Czech Republic

President Petr Pavel opened the Europe as a Task conference, which is being held on the occasion of Europe Day and the 21st anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the EU. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the theme of the conference directly from Prague Castle.

Czech involvement in the European Union has long been ambivalent. The country has had a number of concrete successes, but these have gone largely unnoticed by the domestic public, which has traditionally been sceptical of European integration. The ANO movement entered politics with a pro-European stance, and Andrej Babiš managed to negotiate a number of advantages in the EU, but today his party ranks more among the critics. This ambivalent attitude is likely to persist after the upcoming autumn elections. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, writes for Reporter.

Uncertainty over US tariffs is increasing pressure on the European Union to speed up the conclusion of long-negotiated trade agreements. The closest to completion is the agreement with the South American Mercosur grouping, which could save Czech companies up to CZK 2.2 billion a year, according to estimates. Although the agreement is de facto ready, its approval is blocked by some member states, led by France. Filip Křenek, an analyst at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for iRozhlas.

For the first time in more than sixty years, the Czech Republic will be without Russian oil supplies. The newly secured crude supplies should cover all domestic consumption without depending on a single supplier. The country is thus fulfilling its commitment to the European Union and strengthening its energy security. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN Live.

The European Union is planning massive investments in the construction of so-called giga factories for artificial intelligence. Up to five major centers and thirteen smaller facilities are expected to be built across member states — the Czech Republic is not among them. The situation was commented on for Televizní noviny by Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute.

While transport poverty does not affect the majority of the population, available data shows that it impacts a significant and growing portion of Czech society, making it a serious issue that cannot be overlooked or expected to resolve itself over time. This policy paper by research fellow Rebeka Hengalová and head of Green Europe programme Jana Abíková details the experiences of transport-poor citizens, outlines good practice of measures from abroad and explains the potential utilisation of the Social Climate Fund in alleviating transport poverty.

The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is the EU's key instrument for determining the expenditure and revenue components of the common European budget. The negotiations on the long-term budget are among the most important and lengthy at European level. It decides on overall spending in traditional areas such as agriculture and cohesion, but also on new priorities such as defence and competitiveness. The European Commission is expected to present its proposal for the 2028-2034 financial framework by mid-2025, but informal discussions on the shape of the proposal are already taking place at both working and political level - the new European Commissioner for Budgets is now touring Member States and the Commission has launched a public consultation on the subject. The Commission has already presented the broad outlines of the next MFF, including a greater focus on efficiency, added value and simplification. It has also stressed the need for more flexibility to make the budget more responsive to crises. The number of (old) new priorities, including defence, climate and competitiveness, also raises the question of the size of the next European budget and new own resources. The current debate on the Czech priorities for the next MFF is therefore more than appropriate and the Czech Republic should actively enter into negotiations at the European level. The background paper for the round table of the National Convention on the EU was prepared by Josef Bič (FSV VŠE) and Filip Křenek (EUROPEUM).

President Petr Pavel travelled to Moldova this week. During his state visit, he wants to address bilateral relations between the two countries as well as the current security situation in Europe and the world. Martin Vokálek, Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on the relations between the Czech Republic and Moldova.

What truly matters when choosing how we get around? How do Czechs prefer to travel, and what’s stopping them from switching to electric cars? Join us for a live talk-show-style webinar where we’ll present fresh data on Czech mobility habits. We’ll explore:

EUROPEUM is inviting you to the media briefing where we unveil fresh research insights into the evolving attitudes of Czechs toward the European Union and climate policies.

A second EU leaders' summit is held in Paris to discuss European security and the future of Ukraine. This time, other EU countries were invited, including the Czech Republic. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN.cz.

The battery industry offers huge business opportunities in the coming years. The Czech Republic has a chance to become a leader if it adapts its economic strategies, speeds up permitting processes and invests in the entire value chain. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Hospodářské noviny.