Partners and Allies of the Czech Republic in the European Union
Partners and Allies of the Czech Republic in the European Union

Author(s): Vít Dostál
Subject(s): Diplomatic history, International relations/trade, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: AMO – Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky
Keywords: Czech Republic; European Union; foreign policy; strategic allies; interest coalitions; integration projects; Council of the EU; United Kingdom; Germany; European policy elites;
Summary/Abstract: From an analysis of the Czech Republic’s partners and allies in the EU based on strategic documents, perception of elites of European policy, long-standing interest coalitions and integration blocks and voting in the Council of the EU, we can draw several interesting conclusions. First, it has turned out that the triangulation of the chosen methods and data sources brings only a partial concurrence in results. Both the Conceptual Basis of the Foreign Policy and elites of European policy regard the Czech Republic’s neighbouring countries as the country’s important allies in the EU. However, elites add other countries of the EU’s northern wing to the list. On the other hand, according to the participation in interest coalitions and the degree of non-involvement/involvement in integration projects that go beyond the framework shared by the EU-28, we have identified the United Kingdom as the closest ally of the Czech Republic in the EU. The UK, though, is on the opposite end of the spectrum according to voting in the Council of the EU. Nevertheless, these data have to be taken with a grain of salt, as already mentioned above.

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