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242. Brief on COVID-19: WHO under threat? Maintaining multilateralism and global cooperation in times of COVID-19
- Author:
- Danielle Piatkiewicz
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- In her brief, Danielle Piatkiewicz writes about the need of multilateral and international cooperation when the COVID-19 crisis ends. If the COVID-19 crisis will teach us anything, is that today’s society has never been more interconnected. The need for multilateral and international cooperation has proven to be vital for the communication and exchange of information, support and resources.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation, World Health Organization, European Union, Multilateralism, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Europe, United States of America, and Global Markets
243. EU MONITOR: The EU invests very little in culture but the results are visible
- Author:
- Karel Barták
- Publication Date:
- 01-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- The European Commission proposed in May 2018 to continue implementing the Creative Europe programme even more in the next budgetary period 2021-2027. This problematics is the main topic of Karel Barták's latest EU Monitor. The European Commission proposed in May 2018 to continue implementing the Creative Europe programme in the next budgetary period 2021-2027 with an envelope of 1,85 billion euros. Should the Member States agree, it would mean an increase of 26,5 percent compared to the current budget (2014-2020). Most of the money should go as usual to the audiovisual part of the programme (MEDIA), with emphasis on distribution of European films outside their country of origin. In the „culture“ part of the programme the draft mentions as priorities music, publishing, cultural heritage and architecture.
- Topic:
- Culture, Budget, European Union, and Investment
- Political Geography:
- Europe
244. Czechs and the EU Brand: How do Czechs feel about the EU and what could change their mind?
- Author:
- Vít Havelka
- Publication Date:
- 01-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- This study is mainly based on a series of 12 brief surveys by Behavio research agency and on longitudinal research by STEM Institute for Empirical Research. The expert’s inputs were provided by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy. The Czech Republic could serve as a kind of laboratory for investigating anti-EU sentiments. Czechs’ perception of the EU membership is the poorest of all the EU citizens, (mere 33 % view it as a good thing). Not even half of the adult Czech population (47 %) would vote to stay in the EU, despite having a booming economy and bearing almost no impact of the migration crisis. Moreover, the Czech economy is strongly export-oriented and benefits from the EU budget. Thus these negative sentiments seem to be very much about emotions and image. Czechs’ feelings toward the EU are similar to other Visegrad (V4) countries in many ways, but these similarities are less prominent than one would expect – especially in the case of Slovakia, where attitudes towards NATO and the EU are reversed. In many aspects, Czech Eurosceptics have been more influenced by British and Italian politicians than by their counterparts in Slovakia, Hungary or Poland. The popularity of the EU in the Czech Republic has been very volatile over the past 15 years. It was even modest at the beginning and the first disillusion came soon after the country’s accession, but was quickly countered by the Czech presidency of EU in 2009. EU’s image dropped again during the global economic downturn and the Eurozone crisis, which played a relatively strong role in the 2010 national election campaign. The migration crisis worsened negative sentiments even further, despite having little direct effect on the country. The recently observed increase in popularity can be mostly attributed to the country’s economic growth.
- Topic:
- Public Opinion, European Union, and Survey
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Czech Republic
245. EU MONITOR: Has the time come for a Czech Regional Policy?
- Author:
- Vít Havelka
- Publication Date:
- 01-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- Over the past 5 years, the Czech Republic has experienced unprecedented GDP growth, moving the country from 83% of EU average GDP in 2013 to 91% of the EU average GDP in 2019. At the same time, the Czech wage increased by more than 7% in 2013 in the last three years. This phenomenon is addressed by our Vít Havelka in the latest issue of the EU Monitor. The following decade will likely be determining for the future success of the Czech Republic. The global economy and its supply chains are undergoing a significant shift; Asian states are slowly becoming innovative leaders rather than being a cheap labour pool. Furthermore, the Czech Republic is heavily dependent on the automotive industry3, which is under pressure not only by stricter emission regulation, but also disruptive market change such as autonomous systems, digitalization and electrification. It is likely that old market strategies will prove obsolete as it happened in case of cell phones. Along with the changing global economy, the Czech Republic is nearing to a point where it will not be fully able to rely on the EU Cohesion Policy anymore. The country has reached the threshold of 90% EU ́s average GDP, and if the current economic development remains the same, the Czech Republic will not have access to Cohesion Funds after the coming MFF, and it will receive significantly less money from the EU budget. The problem is that regional disparities within the Czech Republic remain high, especially between the capital city Prague and the rest of the country. Simultaneously, since the EU accession in 2004, the Czech Republic relied mainly on the EU Cohesion Policy in terms of providing funding for regions, supplementing the EU ́s activity only with minor national contributions. As a result, the country does not have a well-developed culture of regional policy that would be nationally funded, and there is not even a discussion in the media about national solidarity with disadvantaged regions. The following paper aims at discussing a possible way forward for the Czech Republic, especially in the context of expected changes in global economy and simultaneous decrease of EU Funding that could help mitigate the impact of economic disruptions. The focus will be laid on possible If the whole automotive left the Czech Republic, Deloitte estimates that the Czech GDP would decrease by 25% and 1,4 million Czechs would lose their reaction to lower income from the EU, as it is presumed that a solid regional policy is crucial in maintaining internal cohesion and contributes to mitigation of economic turbulences.
- Topic:
- European Union, GDP, Global Political Economy, and Economic growth
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Czech Republic
246. EU MONITOR: Brexit, now what? Examining the future of Central and Eastern European security post-Brexit
- Author:
- Danielle Piatkiewicz
- Publication Date:
- 02-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- In her latest EU monitor, Danielle Piatkiewicz explores the future of Central and Eastern European security after Brexit. January 31st will begin the long-awaited legal withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. As the UK disengages politically, Europe’s existing security structure will undergo reconstruction as EU Member States reevaluate their future without the UK as active members established security including CSDP, NATO, PESCO, among others. As the UK seeks bilateral partnerships post-Brexit, steadfast security consumers like Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) should gauge how Brexit will affect their security region. With external threats mounting in the East, the CEE region relies heavily on the existing security blanket that Europe and NATO have provided. As one of the strongest European militaries, an engaged or disengaged UK will certainly affect the security environment, but it will be up to how the EU and CEE countries react and adapt, that will impact the future security of their region once Brexit takes effect.
- Topic:
- Security, Regional Cooperation, European Union, and Brexit
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eastern Europe, Czech Republic, and Central Europe
247. The interstate conflict potential of the information domain
- Author:
- Dumitru Minzarari
- Publication Date:
- 11-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- The coronavirus pandemic has not only triggered a crisis in public health and safety that engendered a significant economic fallout. The pandemic has also triggered an infodemic, one that sets the context for a significant spike in anti-NATO and anti-Western propaganda. Unless countermeasures are taken, the already deteriorating public opinion vis-a-vis the Alliance can be expected to worsen. Viewed individually, these two pandemic's outcomes have not critically threatened the Alliance; however, their combined effect could become a formidable challenge for NATO. Despite the measures taken, the pandemic is likely to continue exacerbating the frustrations among member states, further fraying the Alliance's unity. This, arguably, is the most immediate and concerning challenge facing NATO today.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, NATO, Public Health, and Coronavirus
- Political Geography:
- Europe and North America
248. COVID-19 and the defence policies of European states
- Author:
- Alice Billon-Galland
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- At the time of writing, the COVID-19 pandemic still wreaks havoc around the world. Its scale and duration, as well as the full social and economic impact of lockdowns and social distancing measures, are yet to be seen. Exactly how the pandemic and its aftermath will impact the defence policies of European states in the long-term remains uncertain for a while yet. However, some Europe-wide trends--economic strategic, and geopolitical--are already visible. These will impact how Europeans (re)think their security after the pandemic, and therefore have implications for defence planners, decision-makers and armed forces throughout the continent.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, Geopolitics, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Europe
249. Catalyst or crisis? COVID-19 and European Security
- Author:
- Claudia Major
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 crisis is teaching European countries that a pandemic can destabilize societies, the economy and political institutions to the same extent that military or hybrid threats do. However, while the pandemic's impact on European security seems massive, it is difficult to isolate the COVID-19 factor: what is uniquely pandemic-driven, and what is the result of other elements, such as the lack of US leadership, is not always easy to determine.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Security, Institutions, Coronavirus, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Europe
250. A renewed collective defense bargain? NATO in COVID’s shadow
- Author:
- Sten Rynning
- Publication Date:
- 09-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a tectonic shift in world politics: China's rise and an erosion, if not a decline, of Western power. Where Western Allies squabble, China acts with confidence. NATO's timorous decision of December 2019 to discuss China's "growing influence" now seems quaint one year on, or at best a preamble to the preeminent question of our era: is NATO sufficiently cohesive to confront change?
- Topic:
- NATO, Power Politics, and Alliance
- Political Geography:
- China, Europe, and North America