Five years of an enlarged EU: Where is Eastern Europe? Five years after the enlargement of the EU in 2004 and 20 years after the political revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe, we should have plenty of reasons to celebrate. Instead, the threat of a new division of Europe is now being discussed. When, after the extraordinary EU summit at the start of March, headlines ran such as “Rejection of solidarity assistance for Eastern Europe”, many Czechs were outraged. After all, the Czech Republic is not part of Eastern Europe.
Europe without Barriers: Depends on for Whom The primary slogan of the Czech EU Presidency is “Europe without Barriers”. However, the current political representatives of the country primarily want to remove barriers i the areas of trade and business. Equal opportunities, mainly those concerning women and men, are perceived by the main coalition party ODS primarily as “positive discrimination” that restricts the “free market”. Many non-governmental organizations are of a different opinion, namely, that the policy of equal opportunities for women and men facilitates free choice by breaking down societal prejudices and barriers.
The Czech Republic, France, and the Passing of the Presidency Baton Ever since the most recent wave of enlargement (at least), the European Union cannot exactly be described as an homogenous entente. The coexistence of 27 countries of such varied geopolitical and economic weight and with such different traditions of political culture can only occur on the basis of coalitions created to balance out their various interests and aims. The current EU Presidency trio of France, the Czech Republic and Sweden is more than instructive as concerns this problematic situation.
Member State ministers want to assist developing countries with climate protection – but are waiting for the USA before they say how Long-term aims are important for the consistency of policies in the area of climate protection, but the absence of medium-range aims is now holding back progress in the international negotiations on a new post-Kyoto agreement. Had Barack Obama made it to the White House just a few months earlier than he did, the negotiations as a whole might be much further along. On Monday, Czech Environment Minister Martin Bursík told a meeting of the European Council of Member State environment ministers that the impassiveness of the American position is preventing forward movement. Climate change and the EU position on the Copenhagen conference were the main topics of the meeting.
Guaranteeing energy security of the EU Member States within the framework of the common electricity market A conference on “Guaranteeing energy security of the EU Member States within the framework of the common electricity market” took place on Friday 30.1.2009 in Ostrava. It was attended by, among others, Czech PM and President of the Council of the EU Mirek Topolánek, members of the Czech, Polish and Swedish governments, and EU Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs.
The role of the Czech EU-Presidency in the International Climate Negotiations International climate negotiations are in a crucial period now in the run-up to the COP 15 in Copenhagen. The EU is one of the key players in these negotiations and is expected to put forward new proposals on particular issues. It also has the opportunity and the obligation to strengthen the negotiations between various key players. The Czech Ministry of Environment is working very actively on the issue during the Czech EU-Presidency. Below you can find several press releases from the Czech Environment Ministry which give an insight into their work on international climate policy.
The Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU: Europe in Harmony? Rarely has the European public ever been quite this uncertain as to whether a Member State can handle the challenges connected with the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Most of the concern is over whether controversial Czech President Václav Klaus may attempt some sort of provocation.
The World in Crisis - Manifesto for the Czech Presidency of the European Union In times of crisis, the poor suffer the most. The cumulative effects of global economic downturn, climate change, and energy and food crises call into question the entire economic model and policies of the past quarter of a century. And yet a world in multiple crisis opens windows of opportunity. More stable, equitable and sustainable economies are already springing up locally. To retain greater control over local food, energy and money, to achieve a stable climate and fairer consumption, a global vision of alternative economics and politics is also needed.
Schwarzenberg’s Mission to the Middle East The Czech EU Presidency has evidently begun more abruptly than the Czechs ever wanted. At the very moment the country took up the “scepter” of the presidency, the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza was in full blaze, and the Czech Republic immediately had to engage in one of the most closely-followed world conflicts ever. It later proved that Czech politicians were not able to adopt the EU diplomatic language as their own immediately. Unlike the majority of Western European politicians, who stressed the opinion that Israel’s reaction was disproportionate, the first statements by the Czech Prime Minister and the Czech Foreign Minister clearly labeled Hamas as to blame for the conflict.
Grand plans, money and falls – seeking values and answers in the financial crisis The Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU comes at a watershed period. Europe and the world are being shaken by a global crisis. Many people agree, however, that the watershed concerns more than just the economic crisis. Every crisis is an opportunity for reflection and change. The current global financial crisis indicates that after 25 years a change in political thinking is once again impending. Coming into play are new forms of economics and politics, lifestyle and international order.