Europeum

EU MONITOR | THREE RESPONSES TO DISINFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

February 16, 2023

Disinformation and foreign interference have been concerns in global politics for centuries, but social media algorithms have made the current threat more dire as they amplify content based on human frailties such as our obsession with negativity and outrage. Russian interference in the 2016 US federal election and other elections and referenda in at least twenty countries between November 2016 and April 2019, including the Brexit referendum, the French and German elections, and the Ukrainian power grid cyber-attacks, have highlighted the potential for foreign governments to alter the results of an election or undermine democracies using social media and other means. Writes Jakub Ferenčík in his last EU MONITOR.

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ČTK: Petr Pavel's victory will improve the Czech Republic's position in the EU and NATO, but also relationship with the USA

January 30, 2023

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented for ČTK on Saturday's victory of Petr Pavel in the presidential elections on the relationship with the EU and NATO. He mentioned that Pavel's accession could bring about a unification of the foreign policy of the government and the Foreign Ministry. He also suggested that the newly elected president would have better relations with the United States

ČT24: The election result sends a signal about the pro-Western direction of the Czech Republic

January 30, 2023

The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, appeared on Czech Television to comment on the reaction of Brussels to the results of the presidential elections. He also mentioned the role of the president in relation to the EU and NATO and how this relationship will change after two terms of Miloš Zeman.

Foreign Policy: A New Czech Presidential Election Promises a New Era in Politics

January 12, 2023

The upcoming presidential elections in the Czech Republic are also being noticed by foreign media. Our researcher Klára Votavová commented on the circumstances of the election for Foreign Policy, saying that Zeman's presidency has brought scepticism towards Europe. A victory of Andrej Babiš, she said, would then mean a strengthening of the presidential office.

Blog | US Midterms: Consequences for the security of Eastern Europe

December 13, 2022

The recent US midterm elections made headlines around the world. The main issues that voters were interested in were the state of democracy and the rule of law, abortion, the economy and education. Our intern Tomáš Moudrý addressed these topics in his blog. "The most expensive midterms in the US history are over. Republicans gained the House majority with 221 seats and the Democrats retained the Senate with 51 seats. Is this a surprising result? Partly yes, partly no. Firstly, polls and even Republicans were sure about a “Red wave“ that would sweep across the US. Instead, there was a tossup in both Chambers of the Congress. Secondly, the President’s party usually lose the midterms. One can argue that midterms from the incumbent President’s party perspective traditionally have just one major goal – to mitigate losses by the closest possible margin. The Democrats seem to have found a way to deal with this fate, despite Biden's low approval rating."

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INVITATION: EU±// The impact of the US elections on relations with Europe

November 22, 2022

We invite you to another debate in the EU± series, this time on the topic "The impact of the US elections on relations with Europe". The debate will take place on 22 November at 17:30 online.

RTVS: Slovenia will have a new president. What decided the victory of Natasha Pirc Musar?

November 15, 2022

Nataša Pirc Musar won Sunday's second round of the presidential election, receiving 54% of the votes. She defeated her rival, former Foreign Minister Andrej Logar. Musar will replace current president Borut Pahor, who has been unable to run for two terms. Our analyst Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office, also commented on the situation.

Blog | A drop of leftwing in a sea of rightwing? The Brazilian elections

October 29, 2022

As the world eagerly awaits the outcomes of Brazilian elections, which will have strong impacts on the future of the Amazon and global climate efforts, our intern, Benedetta Milani, breaks down the status quo as Brazil determines its political future tomorrow.

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Background Paper Think Tank Forum | The State of Democracy and Rule of Law in WB6

October 26, 2022

This article was written as background material for a panel discussion at the Think Tank Forum: EU Enlargement. The authors of the article are Oszkár Roginer, Project Manager, and Žiga Faktor, Head of our Brussels office. In the article, the authors discuss, among other things, elections, political pluralism, civil society, media, and fundamental rights in the Western Balkan countries.

Kam pak?: The rise of the Italian right was to be expected, says Czech-Italian analyst

October 17, 2022

Who is Giorgia Meloni? How much does she claim the legacy of Benito Mussolini? What will her government look like and what can it mean for Italy? For the podcast "Kam pak?" on the topic of Italy's incoming new government, commented our researcher and Italy expert, Alexandre Lagazzi.