Europeum

ČTK | Austria-led FPÖ may be a problem for Ukrainian support

September 30, 2024

Austria, led by the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria, could pose a problem for support for Ukraine, said Žiga Faktor, head of the Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute, in an interview with ČTK. At the same time, he said, it would change the distribution of power within the European Council, specifically, the EU summits, where a strong group of prime ministers from the Patriots for Europe faction would be formed.

ČT24 | Austrian Freedom Party has a historic success. The question is now coalition potential

September 30, 2024

The historic success of the Freedom Party of Austria and the dramatic defeat of the ruling People's Party are the results of Sunday's Austrian National Council elections, according to the local media. The Social Democrats are likely to face another reboot and there is no room for small parties in parliament. On Monday night, the Austrian authorities officially published the results of the vote, which are being reported across Europe. Žiga Faktor, Deputy Director and head of Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute commented for Czech TV.

bne IntelliNews | US Westinghouse and French EDF file complaint with Czech anti-trust office over nuclear tender

August 28, 2024

US company Westinghouse and France's EDF have filed a complaint with the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition over the selection of South Korea's KHNP in the country’s 16bn euro tender to build two new reactors at the Dukovany nuclear power plant. Rebeka Hengalová, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for bne IntelliNews.

Conference | Circularity in the Czech automotive industry: opportunities and obstacles

October 17, 2024

The automotive industry has long been the driving force of the Czech economy, but is currently facing fierce foreign competition and challenges in the area of decarbonisation and sustainability. Despite its strategic position in the automotive industry, the Czech Republic still lags behind its neighbours in circularity and lacks a long-term strategy for the development of the sector. How can we improve the conditions for the development of circular solutions in the automotive sector and attract key investments of the future to the Czech Republic? Come join the discussion and seek answers to these questions!

Seznam Zprávy | Six winners of the Brussels unveiling. Who gained influence in the new Commission and why

September 17, 2024

Representatives from France, Italy and Spain have won key positions in the new European Commission. Strong portfolios for politicians from Slovakia and Poland may come as a surprise. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Seznam Zprávy.

El País | Hungary's new conflicts with Brussels as Budapest takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council

August 09, 2024

This year, the EU has not declared the regime in Belarus authoritarian. Hungary vetoed such a decision. Budapest has thus found a new element in this short EU tradition - a communiqué on the anniversary of the electoral fraud committed by Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 - to clash with Brussels. Kristína Chebáková, project manager at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the situation related to the Hungarian EU presidency for the Spanish daily El País.

Hospodářské noviny | EU boycott of Orbán. Europe ignores Hungary for a trip to see Putin

July 17, 2024

Hungary may hold the EU presidency until the end of the year, but member state politicians plan to ignore meetings the country holds. This is in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's secret visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as an unscheduled call for a ceasefire issued to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vít Havelka, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the boycott for Hospodářské noviny.

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.

ČRo Plus | Slovakia and Hungary face oil supply issues and file a complaint against Ukraine with the European Commission

July 24, 2024

Russian oil from Lukoil still isn’t flowing through Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary. In June, Ukraine unilaterally decided to ban the transit of Lukoil oil through its territory, as the company was added to its sanctions list. Slovakia and Hungary have turned to the European Commission for help in resolving the issue. What can the EU do about this situation? What role does the Association Agreement with Ukraine play in resolving this dispute? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, comments on the situation.

Seznam Zprávy | By electing von der Leyen MEPs prioritized stability

July 19, 2024

The current head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will remain at the helm of the EU's most prominent body, as decided by MEPs on Thursday. Although Thursday's vote was expected to be close, she ultimately secured 401 votes, forty more than needed. She even achieved a better result than five years ago, when she won by just nine votes. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, gave an interview to Seznam Zprávy about her re-election.