Europeum

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.

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 | Czechia and NATO: Building a more capable, connected and credible European pillar

July 17, 2024

CEE allies are key to building the capabilities-based, European Pillar NATO needs to enact genuine burden shifting and secure the alliance’s future. Dr Benjamin Tallis shows how Czechia can build on recent progress in defense procurement and increase its influence by prioritising the six elements Euro-NATO needs: core national war-fighting capabilities, logistics, military mobility, strategic enablers, air defence and long-range strategic strike.

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.

TN.cz | Ukraine and Moldova begin EU membership talks

June 25, 2024

In Luxembourg, formal accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union have begun. Is this a significant progress towards their eventual EU membership? Which of these two countries has a stronger position? And how does the screening process unfold? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discussed these topics for TN.cz.

RTVS | EU leaders discussed the new European Commission

June 17, 2024

On Monday, June 17, an informal meeting of the 27 member states of the European Union took place. Their leaders discussed the nominations of members for the new European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen will also have to compete for her position as President of the European Commission again. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, discussed her chances on the Slovak television RTVS.

e15 | Summit in Switzerland will show the world that Ukraine wants peace. But it will not bring it

June 14, 2024

The luxury Alpine hotel Bürgenstock on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland will host the largest peace conference on Ukraine to date this coming weekend. Leaders and diplomats from nearly 90 countries will be there to seek ways to end the worst armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. The ambitious event has been accompanied by criticism over the non-participation of Russia, China and US President Joe Biden. Even so, experts say the summit could be an important first step towards peace. Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the Brussels office of EUROPEUM Institute, describes the possibilities the conference will offer for e15 journal.

ČTK | Lipavský: Dealing with Russian aggression is key for the future of Europe

June 13, 2024

According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský, it is crucial for the future of Europe how it deals with Russia's brutal aggression towards Ukraine and its increasingly aggressive stance towards the West. He also emphasized that it will be essential for the European Union to ambitiously strengthen its role as a global player in the coming period, including prompt action in the development of the defense industry. He presented this vision in his speech at the Prague European Summit co-organized by EUROPEUM Institute and the Institute of International Relations.

Sestry.eu | Peace summit in Switzerland: expectations and reality

June 12, 2024

Ninety countries and organizations confirmed their participation in the Peace Summit focusing on the war against Ukraine in Switzerland. The United States will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris, China refused to participate and Russia was not invited. What are the key goals of the summit? Why did China decide not to come? Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute Tereza Novotná commented for Ukrainian-Polish online outlet Sestry.eu.

ČT24 | The European Parliament faced one of the toughest periods. How did it cope with the challenges?

June 04, 2024

The concluding European Parliament experienced one of the toughest periods. It had to address challenges such as the COVID crisis, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the migration pact. How did the parliament deal with these complex issues? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, assessed the effectiveness of MEPs on a daily broadcast of ČT24.