European Parliament

In 2009, Liesbet Hooghe and Gary Marks argued that public opinion in the European Union had shifted from permissive consensus to constraining dissensus, giving mass politics a stronger role in integration than traditional theories assumed. This sparked debate about the EU’s democratic deficit – a contested concept, but one with real political effects. The gap between citizens and EU institutions has long been visible in European Parliament elections, traditionally seen as “second-order” contests with low turnout and protest voting. However, the 2019 and especially the 2024 elections broke with this pattern: turnout increased, EU issues became more politicised, and party positions more polarised. These shifts suggest that a new transnational cleavage is emerging, marking a turning point for democratic engagement in the EU, writes Csaba Stefán, a Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, in his policy brief.

In the European Parliament, traditional right-wing parties are converging with the far right. Strong rhetoric and views. Triggered by the current case of alleged lobbying in favour of the Green Deal. Deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute Viktor Daněk commented for Seznam Zprávy.

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.

Shortly after midday, the European Parliament approves the new European Commission by a majority. The new executive will take office on 1st December. It will also include the Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela, who will be in charge of the international partnership. President Ursula von der Leyen has identified innovation, decarbonisation and security as her top priorities for the next term. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.