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00:00 This week, the Czech Republic commemorated 20 years of European Union membership.
00:07 A delegation of national and international figures celebrated the milestone at a ceremony at Prague Castle in the capital.
00:16 The European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. Many people were laughing at it. Today, we don't have to doubt that it is one of the greatest peace projects in the history of our continent.
00:33 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an impassioned video speech about Czechia's membership and his hopes for Ukraine to join the bloc.
00:44 Europe, part of which is an honour for every nation, is indeed a dream, a dream that unites us.
00:54 20 years ago, this dream became a reality for Czechia, and I am sure it will soon become a reality for Ukraine.
01:06 Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status. EU leaders and Kiev are currently undergoing a session negotiations.
01:16 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also in Prague for the occasion.
01:21 First stop here today is a meeting with the three largest defence companies in Czechia, and actually crucial for the support for Ukraine.
01:36 They have delivered and are delivering the so much needed military capability to Ukraine so that Ukraine can defend itself against Russia's war of aggression.
01:47 While touring the Czechoslovak Group company facility, von der Leyen said Europe's strength relies on a robust economy as well as powerful security and defence capabilities.
02:06 During a pre-electoral debate in Maastricht, Ursula von der Leyen made it clear the European Conservatives and Reformists, known as ECR, might still have an opportunity to be part of the majority of the next European Parliament if she is re-elected president.
02:23 The question was, are you...
02:25 It depends very much on how the composition of the Parliament is and who is in what group.
02:31 The president of the ECR group, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, wants to team up with von der Leyen's European People's Party to form a new majority without left-wing forces.
02:42 Meloni's Brothers of Italy party is currently leading the polls in her country.
02:47 For the elections, she is seeking to replicate the alliance between the EPP, ECR and the Identity and Democracy Party that is currently in place in Italy.
02:58 In addition to being the president of the Italian Brothers of Italy, I am also the leader of the European Conservatives, who want to have a decisive role in changing European policies.
03:10 But while a certain shift to the right in the European Parliament is expected, this doesn't necessarily mean a new majority.
03:20 According to the founder of the think tank EU Matrix, the EPP and ECR are aligned on some issues, such as migration and foreign policy matters.
03:29 Yet, they also diverge on many others.
03:32 ECR and Meloni are more protectionistic than the EPP, which is more free market oriented on this matter.
03:38 They also disagree on strengthening the powers of the European institutions, on enlargement of the EU or on the supervision by the European institutions of the rule of law in the member states.
03:48 These are issues where EPP and ECR don't see eye to eye, so clearly here they cannot have a majority.
03:54 Single far-right parties, such as Brothers of Italy, are likely to support the re-election of Von der Leyen or another EPP figure as president of the European Commission if they get something in return.
04:08 They're using their rather big amount of votes that we can expect the Brothers of Italy to have in this election to leverage that to get an important position,
04:17 like an important portfolio in the next European Commission, something like competition, something with big powers over the governance of the internal market.
04:26 According to an Euronews/Ipsos poll, a right-wing coalition would be possible in the next European Parliament if some currently non-attached parties join the EPP, ECR or the ID.
04:38 Euronews. The news.
04:43 The News.