EU

The European Commission has presented a competitiveness compass to tackle expensive energy, dependence on fossil fuel imports and the growing influence of China. Its guiding principle is less bureaucracy, more innovation. "The objectives are going in the right direction, the problem is that paper can take a lot. And Europe is good at painting grand strategies," recalls Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM institute and former correspondent for Czech Radio in Brussels.

Make Permanent Representation Great Again!" This sentence was sent to HN by one of the key employees of the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic in Brussels, i.e. the embassy to the European Union, reacting to the fact that the new ambassador Vladimír Bärtl will take over the leadership of the embassy from Saturday 1 February. He has an excellent reputation among diplomats and EU experts.b

On December 10th, Think Visegrad in Brussels organised an expert discussion on Reassessing EU-US relations after the EP and US elections: Views from Central Europe (and beyond). The debate examined the potential implications of Donald Trump’s re-election for the EU and the transatlantic relationship. Attended by experts, policymakers, and academics, the session explored critical challenges and opportunities across political, security, and economic dimensions. The debate aimed to foster an in-depth understanding of how the policies of the Trump administration might reshape the EU’s strategic choices and influence EU-US relations.

On December 11th, the Brussels Office organised Geopolitics First: Perspectives of CEE on the EU's Global Challenges in the Next Political Cycle. The aim of this expert discussion was to broaden the perspective of the Central European region on key geopolitical challenges, such as the foreign policy influence of Russia and China.

As the EU enters its next political cycle, role of Central European countries within the block seems to have picked up its pace. Not only have Poland, Czechia or Slovenia received ambitious Commissioner portfolios, but the region has also played an important role in the support of Ukraine and more broadly in shaping EU's political priorities for the next mandate. Yet, there is still lack of representation of these countries within the EU institutions while latest reports of Letta and Draghi barely involved any voices from the Eastern part of the EU in their research. This debate organized by Brussels Office of EUROPEUM Institute therefore summarized latest developments on the EU level and looked into the current Hungarian and upcoming Polish EU presidencies and their potential impacts on the Union.

Does the United States need the European Union as much as the European Union needs the United States? And what are the differences in relations during the Donald Trump and Joe Biden administrations? Danielle Piatkiewicz, research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Slovakian STVR.

In the European Union, the outcome of the US presidential election is eagerly awaited. Transatlantic relations are crucial for the European continent. At the moment, they are extremely good; whether they will continue to be so after the elections is questionable. A change in the White House may affect more than one sphere in the European Union. From trade to industry to security. Danielle Piatkiewicz, researcher for EUROPEUM Institute, commented for STVR.

Polls opened in North Macedonia on Wednesday for the first round of the presidential elections. Seven candidates are running for the presidency in a country gripped by political tensions, disappointment with democratic reforms and aspirations to join the European Union. Jana Juzová, a senior researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, analysed the situation in an interview for ČT24.

This year will see the expected renewal of top posts in NATO and, after the European Parliament elections, also in the European Union. These positions are traditionally filled by candidates from the wealthy countries of Western and Southern Europe, and to a lesser extent Northern Europe. The countries of Eastern and Central Europe have so far, even after years of membership, still been overlooked. Poland is the only country from the region to have been awarded one of the bloc’s senior positions in the past with Donald Tusk and Jerzy Buzek leading the European Council and European Parliament respectively. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, spoke about the selections of candidates for Deník N.

The EU Summit decides in record time on a new financial aid package for Ukraine. What are the implications of this decision and what position does it put Viktor Orbán in? Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, explains the situation.

At the summit, EU leaders agreed to release €50 billion to help Ukraine. After previous long resistance from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the agreement was surprisingly quick. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM, summarised the situation.

What is the current situation regarding EU funding for Ukraine and what cards does Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is against it, hold in his hands? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, explains the situation and the key moments