Jozef Síkela

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.

Who’s who in the new European Commission and what can we expect from it? What will the relationship between the European Union and the United States look like following the inauguration of Donald Trump and his administration? And why has the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented on these topics for Czech Radio Dvojka.

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.

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.

Are you interested in how Jozef Síkela will stand up to MEPs and how he will respond to their questions? Do you want to know how the "grilling" process, or confirmation hearings of candidates before committees, works? Come to the live stream directly from Brussels and listen to our guests' commentary!

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.

On Monday, the European Parliament will hold the first hearings with the candidates for the new European Commissioners. Jozef Síkela will appear before MEPs on Wednesday. If all the candidates are successful, the new European Commission could be operational from 1st December. Martin Vokálek, executive director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for ČT24.

How strong a portfolio has Jozef Síkela acquired as Commissioner for International Partnerships? What exactly does he expect and what will be part of his portfolio? Project Coordinator and Analyst at EUROPEUM Institute Filip Křenek commented for TV Noe.

One of the main tasks for Jozef Síkela, if he becomes EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, will be to manage the EU's Global Gateway project. The EU wants to counter China's expansion in Africa, Asia and Latin America with it. So far, however, this initiative has fallen well short of its ambitions. And that is not the only problem Síkela will have to face. Zuzana Krulichová, a Global Gateway expert from EUROPEUM Institute, talked about this on the podcast Bruselské chebíčky on Czech Radio.

The main man in charge of migration in the new European Commission will be Austrian Magnus Brunner. The Commission's head Ursula von der Leyen has also given the topic of migration partly to the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, to focus, among other things, on the fight against smugglers. The migration pact is not expected to change. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Novinky.cz.