Česká zahraniční politika v roce 2012: Analýza ÚMV
Czech Foreign Policy in 2012: Analysis of the IIR

Contributor(s): Ondřej Ditrych (Editor), Michal Kořan (Editor)
Subject(s): Media studies, Political history, Economic policy, Environmental and Energy policy, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Military policy, Political behavior, Politics and communication, Present Times (2010 - today), EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů
Keywords: Czech Republic; 2012; political and media context of Czech Republic's foreign policy; EU; NATO; Slovakia; Poland; USA; Germany; security policy; economic policy; Russia; Great Britain;
Summary/Abstract: Since 2007, the Institute of International Relations in Prague systematically monitors the Czech foreign policy, and this activity results in its publishing of an analytical monograph each year. Every year, the team of authors follows the same basic conceptual framework. The analysis is structured so that the first two chapters analyze the overall domestic political and media context of the Czech foreign policy and identify the influence and involvement of the crucial actors. The second part focuses on the key thematic areas of Czech foreign policy – the Czech activities in the European Union as well as the Czech security and defense policy. The third part analyses the main trends and dynamics of the Czech foreign policy in the immediate region of Central Europe. The fourth part discusses in detail selected bilateral and regional relations, and the fifth section analyzes the participation of the Czech Republic in other multilateral and thematic areas. At the same time all the chapters respect a unifying analytical structure. Again, every chapter first notes the political and conceptual context as the basic internal political basis for foreign policy. All the chapters then describe and analyze the specific agenda and events in 2012 and their impact on and relevance to foreign policy. Most of the authors also include an analysis of the involvement of the actors in their respective area of interest as well as its media coverage. The team of authors emphasizes the continuity of both the conceptual and the thematic matter. Therefore, the analysis contributes to the building of a robust empirical and analytical basis and also to a deepening of our understanding of the Czech foreign policy. The book consists of 20 chapters, which were written by 22 authors from the Institute of International Relations and other collaborating institutions (Charles University, Masaryk University, the University of Economics). Most of the authors point to a continuity in 2012, to the Czech Republic completing the conceptual and programmatic base, and to various responses to the economic crisis. At the same time, however, a general overview of all the chapters points to an interesting argument (the validity of which will be either proved or disproved only over the next couple of years): the Czech foreign policy is currently more complex than it was in recent years in its responding to global and regional processes and challenges and, consequently, this is also reflected in the actual outcomes of the Czech foreign policy (though in many cases with rather significant delays).

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