European Commission

Hungary has repeatedly used its veto power not only to pressure Ukraine on bilateral issues, but also to win concessions from the EU, especially in the budget and rule of law areas, says Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute in Prague.

The European Commission is tightening the rules for shipping - all vessels in European waters will now have to be insured and share information. Filip Křenek, an analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, comments on the measures for Ekonomický deník.

Ursula von der Leyen maintains a strong position in her second term as head of the European Commission. A politician shaped by political crises and known for her emphasis on executive decision-making, she continues to dominate on key defence issues. Although the newly created position of Defence Commissioner has quickly lost its importance, von der Leyen herself continues to set the direction - for example with her plan to mobilise hundreds of billions of euros to support European defence and Ukraine. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Seznam Zprávy.

Donald Trump has paused the introduction of new tariffs, while maintaining existing ones and raising them on China. The European Union is considering its next steps. The situation was commented on for Czech Radio Plus by Viktor Daněk from the EUROPEUM Institute.

The decision to increase defence spending is a breakthrough. The summit focused on how to strengthen the European Union's defence capabilities and how to further address support to Ukraine. In recent years, Europe has somewhat naively relied on the US within NATO as a security guarantor. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for STVR.

The EU has faced stagnant productivity, declining investment, and a widening competitiveness gap compared to global rivals. In response, the European Commission unveiled a new strategic framework. But will it be enough to keep up with China and the US? Filip Křenek, EUROPEUM Institute analyst, commented for CEIAS.

The EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia. This was confirmed by the head of diplomacy Kaja Kallas. Hungary had reservations, but eventually relented after assurances on energy security. The European Commission promised to continue negotiations on Russian gas supplies with Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia. Danielle Piatkiewicz, research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for STVR.

The Competitiveness Compass, now presented by the European Commission, shows where to go to keep the EU strong, innovative and independent. It sets the direction and mentions the main milestones on the road to greater competitiveness. Filip Křenek, Project Coordinator and Analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Euractiv.cz.

The European Commission has presented a competitiveness compass to guide the work of the European Commission in this mandate. It is simply a blueprint for how to reduce Europe's decline in the global market. For TN.cz commented project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute Filip Křenek.

In recent years, we have seen a rise in the influence of populist and right-wing parties across Europe, raising questions about the future direction of EU politics. What impact might their strengthening position have on environmental priorities? Will the EU's climate targets be slowed down or will new approaches emerge? Rebeka Hengalová, a research fellow at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Slovakian radio STVR.

Is it waste or raw material? For almost a decade, the European Union has been trying to make the answer increasingly sound like raw material. In that time, it has adopted rules on how to better manage plastics, textiles and batteries. Now the new European Commission is preparing general rules for the so-called circular economy. EUROPEUM Institute analyst Filip Křenek commented for Czech Radio.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico describes the decision of Ukraine, which is resisting the Russian invasion for the third year, to stop gas transit from Russia as a threat to Slovakia. Despite the announced end of gas transit, his government has not prepared Slovakia for this situation. It is negotiating both with Moscow over supplies from Russia and with the European Commission. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for morning news on Czech Radio Plus.