Slovensko a Západný Balkán – od aktívneho tvorcu agendy k pasívnemu prijímateľovi
Slovakia and the Western Balkans – From an Active Agenda Shaper to a Passive Agenda Taker

Summary/Abstract: The Slovak Republic has long been profiled as a supporter of the integration ambitions of the Western Balkan countries and in the international environment as an "expert" on the region. The Western Balkans have become a territorial priority of several Slovak governments and interest in it has been demonstrated not only by the increasing number of diplomatic representations at the bilateral level, but also by the engagement of Slovak diplomats and other actors in important processes taking place in the region. In order to justify the prioritization of the Western Balkans, the authors refer to the small state theory, according to which small states search for their thematic prioritization to increase their reputation vis-à-vis their partner and allies. States in general also tend to play a specific national role. In relation to the Western Balkans, the role of an “example” is most applicable to the Slovak case. The second part of the article focuses on the changes in priorities of the Slovak foreign policy in relation to the Western Balkans. A more detailed analysis of the instruments of Slovakia's foreign policy, its institutional background, as well as the development in the area of personal capacity of Slovak diplomacy is conducted. The authors suggest that the influence of domestic determinants, and particularly the willingness of the governmental parties to meet expectation of their voters, serve as an important explanatory factor for the changes in foreign policy priorities of Slovakia during the fourth government of the prime minister Robert Fico

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