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Begin New Search Political Geography Europe Journal International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs

11. EU ENLARGEMENT: WHAT NEXT?

Author:
Peter Brezáni and Tomás Strázay
Publication Date:
12-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The twenty-first century began with a vastly unprecedented approach which broke the pattern of EU group enlargements. Three candidates from three different geographical areas of Europe, and with rather divergent political and economic backgrounds, began negotiations with the EU on their future accession: Croatia as a pioneer from the post-war region of the Western Balkans, Turkey as the oldest candidate country (having applied for EU membership in 1987), and Iceland, one of the remaining EFTA states and a member of the European Economic Area. The latest version of the EU's Enlargement Strategy lists all the European states which could be considered for EU membership in the foreseeable future. As Iceland has recently put its accession negotiations on hold, this article focuses on the Western Balkan region and Turkey, giving an overview of some of the specifics of the EU accession process and the actual status of the negotiations under way. Any forecast concerning future EU enlargements with a time horizon of at least ten years from now should consider first of all these countries, with other European states eligible for EU membership being considered only afterward.
Topic:
Economics
Political Geography:
Europe, Turkey, Balkans, and Iceland

12. Twenty years of Slovakia

Author:
Maros Sefcovic
Publication Date:
08-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The Czechoslovak "divorce" on January 1, 1993 brought high hopes and great expectations, as well as worries. Both the political elite and citizens were in search of answers to many questions concerning Slovakia's future and its role in the globalized world. The author argues that Slovakia has achieved much in a short period of time and has taken its place both in the world and in Europe. Slovakia has chosen the right EU path. As the author concludes, despite the fact that Slovakia still has its own issues to tackle, being part of the EU makes this task easier.
Political Geography:
Europe

13. International energy security challenges for Europe in the coming years

Author:
Iana Dreyer
Publication Date:
11-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The European Union's approach to "energy security" has strongly focused on diversifying its gas import sources and routes, and mitigating the risks of supply disruptions from Russia at home. Yet gas markets have changed dramatically recently: Liquefied Natural Gas trade and new suppliers of gas have emerged. The shale gas revolution in the United States has made markets more liquid. Today's key energy security challenge is domestic: increased recourse to intermittent sources of renewable energy has destabilized electricity markets and blackouts cannot be excluded. To prepare for the future, the EU will need to introduce coherence in its climate change policies, as recourse to coal - the most CO2 emitting of all fossil fuels - is rising again. It could also engage more closely with China and India to deal with shared concerns about rising oil and gas import dependency and pollution from coal, and rethink its approach to Russia and other energy suppliers in its neighborhood.
Political Geography:
Russia, United States, and Europe

14. International Issues & Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs Contents

Publication Date:
01-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The decade of 2000–2010 was the warmest decade in recent history. It was also a decade of climate extremes such as the 2003 heat wave in western Europe and 2010 heat wave in Russia, frequent major floods in Europe, Pakistan in 2010 or Australia in early 2011, devastating cyclones, or major cold snaps and snow blizzards as in the US, UK and China. Despite this reality, there persists a deep gap between the scientific evidence about the changing climate of the Earth, and political awareness about the reasons and consequences of global warming. Such a gap between physical reality and political thinking will be extremely costly. Recent scientific evidence suggests that measures considered to tackle global warming are gravely inadequate. It appears that the average global temperature by 2100 will increase by at least 3°C to 4°C. Such increase will have devastating effects on agricultural production and survival of hundreds of millions people. The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of climate change science among policy makers and diplomats.
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Russia, United States, China, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia

15. Table of Contents Articles

Author:
Péter Balázs
Publication Date:
12-2011
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
Hungary assumed the EU Council presidency as the third "new" EU member state after Slovenia and the Czech Republic, but the first in a new post-Lisbon institutional regime. The article provides an overview of the political and operational performance of the first-ever Hungarian EU presidency and strives to evaluate the overall impact this had on the image Hungary has, primarily in the EU.
Political Geography:
Europe and Hungary

16. Table of Contents Full Issue

Author:
Vladimír Bilčík
Publication Date:
12-2010
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
This article aims to outline and explain new preferences that the NMS have brought to the EU since 2004. The contribution is chiefly empirical, drawing on research and interviews conducted with 64 policymakers in Brussels from 2008 to 2009. In short, the text seeks to highlight what has been learned about the key foreign and security policy preferences of the NMS and what policy innovations, if any, the post-communist Europe is bringing to the EU's external agendas. The contribution concludes by highlighting the distinct interests and geographic focus of foreign policy in post-communist Europe whereby issues of historical identity, nationhood and ethnicity are atleast as important in post-communist foreign policy thinking as calculations of trade benefits and economic gains.
Topic:
Foreign Policy
Political Geography:
Europe

17. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

Author:
Boris Divinský
Publication Date:
06-2010
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The goal of the contribution is to familiarize the reader with the quantitative and qualitative developments in the field of migration in the Slovak Republic that took place from its incorporation into the European Union back in 2004. The text of the present paper is based on research outcomes of the project 'Migration in the Slovak Republic After its Accession to the EU (2004–2008) – An Analysis of Migration Trends and Attitudes of the Public to the Migration Issues and Integration of Foreigners' carried out by the International Organization for Migration in the Slovak Republic. However, these findings were updated by data related to 2009, thanks to which a somehow wider view of the development trajectories, fundamental attributes and key issues in the area of migration since Slovakia's accession to the Union was gained.
Topic:
International Organization
Political Geography:
Europe and Slovakia

18. Energy Matters

Author:
András Deák
Publication Date:
01-2009
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The coming great economic recession and likely depression afterwards, is to set energy prices at a relatively low level for the next 5-7 years. However, this migh be the last chance to prepare for an era of extreme energy prices. With a growing gap of invesments into the industry and tight market situation might couple the economic recovery with scarce supplies and high energy prices. All this promises a high price volatility for the next decade, when Western and particularly European instruments to exert influence on the global energy landscape will be rather few. All this means, that even if energy does not seem to be the most urgent task to be solved now, it is a high time to reconsider Europe's energy future and our perceiption of dependence. Understandably, this also raises the questions related to common energy policies. New Eastern EU members brought new aspects for common EU energy policy. The patchwork of Central European energy and Russian policies, however, is only a slightly less colurful, than attitudes in the EU. We have witnessed very few common positions in these regards. Thus, energy policy co-operation is possible only in cases of win-win situations and by bringing these problems, rather to the technical, not to the political level. Common EU policies, regulation and liberalization directives impacted these energy policies much more, than autonomous Central European co-operation.
Political Geography:
Europe

19. TOWARDS A CENTRAL EUROPEAN SECURITY IDENTITY

Author:
Ivo Samson
Publication Date:
04-2009
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The author defines that institutionalization through the construction of the Visegrad Group identity has aided in this region's rise to prevalence in areas such as trade and security; and contends that in order to have even stronger influence in Europe, the Group must continue to define its relevance as a unified faction. The author concludes that the building up of a common Visegrad identity must be necessarily based on a common language, in which one addresses common security threats, positions toward Russia, toward the transatlantic relations and a common vision of one geographically and culturally shared political view of European and Euro- Atlantic affairs.
Topic:
Security
Political Geography:
Russia and Europe

20. THE NEXT EU ENLARGEMENT(S)

Author:
Hedvig Morvai-Horvát
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
It is often said humorously that there were three kinds of states in the Western Balkans in EU context: candidates, potential candidates and Serbia. The largest country of the region, which has significant economic and social potential, satisfactory administrative capacities and over 70% of public support for EU accession remains unable to strengthen and improve its process of integration in the great European family. Contrary to the situation in other countries, there was no broad social consensus on the need for EU membership in Serbia. Moreover, a new turn on the Serbian political scene becomes more and more obvious. The Democratic Party of Serbia conducts political and qualitative distancing from Europe and European values. Another important moment is the strengthening of the Socialist Party of Serbia. On the other hand, the prospects for the creation of a minority government of democratic forces are not very optimistic. Therefore, Serbia is threatened to continue to remain a 'one issue' state if European minded politicians do not stay strong in insisting on the difficult job which has to be undertaken in spite of their promise for a parallel fight for Kosovo. This will, however be impossible without a clear and true support of the EU, even if it means taking some 'risky steps' for that.
Political Geography:
Europe, Kosovo, and Serbia