Ukraine

Everything indicates that after four years in opposition, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU), which secured nearly a third of the votes (28.5%) in the elections, will return to power. Executive Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, Martin Vokálek, commented for Sestry.eu.

European leaders had a busy agenda – after the Munich Security Conference, a key meeting in Paris followed. The focus is on the future of the war in Ukraine, relations with the U.S., and the loss of past certainties. Analyst Zuzana Krulichová from EUROPEUM Institute breaks down the events for Voxpot in the Puls podcast.

A second EU leaders' summit is held in Paris to discuss European security and the future of Ukraine. This time, other EU countries were invited, including the Czech Republic. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN.cz.

According to experts, the meeting of European politicians in Paris did not produce results that would indicate Europe's ability to play a major role in the negotiations on Ukraine. Martin Vokálek, executive director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for TN.cz.

Polish President Andrzej Duda talks to the US ambassador about the situation in Ukraine. According to the US embassy, this is the only meeting between an ambassador and a European leader. Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute, comments for STVR.

The debate will be important because its outcome will determine the direction of the next negotiations. Europe must say what it is able to offer the United States in order to have a seat at the negotiating table. The EU does not yet have a unified position, and it is essential to formulate it now. […]

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, thus breaking a nearly three-year-old diplomatic taboo. In his plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, he called Moscow before Kyiv. How does Donald Trump envision the art of the deal? Viktor Daněk, Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Český rozhlas.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk presents the priorities of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union to MEPs. In January, Warsaw replaced Budapest and is focusing on strengthening the security of the continent. Martin Vokálek, Executive Director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Slovakian STVR.

As part of the EU's broader strategy to reduce energy dependence on Russia and strengthen energy security, a proposal has been put forward to ban Russian gas imports to all 27 EU Member States, including the Czech Republic and Poland. The move is part of a response to geopolitical tensions and Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which has exposed the vulnerability of the European energy sector. How do the ten countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, justify this proposal? Viktor Daněk, deputy director of EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Czech Radio Plus.

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.

Ukraine has been trying to become part of the European Union since the Orange Revolution in 2004, while European decision-makers lacked the political will to continue the enlargement, and the process has been stagnating for many years. All this changed suddenly after the Russian aggression in 2022, after which the accession process accelerated, but now it turned to another extreme: the statements on Ukraine’s quick EU accession became too unrealistic, creating false hopes. Writes Anton Bendarzsevszkij, Director of Oeconomus Economic Research Institute, in his Policy Brief.

The year 2024 marked an important moment in the European Union's enlargement process, as it oversaw significant progress, particularly in the case of Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro, but also persistent challenges in the case of certain countries. This paper analyses the opportunities and challenges in advancing the EU enlargement process after 2024, explores the interlink between EU integration and democratization, enlargement and EU’s internal reform, geostrategic interests and political transformation, and proposes a viable path forward for maintaining the EU’s credibility and influence in the candidate countries.