Report
The Czech EU Presidency: Background and priorities
Since 1989 Czech politics and policies have been shaped by the metaphor of “thereturn to Europe”. EU membership represented an ultimate goal of this return, representing both its most difficult milestone and its final destination. Since the Czech EU accession in 2004, the EU has presented Czech politics with a variety of challenges connected with membership rights and obligations. Undoubtedly, the upcoming Czech EU presidency presents the most serious challenge among these.
Since 1989 Czech politics and policies have been shaped by the metaphor of “thereturn to Europe”. EU membership represented an ultimate goal of this return, representing both its most difficult milestone and its final destination. Since the Czech EU accession in 2004, the EU has presented Czech politics with a variety of challenges connected with membership rights and obligations. Undoubtedly, the upcoming Czech EU presidency presents the most serious challenge among these.
I start by reviewing the intellectual background and the key milestones of the return to Europe. In this connection, I show that the slogan of the return to Europe had hidden major disagreements on the orientation of foreign policy within the political elite. Following this, I argue that since these disagreements came to the surface in the late 1990s, Czech foreign policy and the attitudes towards the EU have been influenced by four political communities – the Internationalists, Atlanticists, Europeanists and Autonomists. Using these categories, I then analyse the foreign policy orientation of the current government, arguing that it is internationalist with an Atlanticist tinge. After this, I examine Czech public opinion on the EU as another important factor. Following this, the priorities of the Czech EU presidency are outlined and discussed. Finally, I look into the international and domestic crises of 2008 whose effects are likely to impact on the Czech EU presidency.
SUR LE MÊME THÈME
ON THE SAME THEME
PUBLICATIONS
United in diversity? National responses to the European energy crisis
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/autredocumentbleu.png)
Pour mieux comprendre la crise politique tchèque
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/blogpostbleu.png)
They Love Me, They Love Me Not, They Love Me a Little: Public Opinion and the European Union in the Visegrad Countries
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/policypaperbleu.png)
MÉDIAS
MEDIAS
Au Parlement européen, Babiš quitte Macron et laisse entrevoir une alliance avec Orban et Fico
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/podcastbleu.png)
La France contribuera à l’achat de munitions hors d’Europe pour l’Ukraine
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
« Petr Pavel a su rassurer et fédérer »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/podcastbleu.png)
En République tchèque, l’ex-général Petr Pavel remporte la présidentielle
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Présidentielle en République tchèque : l’ex-général Petr Pavel aux portes du pouvoir
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Qui est Petr Pavel, le probable nouveau président tchèque ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Prezident pro všechny. Jaký má být a co zmůže? A jak se na český boj dívá Evropa?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/vidéobleu.png)
La République tchèque tourne la page de la révolution de 1989
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La présidence tchèque de l’UE a fait avancer l’agenda climatique
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
La Tchéquie eurosceptique prend les rênes de l’UE
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Présidence de l’Union européenne : et si les Tchèques faisaient mieux que les Français ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
La République tchèque prend la présidence de l’UE : à quoi faut-il s’attendre ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Présidence tournante du Conseil de l’UE : Petr Fiala, un dirigeant tchèque pour protéger l’Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Le sommet européen jette une ombre sur la crédibilité de la future présidence tchèque face à Moscou
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
La République tchèque tourne la page Babiš
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
« Le nouveau chef de la diplomatie tchèque sera dans une position délicate »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Une sortie de crise politique se dessine en République tchèque
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Législatives : « Une rupture très nette après un match très serré »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/podcastbleu.png)
«L’affrontement avec Babis a forcé l’opposition tchèque à réaffirmer son engagement européen»
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Législatives en République tchèque : « Les “Pandora papers” n’ont pas rebattu les cartes »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Les derniers zigzags d’Andrej Babis, le « Bernard Tapie tchèque »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Pandora papers : la fin de la vie de château d’Andrej Babis, le Premier ministre tchèque ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
République tchèque : visé par les « Pandora Papers », Andrej Babiš joue sa réélection
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
A Bruxelles, l’étau se resserre sur l’encombrant premier ministre tchèque Babis
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Czechy skarżą Polskę do TSUE. Czy spór o Turów zaszkodzi naszym relacjom?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
30 ANS APRÈS : QUEL BILAN POUR LE GROUPE DE VISEGRAD ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
UE-BABIŠ : « SES INTÉRÊTS ÉCONOMIQUES SONT TELS QU’ON FINIRA TOUJOURS PAR TOMBER SUR UN OS »
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Hongrie : que peut faire Bruxelles contre les dérives de Viktor Orban ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Les pistes de Bruxelles pour stopper la vague populiste en Pologne et en Hongrie
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)