Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Foreign, security and defence policy

Europeanized at the bottom, neglected at the top

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Das politische System Tschechiens

Zusammenfassung

The text reviews the main characteristics of and milestones for the Czech foreign, security and defence policy since 1993. The Czech foreign and security policy is a relatively stable and Europeanised endeavour. It is firmly embedded in the European institutions, but is dependent on a very immature political debate. While foreign and security policy considerations guided Czech politics in the beginning, they have moved from the foreground lately and have given way to domestic issues. The foreign policy ended with the accession to NATO and the EU for the Czech public debate, and there is insufficient understanding of external relations among the politicians. Czech political parties, as a result, lack expertise on foreign policy. Domestic considerations trump foreign policy thinking and Czech behaviour on the international scene is often trapped by domestic politicking. The resulting incoherent policy does not provide Czechs with much leverage in European negotiations, which in turn feeds the populist and isolationist voices at home.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 34.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Literatur

  • Brunclík, Miloš, and Michal Kubát. 2017. Kdo vládne Česku?: Poloprezidentský režim, přímá volba a pravidla hry. Brno: Barrister & Principal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, Robert. 2004. The Breaking of Nations: Order and Chaos in the Twenty-First Century. London: Atlantic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dostál, Vít, and Milan Nič. 2015. Slavkov trilateral meeting: No challenge to Visegrad. AMO Briefing Paper. https://www.amo.cz/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/amocz_bp-2015-02.pdf. Accessed: 3 January 2018.

  • Drulák, Petr, and Mats Braun, Ed. 2010. The Quest for the National Interest. A Methodological Reflection on Czech Foreign Policy. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drulák, Petr, and Vladimír Handl, Ed. 2010. Hledání českých zájmů. Vnitřní rozmanitost a vnější akceschopnost. Praha: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drulák, Petr, and Ondřej Horký, Ed. 2010. Hledání českých zájmů. Obchod, lidská práva a mezinárodní rozvoj. Praha: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drulák, Petr, and Vít Střítecký, Ed. 2010. Hledání českých zájmů. Mezinárodní bezpečnost. Praha: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů.

    Google Scholar 

  • ECFR. 2017. EU Coalition Explorer. http://www.ecfr.eu/eucoalitionexplorer. Accessed: 28 October 2017.

  • European Commission. 2017. Public Opinion in the European Union: Standard Eurobarometer 87. Brussels: European Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of the Czech Republic. 1999. Koncepce zahraniční politiky České republiky. Praha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Government of the Czech Republic. 2003. Koncepce zahraniční politiky České republiky na léta 2003–2006. https://www.mzv.cz/file/1413384/KONCEPCE_2003_2006.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Government of the Czech Republic. 2011. Koncepce zahraniční politiky České republiky. https://www.mzv.cz/file/675937/koncepce_zahranicni_politiky_2011_cz.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Government of the Czech Republic. 2015. Concept of the Czech Republic’s Foreign Policy. https://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/foreign_relations/policy_planning/concept_of_the_czech_republic_s_foreign.html. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Handl, Vladimír. 1998. Česko-německá deklarace 1997 – mezi minulostí a zítřkem? Mezinárodní vztahy 33 (03): 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hynek, Nik. 2013. Coping with U.S. and EU’s challenges? Strategic confusion in the Czech foreign and security policy. Communist and Post-Communist Studies 46 (03): 373–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hynek, Nik, and Vít Střítecký. 2010. The rise and fall of the Third Site of Ballistic Missile Defense. Communist and Post-Communist Studies 43 (02): 179–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlas, Jan, Tomáš Weiss, Ivo Šlosarčík, and Vít Dostál. 2013. Systémová koordinace evropských záležitostí: Středně velké státy a SZBP. Mezinárodní vztahy 48 (04): 5–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasáková, Zuzana, and Tomáš Weiss. 2016. Ve správnou chvíli na správném místě: Prosazování zájmů České republiky v Evropském parlamentu. ÚMV Discussion Paper. http://www.dokumenty-iir.cz/DiscussionPapers/Kasakova_Weiss_Ve_spravnou_chvili_na_spravnem_miste.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Kaźmierkiewicz, Piotr, Ed. 2005. The Visegrad States Between Schengen and Neighbourhood. Warsaw: Institute of Public Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keuleers, Floor, Daan Fonck, and Stephan Keukeleire. 2016. Beyond EU navel-gazing: Taking stock of EU-centrism in the analysis of EU foreign policy. Cooperation and Conflict 51 (03): 345–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kořan, Michal. 2009. Czech foreign policy in 2007–2009: analysis. Prague: Institute of International Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kořan, Michal, Ed. 2015. Czech Foreign Policy in 2013: Analysis. Prague: Institute of International Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kořan, Michal, Ed. 2017. Czech Foreign Policy in 2015: Analysis. Prague: Institute of International Relations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovanda, Karel. 2017. Confusing Czech foreign policy worries allies [Interview]. European Security Journal vom 25.5.2017. https://www.esjnews.com/interview-karel-kovanda. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Král, David, Vladimír Bartovic, and Věra Řiháčková. 2009. The 2009 Czech EU Presidency: Contested Leadership at a Time of Crisis. Stockholm: Sieps.

    Google Scholar 

  • Král, David, and Lukáš Pachta. 2005. Czech Republic and the Iraq Crisis: Shaping the Czech Stance. Prague: EUROPEUM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krutílek, Ondřej. 2013. Jak funguje koordinace evropské politiky v ČR? Euroskop.cz. https://www.euroskop.cz/9047/22346/clanek/jak-funguje-koordinace-evropske-politiky-v-cr/. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Leška, Vladimír. 2000. Visegrádská čtyřka a cesta Slovenska do NATO. Vojenské rozhledy 41 (03): 19–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukášek, Libor. 2011. Visegrádská skupina a její vývoj v letech 1991–2004. Prague: Karolinum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marek, Dan, and Michael Baun. 2010. The Czech Republic and the European Union. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michelot, Martin, and Milan Šuplata. 2016. Defence and Industrial Policy in Slovakia and the Czech Republic: Drivers, Stakeholders, Influence. ARES Policy Paper. http://www.iris-france.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Ares-Group-12-Policy-Paper-Slovakia-and-Czech-Republic-dec2016.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. 1997. German-Czech Declaration on Mutual Relations and their Future Development of 21 January 1997. http://www.mzv.cz/file/198499/CzechGermanDeclaration.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Němec, Jan, and Martin Kuta. 2015. The Character of Membership as a Determinant of Different Performance? An Exploratory Analysis of European Affairs Committees of the Czech Parliament. Současná Evropa 20 (01): 67–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomorska, Karolina. 2007. The Impact of Enlargement: Europeanization of Polish Foreign Policy? Tracking Adaptation and Change in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 2 (01): 25–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Řiháčková, Věra, and Christian von Seydlitz. 2007. Václav Klaus and the Constitutional Treaty – Czech Euroscepsis or Eurorealism? EUROPEUM Position Paper. http://pdc.ceu.hu/archive/00003159/01/vaclav_klaus_constitutional_treaty.pdf. Accessed: 11 February 2018.

  • Rubešková, Martina, Helena Schulzová, and Tomáš Weiss. 2014. Racionalizace sítě zastupitelských úřadů. EUROPEUM Research Paper. Praha: EUROPEUM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Šaradín, Pavel. 2003. Referendum o přistoupení k EU a volební podpora politických stran v České republice. Středoevropské politické studie 5 (04).

    Google Scholar 

  • Slačálek, Ondřej. 2016. The postcolonial hypothesis: Notes on the Czech “Central European“ Identity. Anual of Language & Politics and Politics of Identity 10 (01): 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sládeček, Vladimír, Vladimír Mikule, and Jindřiška Syllová. 2007. Ústava České republiky: komentář. 1. vyd. Beckova edice komentované zákony. Praha: C.H. Beck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Střítecký, Vít. 2011. Rozvoj Evropského trhu s obranným materiálem na okraji českého zájmu. In Česká zahraniční politika: mezi politickým (ne)zájmem a byrokratickou efektivitou, Ed. Vít Střítecký, 59–69. Praha: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Tomáš. 2011. Projecting the Re-Discovered: Czech Policy Towards Eastern Europe. Perspectives: Review of International Affairs 19 (02): 27–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Tomáš. 2014. Role policie a armády v Evropské unii: analýza evropské a národní úrovně s využitím případové studie České republiky. Praha: Karolinum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Tomáš. 2017. Promoting national priorities in EU foreign policy: the Czech Republic’s foreign policy in the EU. London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, Tomáš, Michal Kořan, and Vít Beneš. 2016. Hledání českého místa ve světě na stránkách Mezinárodních vztahů. Mezinárodní vztahy 51 (01): 83–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zemanová, Štěpánka. 2008. Evropeizace zahraniční politiky v oblasti lidských práv. Praha: Oeconomica.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Prag, Tschechien

    Tomáš Weiss

Authors
  1. Tomáš Weiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomáš Weiss .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Astrid Lorenz

  2. Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Hana Formánková

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Weiss, T. (2018). Foreign, security and defence policy. In: Lorenz, A., Formánková, H. (eds) Das politische System Tschechiens. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-21559-0_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-21559-0_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer VS, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-658-21558-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-658-21559-0

  • eBook Packages: Social Science and Law (German Language)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation