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The Commissioner for EU Enlargement, Štefan Fuele, has said in an interview for Die Welt that Ukraine, Georgia and Moldavia should become full-fledged members of the European Union – stressing that if change in eastern Europe was the goal, EU enlargement was the strongest instrument. At the same time, the Czech commissioner said, the union needed political and institutional changes to help with enlargement and deeper integration. In addition to further expansion, the commissioner - who ends his term later this year - expressed support for a several tier or multi-speed Europe.

Elections to the European Parliament came and went almost unnoticed in the Czech Republic, where over 80 percent of voters simply ignored them. The record-low turnout of 18.2 percent was surpassed only in neighbouring Slovakia where a mere 13 percent of voters bothered to cast their ballot. Why did the Czechs and Slovaks – who are closely bound by history – turn their backs on the European elections? Political analyst Jiří Pehe says it may not be a coincidence and argues that both the past and present have played a role in forming these

The most noteworthy aspect of elections to the European Parliament in the Czech Republic was not who won, but the fact that only 18.2 percent of the country’s eligible voters bothered to take part. Why did Czechs choose to ignore the European elections –and could the country’s past explain people’s distrust of decisions made outside the country’s borders? Political commentator Jiři Pehe says both the distant past and present-day politics played a role.

The Czech media are blaming the country’s politicians for the low voter turnout –a mere 18.2 percent of Czech voters cast their ballot in the European elections. The daily Mladá fronta Dnes notes Czech politicians have failed to explain to voters the workings of the EU and the impact that decisions made in the European Parliament have on everyday life in the Czech Republic. Consequently, Czechs are identifying themselves less than ever before with the EU and scepticism regarding the alliance is on the rise, the paper says. Lidové Noviny points to the paradox that the new European Parliament will have greater powers than ever before, while having a lower legitimacy because of widespread voter disinterest.

Czechs started voting in elections to the European Parliament on Friday with over 800 candidates in the running for the country’s 21 seats in the assembly. While the number of parties and groupings fielding candidates in the European elections has grown, voter turnout is traditionally expected to lag behind the EU average.

The Czech Republic will try to access EU funds to subsidize eco-friendly pellet stoves that will reduce pollution in areas where coal burning is the main form of heating, according to Environment Minister Richard Brabec. Minister Brabec said the ministry would strive to get the equivalent of nine billion crowns for this purpose between 2014 and 2020 which could finance around 150,000 eco-stoves. The money would be used predominantly in the most polluted eastern parts of the country where air-pollution is a massive problem. So far these subsidies have been funded from government funds to the tune of 220 million crowns.

In the coming months the Czech government will need to choose a new European Commissioner. However, while the cabinet is led by the Social Democrats, coalition partners ANO have a lot of power – and the two parties are already deeply divided over whom to nominate for the prestigious post.

The fiscal pact is one of the talismans of the coalition government’s new pro-European stance. But it’s not a done deal that it will get the votes needed in parliament to go through and former finance minister Miroslav Kalousek has just signaled that TOP 09 votes in support will not be coming cheap.

The government would have problems reducing the Czech Republic's structural deficit if it fully signed up to the European Union’s Fiscal Compact, the country’s prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, said on Wednesday. Mr. Sobotka said in order to meet its requirements the coalition would have to make cuts, which his Social Democrats would oppose, or raise taxes, which its partners ANO is against. The government approved accession to the stability treaty in March; however, it envisages taking on board the main planks of the compact only after the country adopts the euro.

2014 is a year of anniversaries: 25 years since the fall of communism, 15 years since the Czech Republic joined NATO and 10 years since the country joined the European Union. One Czech politician who was at the centre of all three of these events is Alexandr Vondra.