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Organized crime and security : drug cartels : the global capacity of a rising security threat
Ibáñez de Foerster, Marcela ; Balabán, Miloš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Over the last four decades organized crime groups, particularly, drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels, have managed to be under the spotlight of the security agendas of American countries such as Colombia and the United States. During the last two decades, however, the global securitization of the drug trafficking issue, has led them to become a major security threat not only for the Americas, but also for Europe and more recently for West African countries. These organizations pose a threat not only to the security of the state, but to the very essence of it, by corrupting and damaging everything they come in contact with at the political, social, economical and even cultural level. This graduate thesis presents an analysis on Latin American drug trafficking organizations or drugs cartels, as they are commonly known, focusing on the cases of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. By comparing these two case studies, I suggest that today's Mexican drug trafficking organizations have gained their momentum and incommensurable strength by following the footsteps of the big three Colombian drug cartels that existed between the 1980s and 1990s. The first chapter will expose the definitions and concepts surrounding the research of organized crime. In the second and third chapters, both the...
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Italian Foreign Policy towards Libya in the Context of Externalization of Migration Control
Přeček, Marek ; Mejstřík, Martin (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
Since approximately the 1990s, the countries of southern Europe have been developing a policy of so-called externalization or transferring responsibility for immigration and asylum procedures and obligations to other countries, in response to the growing waves of immigration. Since the beginning of the century, Italy and Libya have been developing various forms of this cooperation, with dynamic changes based on the internal political situation in both countries. This thesis examines the development of the given policy on the part of Italy after what is probably the biggest qualitative shift in mutual relations, i.e. after the events of the Arab Spring and the change of the Libyan regime. The aim is therefore to analyze the nature and development of the conception of Italian foreign policy towards Libya in the area of migration, from the position of the executive leaders of this policy, i.e. the prime ministers and the ministers of the interior and foreign affairs of the governments of Matteo Renzi, Paolo Gentiloni and Giuseppe Conte (2014-2019). The research question therefore deals with whether the selected Italian governments have continuity in their conception of migration policy with the previous cabinets in the line of securitization and externalization of migration, and we can therefore talk...
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Framing of the covid-19 pandemic in selected Czech media
Jiskrová, Alena ; Nečas, Vlastimil (advisor) ; Lütke Notarp, Ulrike (referee)
This diploma thesis provides an overview of how various Czech print and online media informed about the COVID-19 pandemic. The frames used by Czech media about the pandemic are identified by using a quantitative content analysis method. They are subsequently analyzed with regards to their use among various media and in different periods of time. Besides the generic and issue-specific frames, the research also concentrates on the frequence of use of securitization frame and war metaphors. The articles are also analysed from the perspective of their attributability. The findings are illustrated with concrete examples from the articles.
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The Role of the Media in Construction of Threats in Czech Coverage of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Matute, Kristýna ; Nečas, Vlastimil (advisor) ; Miessler, Jan (referee)
The thesis explores ways of constructing the security threat from the covid-19 epidemic in Czech print news. The analysis is based on social constructivism, according to which the media selectively selects topics, actors and certain aspects of events into the news. In theoretical terms, it further links the theory of securitization of security studies with the media concept of framing. The research aims to identify the manifestations of securitization in the Czech news coverage of covid-19 over a period of one year using quantitative content analysis. It concentrates on the presence of securitization frameworks, war metaphors, and alarming testimonies from the actors interviewed.
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Discourse analysis of the securitization of Covid-19 in Czech media
Kroupa, Jan ; Miessler, Jan (advisor) ; Podzimek, Jan (referee)
This diploma thesis aims to apply the securitization concept in the field of media studies, while also exploring the role of media as an autonomous actor in the (de)securitization process, being able to produce a unique type of discourse, independent from the discourse of political actors. The thesis seeks to confirm the disparities between the discourse of media and political elites on the plain of the (de)securitization theory. This is examined within the topic of the covid-19 epidemic, from 1st January until 12th March, when the state of emergency has been announced by the Czech government. The thesis is organized as a discourse analysis on the basis of the Foucauldian historical method. The theoretical chapter introduces the basic premises of the securitization theory, its evolution and contemporary discussion, including the dimension of media autonomy. The analytical chapter examines seven topical aspects representing the uniqueness of the coronavirus discourse during the examined time period. In addition, the thesis also analyzes the reproduction of the discourse of political elites in media. A total of 154 inputs is compiled in the analyzed corpus, consisting of the transcript of covid-themed press conferences, and articles from the online media portals of iDnes and Fórum 24 that have been...
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Evolution of information warfare expert environment in Czechia
Čičmanec, Martin ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
As the tensions between Russia and the West had grown, so had the intensity of hybrid warfare operations, such as Russian disinformation campaigns. These campaigns have contributed to the current polarization of societies not only in the USA, but also in many EU countries and have prompted Western societies to seek appropriate ways to defend themselves against information warfare. Over the last decade, a colourful community of experts developed, empowered to identify specific threats and propose solutions. This study explores how the growing securitization of disinformation affects the development of security expertise in Czechia. Sociological methods, social network analysis, and social capital were applied to uncover and analyze a network of security experts focused on information warfare. SNA allowed mapping both networks of crucial organizers and experts, their social relations, and professional backgrounds. The analyses showed ongoing dynamic development of the network characterized by growing complexity and fragmentation. However, the network is united in its stance on opposing pro-Russian influences. As the network developed, new topics and experts with professional backgrounds emerged. Nevertheless, think tanks remain recognized as both key experts and organizers, drawing their expertise...
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UN Security Council and Environmental Threats
Škop, Martin ; Bruner, Tomáš (advisor) ; Karlas, Jan (referee)
This thesis examines the securitization of climate change within the UN Security Council. The aim of the thesis was to answer the question of how the permanent members of the Council securitise or desecuritise climate threats, or what characterises their speech act. The assessment was based on a content analysis that coded all the statements made by the permanent members of the Council in the general discussion on climate change and its security implications. The thesis thus provides an overview of the specific elements that fulfill the securitization move and emergency measures as well as other elements that are typical for the actors. The thesis compares these with the assumptions arising from the Copenhagen School theory of securitization and interprets their consistency or inconsistency. In addition, the concept of "climatisation" is used, which allows for a different, often more useful perspective on the topic. From the perspective of this concept, it has been confirmed that many actors are characterized by attempts to integrate climate policies and objectives into various security spheres such as UN missions, development policy or conflict prevention policy. The content analysis to all the above conclusions allows to provide a body of evidence, which is an annex to the present thesis,...
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The response of Dutch political journalists to the counter-narrative from right-wing populist parties PVV and FvD to the securitization of COVID-19
Wagemaker, Puck Anne ; Shavit, Anna (advisor) ; Dimitrov, Michal (referee)
This study explored how political journalists enact the counter-response from right-wing populist parties PVV and FvD to the securitization of COVID-19 in the Netherlands. The study conducted seven semi-structured interviews with Dutch political journalists from various media about their journalistic roles. This role decides how much and in what way the resistance from populist parties to the securitization of COVID-19 is given a platform in the media. Built upon pre-consisting concepts and definitions of the journalistic role, the findings of the study show that while a clear discrepancy is visible between the two parties, the journalists predominantly enact the counter-reaction of both PVV and FvD in an educational role - in which the journalists aim to give more context to the news. Aside from this, the study found that within the gatekeeper role - next to solely opening and closing the gates -, a third stage exists within this role. While the gates closed for FvD due to denying the existence of the virus, certain exceptions still opened the gates for the party due to the opposing character of the party. Keywords Securitization, right-wing populism, COVID-19, journalism, journalistic role, The Netherlands, Partij voor de Vrijheid [PVV], Forum voor Democratie [FvD]
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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perception of migration to the Czech Republic
Poláková, Michaela ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Bureš, Oldřich (referee)
The thesis is dealing with investigating the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the perception of migration to the Czech Republic through the lens of theory of securitization. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic meant a worldwide milestone in the development of all areas of ordinary, day-to-day life. All these areas were suspended with immediate effect in order to stop the spread of the virus, and migration was no exception in this scenario. After declaring the state of emergency in the Czech Republic due to health hazards in connection to the spread of the novel coronavirus in March 2020, foreigners were subsequently banned from entering the country, and all migration processes were suspended indefinitely. The project operates with a hypothesis that migration in the Czech Republic has been securitized through the implemented restrictions, goal of which was to limit the spread of the infection in the name of protection of public health. The thesis analyses changes in the perception of migration in comparison to the situation prior to the pandemic, steps of the Czech government towards migration and its perception. The goal of this thesis is to outline the changes in the perception of migration due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to describe how these changes influenced further...
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