EU

At a joint meeting of EU ministers, possible solutions to high gas prices were discussed. Our researcher Michal Hrubý commented on the meeting for Událostí, komentáře ČT24. He warned, for example, against capping prices of gas used for electricity production, which could lead to the exhaustion of gas reserves due to low prices. On the other hand, he positively assessed the planned joint European purchases of gas, which could significantly help the Czech economy.

Tatiana Mindeková, our project manager and junior researcher, wrote a blog named “How do Czech and Slovak governmental parties perceive the EU Green Deal? Online monitoring of Facebook posts”. In this blog, Tatiana analysed approaches of Czech and Slovak parliamentary parties to the European Green Deal and identified whether the parties and their representatives are supportive or critical towards it.

An emergency meeting of EU ministers will be held today to discuss the dramatic rise in energy prices. The gas price cap is unlikely to happen, but other proposals are expected to be approved. Our research fellow Michal Hrubý commented on the situation.

We would like to invite you to the next debate in the Café Evropa series, this time on the topic "State of the Union Address - what lies ahead for the EU in the current difficult times?" The debate will take place on 14 September 2022 in person at the European House in Prague at Jungmannova 745/24.

Our senior researcher Jana Juzová wrote an article for VISEGRAD/INSIGHT on "The Czech Republic and Slovakia in the lead". Since July, the Czech Republic has held the presidency of the EU Council and Slovakia the presidency of the Visegrad Four. Although the V4 is now in the shadow of Czech and Slovak foreign policy, this does not mean that it is less important or that it is falling apart. However, the V4 crisis triggered by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán may be an opportunity for the Czech Republic and Slovakia to determine the direction of the Visegrad Four.

The leaders of Northern Macedonia and Albania will open their countries' accession talks to the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday, something for which Northern Macedonia has been waiting for over 17 years and Albania for eight. The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented on this fact for Hospodářské noviny. Žiga Faktor also comments on the agreement between Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria. In his view, the EU may have set a precedent by allowing bilateral historical and cultural disputes to become part of the accession process.

The leaders of Northern Macedonia and Albania will open their countries' accession talks to the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday, something for which Northern Macedonia has been waiting for over 17 years and Albania for eight. The head of our Brussels office, Žiga Faktor, commented on this fact for Aktuálně.cz. Faktor also commented on the agreement between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, which opened the way for North Macedonia to join the EU. Faktor believes that the EU may have set a precedent by allowing bilateral historical and cultural disputes to become part of the accession process.

The Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU begins today. One of the challenges that the Czech Republic will face is the possible extension of sanctions against Russia, for instance in the gas sector. However, the geographical proximity of Ukraine to the Czech Republic should facilitate negotiations on this issue. Žiga Faktor, head of our Brussels office, commented on this topic for the Slovenian online daily DELO.

The news server iDnes.cz published a commentary by our Senior Research Fellow Jana Juzová. In her commentary, she discusses Ukraine's candidate status and compares it with the situation in the Balkans, where some countries have been waiting for EU membership for decades.

Michal Hrubý, our Research Fellow, commented on the topic of the Czech EU Presidency in an article for the news server E15 in which he addresses the issue of gas from Russia. The article also compares the situation with 2009, when the Czech Republic held the EU Council Presidency for the first time.

We would like to invite you to the next debate in the Café Evropa series, this time on the topic "Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU - what awaits the EU under Czech leadership?". The debate will take place on 23.6.2022 in person at Jungmannova 745/24 (Evropský dům).

Senior Research Fellow Jana Juzová commented for E15.cz on the topic of Ukraine's EU membership. The launch of the accession process was supported by the European Commission, but also by some EU member states - for example, Germany, France, Italy and, of course, the Czech Republic.