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Germany's foreign policy. Is Federal Republic of Germany still a "civilian power"?
Janardhan, Bindu ; Jeřábek, Martin (advisor) ; Földes, Kristián (referee)
The thesis aims to study Germany's foreign policy methods to answer the research question if Germany is still a civilian power. The presented work aims to establish that Germany's foreign policy methods and decision-making process are guided by civilian power theory's normative principles and values, thereby making Germany a civilian power. The author will test this through case study analysis on four diverse case study topics that explore Germany's foreign policy methods over a period of time, thus analyzing the evolution of Germany's foreign policy methods furthermore, if this evolution displays continuity or change of modification in Germany's foreign policy methods. The thesis studied Germany's role in Eastern European enlargement, non-military engagement specifically in combat operations in Iraq, military engagement and combat operations in Afghanistan, and Germany's engagement in the developmental policies for Africa. The formulated hypotheses of the four case studies stand to be correct. Germany's foreign policy methods are guided by civilian power norms and principles since its unification until now under the leadership of three different chancelleries. Because of this, Germany is still a civilian power and adapts to the challenges faced at the time and modifies its methods only after...
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Between Westbindung and Ostpolitik: Reconceptualising German-Russian Relations 2014-2017
Jacobs, Jonathan ; Stepanovic, Vera (advisor) ; Escriba, Abel (referee)
German-Russian relations have remained strong since the Cold War, despite continuing in traditions of multilateralism and integrated into the Western order. Despite recent tensions and deterioration since the Ukraine Crisis, German-Russian relations are a subject of intense debate between the political parties CDU/CSU and SPD that governed Germany in a coalition from 2014-2017. This thesis utilises a social constructivist method to focus on social factors and party-political legacies relevant in the evolving relationship. It then analyses the evolving discourse of the parties about Russia in the years 2014-2017, focusing on the different ways the discourse uses and connects with the factors and legacies. Although a parallel movement is discerned between the foreign policy positions of the CDU/CSU and SPD, the parties' positions do not converge but remain in conflict about the future of European security, cooperation with Russia and the desired foreign policy role of Germany. Throughout, the analysis suggests that contemporary theories about German-Russian relations and about Germany's foreign policy role should look at the internal debates and factors to get a more complete picture of German foreign policy. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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EU as power for peace? Mission EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Králová, Barbora ; Druláková, Radka (advisor) ; Dubský, Zbyněk (referee)
This paper presents the role theory and the role conception power for peace which was created for the European Union on the basis of its values, norms and rules. Five criteria that define power for peace were applied to the peace mission EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After verification of all criteria it was proved that the EU has acted as power for peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it has therefore fulfilled its role conception.
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The Role of Germany in Today’s Process of Integration in Europe
Petráňová, Zuzana ; Šauer, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Matějka, Zdeněk (referee)
When debt crisis fully started in the Eurozone, the attention was concentrated not only on states of southern Europe in debt, but also on Germany. If we consider that Germany is the biggest economy in Europe and its policy is tightly connected with EU, the decisions of the German government are important in the process of European integration. The thesis talks about actual role of Germany in today's crisis of the Eurozone. Because of the size of the problem the thesis is concentrated on last three years and it is focused on key events, whit caused the biggest discussion. The goal of the research is to find out which role Germany plays within EU and if it becomes or has already become a regional hegemony. In the analysis was partly used the role theory and also neomramscianism, that works with the hegemony concept. Results of the research shows that Germany becomes more self confident player. Player which today leaves the strategy of restraint and takes the role of a regional leader. The question of hegemony stays open, even though Germany refuses to identify itself with this role.
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Searching for Relationship with the EU: Turkey and Russia in the Light of the Role Theory
Beneš, Vít ; Drulák, Petr (advisor) ; Krines, Vlastimil (referee) ; Rovná, Lenka (referee) ; Voráček, Emil (referee)
This dissertation starts from the observation that expectations and perceptions of non-members of the EU are usually neglected in the study of EU's enlargement process. In order to better understand the sources of pro-integration (or anti-integration) foreign policies of the neighboring states, I employ the conceptual apparatus of "role theory". This work utilities the concept of "national role conception", defined as domestically shared views and understandings regarding the proper role and purpose of one's own state as a social collectivity in the international arena. On the cases of Russia and Turkey, I show how historically constituted domestically shared ideas about a role, function (or mission) of a particular state within wider international (European) environment inform their respective policies towards contemporary EU. For the Turkish elite's understandings of the proper role of Turkey within broader international environment is typical the dominance of kemalist nationalist discourse of modernization. Modernization and the quest for the status of respected European power form the core of Turkish identity. In light of this perceptions, the EU membership fits into the kemalist discourse as an accomplishment of the historical mission of attaining the standards of contemporary civilization. On the other side, the discourse of Russian elites is embedded predominantly in universalist messianic discourse, which is often spiced with realist and geopolitical concepts. To sum up, if we want to understand why Russia does not even think about the possibility of entering the EU, we have to take into account the burden of universalist tasks which Russia feels obliged to cary in the name of History or God. Moreover, Russia feels the obligation to protect (both from external threats and internal decay) Europe itself. Entrance into the EU would, quite logically, jeopardize the fulfillment of this historical tasks.
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