Europeum

ČTK | The new Czech Commissioner will have as much value as he can create

September 17, 2024

According to former Czech MEP Pavel Telička, the new Czech EU Commissioner Jozef Síkela will have the value he will create. What kind of cabinet he will build and who will lead it will also be important, as well as how he will handle the hearings in the European Parliament and how he will want to interfere with his comments and proposals in the portfolios of other EU Commissioners. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČTK.

ČT24 | Most countries have presented their candidates for European Commissioner, none have put forward two names

August 02, 2024

Most EU member states have already presented their candidates for the position of European Commissioner, but none have complied with the request of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to propose two names. Ten countries have yet to nominate anyone, while the Czech Republic announced the nomination of Jozef Síkela last week. Which nominations are worth paying attention to? Is it mandatory for states to propose two candidates? On what basis does von der Leyen decide the composition of the Commission? And what are the chances that the Czech Republic will secure an economic portfolio? Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments for ČT24.

ČT24 | European Parliament Elected Committee Leadership, Including a Czech Chair

July 23, 2024

Veronika Vrecionová was elected as the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Luděk Niedermayer as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Does this signify a strengthening or weakening of the Czech position? In which committees will the Czech MEPs be active? How significant is the "cordon sanitaire" of the Patriots for Europe political group? And isn't this isolation of the Patriots for Europe a limitation of democracy? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discusses this topic in an interview 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.

RTVS | Proposal for the position of Commissioner for Defense

May 02, 2024

The current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposes the creation of a new position: Commissioner for Defense in the future Commission. Is this proposal feasible? When could this position be established? And who would fill it? How would enhanced EU defense operate alongside NATO was addressed by Vít Havelka, Senior Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, in a commentary for the Slovak television RTVS.

BLOG | A Proposal for Politically-Willing Countries to Resolve Europe’s Rule of Law Crisis

April 26, 2024

Given the lack of adequate EU responses over rule of law violations, politically-willing European states ought to consider a novel accountability mechanism. It is high time for committed European states to take innovative and decisive action on more than a decade of democratic backsliding sweeping the region and the world. Should European Union Member States concerned about rule of law violations seek a solution outside the EU institutions? Our researcher Henry Barrett, a Fulbright-Schuman Grantee, writes about this topic in his blog.

Think Visegrad Fellowship offer: Call for proposals 2024

April 19, 2024

The Think Visegrad platform, which brings together think tanks from the Visegrad countries, including the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, is offering eight visiting fellowships to non-Visegrad expert fellows for the period Summer/Autumn/Winter of 2024. The duration of fellowships varies from 6 to 8 weeks (based on agreement with the hosting institute).

BLOG | The Use of Article 7 as a Protection Tool for the Rule of Law and European Values

April 19, 2024

With Hungary taking over the EU presidency in July 2024, many are questioning the EU's ability to promote its values in its member states. Indeed, the EU is about to hand over its presidency to a state that has been criticised for its actions that threaten the rule of law and is subject to the procedure set out in Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), writes Maxime Painot in his blog.

Novinky.cz | Migration Pact: Non-compliance could lead to fines

April 18, 2024

The Migration Pact consists of ten legislative proposals that passed the European Parliament last week. They still have to be voted on in the Council of Ministers. Failure to comply with these regulations could lead to lawsuits and heavy fines. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the Migration Pact for Novinky.cz.

ČT24 | The European Parliament approved new migration rules

April 12, 2024

The package consists of ten legislative proposals. Its support was by no means certain, with the fractions counting every vote. What demands does this comprehensive package place on the Member States? And does the package contain mandatory quotas, as the Czech opposition claims? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, commented on the approval process of the new legislative package for ČT24.