11 May 2021/Šimon Pinkas

PSSI Perspective #10 summarizes two interviews with Czech MEPs, Ms. Markéta Gregorová and Mr. Alexandr Vondra, on the issue of authoritarian influence in the EU. Their sometimes differing opinions on the matter offer a unique perspective on the nature, motivation and countermeasures to the authoritarian influences in the EU.

The EU and its member states are currently a subject of influence-related activities of foreign powers, most often conducted by two authoritarian governments, China and Russia. Their effort to affect the internal political, economic and social affairs of EU countries has been described in several studies and articles. The question is, how should the EU countries react to this influence? 

This text strives to offer its reader a perspective of the policymakers themselves on the issue, which is why PSSI conducted two interviews with Czech Members of the European Parliament, Ms. Markéta Gregorová and Mr. Alexandr Vondra. With both of them having different generational as well as political backgrounds, their combined opinions offer a unique outlook on the nature of the authoritarian influence, its motivation and the appropriate countermeasures that should be taken against it. 

PSSI Perspective #10 was/were conceived in the framework of Authoritarian Shadows in the European Union project, which aims to measure the extent of authoritarian influence in the institutions and member states of the EU. 

You can find download the perspective here.