Ústav mezinárodních vztahů

Migration State of Emergency
The Hungarian government has decided to declare a “migration state of emergency”, a legal option that had been made possible due to some badly criticized changes in Hungarian law during last autumn. Paralel to this, a national referendum is initiated by the government against the obligatory settlement of aliens to Hungary. The interview with Tamás Lattmann examines if the legal conditions of the introduction of this state of emergency are met, its possible legal consequences and the issue of national referenda.

EU-Turkey Summit
There are mixed expectations and varying political positions before the Turkey-EU meeting and the EU summit dealing with the current migration crisis. While some member states seem to actively look for solutions, some use it for domestic political purposes. The Hungarian government is one of the latter - what possible results can they expect from the Brussels meetings? This was the topic of an interview of our new Research Fellow Tamás Lattmann for the Hungarian ATV.

Visegrad is at a crossroads
A Visegrad Four summit on migration in Prague, at which member states and representatives of Bulgaria and Macedonia are discussing ways to enforce Balkan borders has raised hackles in Germany which fears these plans could undermine the EUs agreement with Turkey. With an EU summit on migration just days away and some German commentators predicting a clash between Chancellor Merkel and the Visegrad group, Daniela Lazarová from Radio Prague asked our V4 expert Michal Kořán for his take on the matter.

British PM to push EU reform goals on Prague trip
"Britain’s possible exit from the EU will be one of the big European issues this year. The Czech Republic, currently heading the Visegrad Four group, has suggested it’s willing to see some reforms that could help keep Britain in. But how far are Prague and its neighbours willing to go?" Find out in an interview with Benjamin Tallis broadcasted by Radio Prague.

The European Union as an Actor in Energy Relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran
The final phase of the nuclear negotiations with Iran has coincided with a profound crisis in the EU-Russia relations. Due to the crisis in Ukraine, the uncertainty about European energy security has increased significantly. Against this background, Iran, with its vast natural gas resources, might become a new supplier to the European gas market. Consequently, the relations between the EU and Iran are becoming increasingly important. The main aim of this article is to analyse the relations between the EU and Iran in the energy sector through the concept of actorness.

Caught in the Deviation Trap. On the Fallacies of the Study of Party-Based Euroscepticism
Petr Kratochvíl, Director of the IIR, and Daniel Kný, University of Economics, are authors of a study "Caught in the Deviation Trap. On the Fallacies of the Study of Party-Based Euroscepticism.", which was published in the Czech Journal of Political Science (3/2015).

Central Europe in the European Union: A story of hypocrisy
"The leading political figures in Central Europe failed to internalize the basic principles of European integration," writes Michal Kořan for the Visegrad Insight.

Visegrad? Slavkov?
The problems in the relations within the EU are caused by intensified language and an absence of empathy", says Petr Kratochvíl in an interview for the daily Gazeta Wyborcza. He describes and explains a possible Czech reaction to the efforts of Beata Szydło’s government to steer the wheel away from the cooperation with Germany and towards the V4. He also comments on the Czech stance on Slovakia pressing the charges regarding the refugee quotas and on the impact of the Slavkov Declaration. Furthermore, he does not consider the agreement of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria to be competition for Visegrad. You can find out more about his views in the attached article.

Where would mooted “mini-Schengen” leave states like Czech Republic?
Dutch politicians floated the idea of a smaller area within Europe’s open Schengen zone – also including countries such as Germany and Belgium – where passport controls would be carried out at the perimeter. What would such a move mean for the Czech Republic and other states left outside such a “mini-Schengen”? That’s a question Ian Willoughby from the Radio Prague put to Benjamin Tallis.

A Migrant’s Story
"I am a foreigner. A migrant. I live and work in Prague, the city that has become my adopted home. No one forced me to come here, nor even invited me – I decided to come here myself. I have been warmly welcomed by Czech people and love being a part of Czech society. As a foreigner and a migrant with such a positive experience here I now watch in disbelief at the stance the country is taking to the ongoing refugee crisis." writes Benjamin Tallis in his article for The Reporter Magazine.