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Limiting Factors of the European Union Counter-Terrorism Mechanisms
Pospíšil, Petr ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Šlosarčík, Ivo (referee)
The basis, upon which this thesis has been built, are the two following trends: occurence of terrorist attacks in the EU and creation of new counter-terrorism institutions on the EU level. A frequency of both trends has been rising: the occurence of terrorist attacks on the EU territory has increased despite the closer cooperation in security and counter-terrorism area that can manifested by adopting new measures and designing new institutions. Therefore, the author asks a question: What factors are hindering a better functioning of the EU counter-terrorism mechanisms? The six most significant EU counter-terrorism institutions with exclusively or overwhelmingly counter-terrorism mandate is subjected to analysis. The respective limits of their functioning have been subsumed to a classification that was created by the author using the general institutional theory, in particular the theory of regimes. The attention is given to an interplay between the EU counter-terrorism bodies and their counterparts on the national level. In case of every institution that has been explored, the author evaluates the following criteria. Firstly, presence of a "patterned behaviour" in sense of cooperation between the national counter-terrorism bodies and the EU institutions. Secondly, a subjective perception of such...
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German-Russian Relations during the Ukrainian Crisis and the Russo-Georgian War
Ksiazkiewiczová, Pavla ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Eberle, Jakub (referee)
Pavla Ksiazkiewiczová Německo-ruské vztahy na pozadí ukrajinské krize a rusko- gruzínské války Abstract The thesis examines the German response to the Ukrainian Crisis in 2008 and the Russo- Georgian War in 2014. On the background of these two conflicts, I would like to demonstrate the German-Russian relations and their deterioration in the past years. My main research question was why did Germany decide to support and advocate the EU sanctions against Russia during the Ukrainian Crisis in 2014, when they did not promote such a solution in the 2008 during the Russo-Georgian War. My hypothesis is that German foreign policy shifted from the economic interests-oriented approach towards norm-oriented one. I am working with the theory Foreign policy analysis, which studies the management of international relations and state's activities. This theory can be understood as a critique towards dominant structural approach in international relations because it says that foreign policy is determined by the domestic policy. I constructed the German response to the Ukrainian Crisis and the Russo- Georgian War using qualitative discourse analysis. With this method I am analyzing the statements of those actors, who influence German foreign policy.
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The influence of institutions on the United Kingdom's climate policy
Stanová, Natália ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
The thesis analyses the state of the United Kingdom's climate policies and it particularly focuses on the question, how these policies are determined by its institutional system, that is majoritarian democracy. Theoretically majoritarian democracies generally have a weaker record in the environmental policy and the thesis aims to research, if and how the features of majoritarian democracies in reality influence the policy outcomes. The thesis focuses on the two party system, that often produces adversary and inconsistent politics and the pluralist system of the interest groups that tends to give better possibilities to the economically powerful actors such as business and energy groups. The base for the analysis will be the climate policies during the last twenty years and the performance and general discours of two main governing parties. Thesis also takes a closer look on the cases of Climate Change Act and Energy Act 2015 and their ability of the interest groups to achieve their goals. The thesis concludes that the combination of the institutional system with the low salience of the topic for the main parties poses significant obstacles and limitations to an active and progressive climate politics.
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Decision-making on Czech participation in the military missions and operations of the European Union
Vondřich, Marek ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Tomalová, Eliška (referee)
This Master thesis examines reasons of Czech politicians to decide on sending armed forces of the Czech Republic into military missions and operations of the European Union. The Czech Republic in researched years 2003-2016 took part in six out of twelve EU's military missions and operations. During these years, the support at the Czech political scene towards said missions and operations changed many times, depending on the position of certain party in the government or in the opposition. Thesis uses content analysis of discussions for its research. These discussions took place in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic between years 2003 and 2016 and were associated with government's proposals on the deployment of the Czech armed forces abroad. Each Member of the Chamber of Deputies' contribution is assigned into one of defined categories: Security, Profitability and Appropriateness. The main hypothesis is that the majority of contributions in the researched debates belongs into Appropriateness category, largely due to importance of commitments towards allies in the EU. The second hypothesis is that the amount of arguments belonging into Security category will rise in the last couple of years, mainly because of the worsening security situation in the European Union and the...
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Changes in EU climate leadership after COP15
Bábiková, Jana ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Najšlová, Lucia (referee)
Focus of this thesis is climate policy of the European Union set in the time frame of years 2009 - 2015. Reason for this is that 2009 and 2015 were the years when the future of global climate regime was to be decided. Climate conference COP15 in year 2009 failed to negotiate treaty which would establish meaningful climate regime. COP21 in 2015, however, was successful in facilitating an agreement about future climate regime. The EU claims to be a leader in climate politics, however, what does this term entail and what part did the EU play in creating global climate regime? Did the EU change the operation of its climate policy between 2009 and 2015 and what made the agreement in 2015 possible as opposed to 2009? Thesis aims to answer these questions using analysis of external and inner policy of the EU. Thesis examines changes in the EU climate policy and if they were quantitative (new policies) or qualitative (development of existing policies) and the impact of these changes on global climate regime.
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European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS), its functioning and success
Tauchmanová, Barbora ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Váška, Jan (referee)
Bibliografický záznam TAUCHMANOVÁ, Barbora. Evropský systém obchodování s emisními povolenkami (EU ETS), jeho fungování a úspěšnost. Praha, 2017. 81 s. Diplomová práce (Mgr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut mezinárodních studií. Katedra evropských studií. Vedoucí diplomové práce doc. Mgr. Tomáš Weiss, M.A., Ph.D. Abstract This thesis European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS), its functioning and success analyzes EU's emission trading scheme that has been created in 2005. This system has gone through a considerable development but his most visible and very important parameter - price of one emission allowance - still points out the problems of the whole system through its value (or the lack of it). In this work, the ETS is understood as an institution and is looked at through the optics of combination of rational and historical institutionalism. The aim of the thesis was to answer two questions - why can be the emission trading system considered dysfunctional despite a series of reforms and, consequently, why this system stays preserved in its current form and settings. As the work explains, considerable role in the long-term price failure had been played by economic crisis. But its influence can be tied only to a certain time period, so the continuing problems have to be ascribed...
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Czech Development Cooperation Policy and the Private Sector: Key Discourses between 1995 and Today
Křížková, Eva ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Matějka, Ondřej (referee)
The private sector is an integral part of the global mainstream political development discourse. It appears in different contexts that define its roles in the field of development cooperation policy and therefore imply diverse political actions. The thesis analyses the Czech development discourse in connection with the private sector from 1995 until today. Based on the method of discourse analysis of the outputs of relevant development stakeholders the research identifies four different types of development discourse in relation to the private sector: "The private sector - a taboo", "We pay, we want Czech enterprises in development cooperation", "The private sector, the careless destructor", "The private sector, the darling of the development cooperation policy stakeholders." Out of the discourses identified, every type is typical for a specific time period as well as a specific set of stakeholders employing the discourse. Generally, until the Czech accession to the EU, the private sector does not seem to be an important element of the governmental development discourse since the theme is practically absent. This changes with the global economic crisis and even more notably after 2015 when generally all of the relevant development actors, including the traditionally very critical NGO sector,...
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Gun Culture of Switzerland and the United Kingdom: Significance of Possession or Ban on Small Firearms for Democracy and Safety
Bock, Jan ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Váška, Jan (referee)
On the example of two developed democratic states, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, gun culture phenomenon is being studied which means the relationship of society and state towards small firearms, expectations and fears of guns, meaning of the right to obtain, possess and bear guns in a modern democratic society, power and safety aspects of gun culture in both countries. A high explanatory power on gun culture is encompassed in a quantitative indicator of the ratio of injury numbers caused by firearms per capita to the total number of firearms per capita. Britain radically restricted the right to gun with the aim to increase safety, however with not fully convincing results. Switzerland by contrast made this right a key element of its defense strategy, but facilitation effect of easy access to arms has its negative impacts too. From the qualitative perspective, civilians' right to guns can be seen as indicator of state's trust in its citizens, an indicator of distribution of power between citizens and the state. The unanswered question is how to determine an optimal level of gun regulation while preserving one of the key rights of a free individual, the right to defend his/her legitimate interests.
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Motivation of France to launch Operation EUFOR Tchad/RCA from the perspective of neorealism
Pacáková, Kateřina ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Emler, David (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to provide an answer to the question what were the driving forces behind French involvement in the EU military mission EUFOR Tchad/RCA. Chad and Central African Republic, where the mission took place, are both former French colonies. Despite the fall of French colonial empire, France managed to remain significantly influential actor towards these countries. One of the instruments France utilized to maintain its influence were among others the military missions. Whilst these missions were mostly of unilateral nature during the Cold War, in the aftermath, international system changed dramatically and the type of missions in which France was involved and official discourse justifying the involvement changed simultaneously. Since 2003, France is increasingly participating within the framework of Common Security and Defence Policy at the expense of its unilateral involvement. French officials dismissed any motivations akin to colonialist legacy of France, on the contrary, they emphasized humanitarian purpose of these missions and common European interest to participate. This paper seeks to examine the driving forces behind French shift to multilateral cooperation through the case study of military mission in Chad and Central African Republic. These driving forces are evaluated...
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Britain's Nuclear Policy and the Special Relationship in an Era of Harold Macmillan
Weiss, Tomáš ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
The study deals with the theme of applied nuclear diplomacy by the United Kingdom during the government of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in the period of 1957-1963. This issue cannot and must not be separated from so-called Special Relationship between Britain and the United States, the core of which occupies bilateral cooperation in the nuclear field. The method of the study is a chronological analysis of the individual stages of the Special Relationship within a defined period from the perspective of British nuclear policy. The primary objective of the study is fully consistent with the research question and is defined as the identification of Britain's nuclear interests in relation with the U.S. and their comparison with concrete achievements. The conclusion summarizes the results of the research and assesses the extent to which the interests of British nuclear policy were fulfilled. Subsequently is identified, what share of these successes can be attributed to political pragmatism or the Special Relationship. Keywords: Great Britain, Harold Macmillan, Special Relationship, nuclear diplomacy, nuclear weapons, defence policy
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