Despite the myths of divisiveness spread by China, the EU is relatively united in its attitude towards Beijing, but increasingly negative. China experts agree, however, that the country is too important for the EU to stop communicating and cooperating with it.

Slovak cities and municipalities are not yet involved in transnational projects that promote gender equality at local level. There are many more "more important priorities" than gender equality for local governments, says ZMOS.

Despite the current dramas, the last year in Slovakia has been a showcase of efforts against corruption, says MEP Vladimír Bilčík (Together, EPP) in an interview. He appreciates that the new prime minister has a different vocabulary towards journalists than the previous one, but he believes the government missed its chance to pass the protection law.

The three levels of policies relating to data access are still different. Member States and the EU regulate internal market rules and talk about data sovereignty. At the transatlantic level, new rules on data transfers have been discussed for over a year, and although the United States claims that a solution is close, the Union is far from seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.