post-Cold War international order built upon East-West interdependence and cooperation. The European Union (EU) - which had tried to pursue a strategic relationship with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 - must now adapt to the geopolitical reality of Russian neo-revisionism. Hugo Blewett-Mundy, an Associate Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, identifies four areas where the EU's policy towards Russia could evolve to confront this emerging security situation in Europe.

ČT24 | Patriots for Europe in the EU

July 08, 2024

The new political group in the European Parliament, Patriots for Europe, which includes the Czech opposition ANO movement, serves Russia's interests and threatens Europe's security, according to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Vít Havelka, a senior research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the new party for ČT24.