European Commission

Czech representation in the European institutions is changing. Jozef Síkela has promoted several Czech candidates for key European positions in the cabinets of other Commissioners. The selection of the Czech representatives is the result of compromises between the Member States and the European Commission, with the main aim of ensuring a balance between the interests of the individual countries. Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Seznam Zprávy.

The International Partnership and Global Gateway portfolio of Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela has significant and untapped potential. In an interview for TASR, Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented.

How strong will the next European Commission be and what will be its position on the core and the Green Deal? What has enabled agreement on the three controversial candidates for European Commissioner? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČRo Radiožurnál.

The factions of the European Parliament approved all the candidates for the new European Commission. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

MEPs have approved the European Commission. The deadlock, during which individual groups raised objections to some candidates, lasted for more than a week. The new composition of the Commission could therefore be approved next Wednesday. This would allow the Commission to begin its work by December 1. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for CNN Prima News.

In the shadow of the US elections, candidates for European Commissioners, including former Czech minister Jozef Síkela, addressed MEPs in Brussels last week. He is to be in charge of the Commission's international cooperation agenda, so during the three-hour grilling he had to answer questions about investment in Asia or Africa, or the controversial EU-Rwanda mineral deal. How did he impress with his performance? Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented for the 5:59 Seznam Zprávy podcast.

The new European Commission is getting clearer. Most of the candidates for European Commissioners have had their hearings in the European Parliament and almost all of them passed without any major hesitation, according to unofficial information. It is said that Donald Trump's victory in the US elections will speed up the creation process of the new Commission. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN Nova.

Confident on economic issues, more hesitant on "softer" ones. Jozef Síkela passed the hearing in the European Parliament, and successfully. They grilled him on a range of topics, from the situation in Africa to ensuring transparency in the use of European funds in development projects. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute commented for Euractiv.cz.

The Czech candidate for EU Commissioner Jozef Síkela succeeded in the so-called grilling before MEPs, which every nominated member of the EU executive must pass. He has won the support of a two-thirds majority of DEVE to become Commissioner for International Partnerships. The former trade and industry minister wants to strengthen partnerships with Africa and Latin America and intends to tackle the drivers of illegal migration. Viktor Daněk, deputy director at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

MEPs often complain that the media do not give their work the attention it deserves. Yet now, when they are 'grilling' the various candidates for European Commissioner and have the opportunity to reject some of them, they have timed these hearings to clash with the election of the US President. Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office, commented for Hospodářské noviny.

Jozef Síkela made a good impression at the hearing for the post of EU Commissioner for International Partnerships and Global Gateway in Brussels. MEPs and experts gave him a positive assessment. Zuzana Krulichová, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for iDnes.cz.

Monday's „grilling“ by MEPs of Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Greece's candidate for European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, showed that the European car industry will not get support from him to postpone the emission targets for next year. Tzitzikostas also wants to maintain the line of banning the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035. Filip Křenek, project coordinator and analyst at EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Ekonomický deník.