Strategic Confusion Continued: Reflections on Czech Non-Liberal Foreign Policy

Elaborating on earlier reflections of the Czech foreign policy this paper unpacks the continuing “confusion” in this area. It argues that the 2014 change of government failed to bring true reorientation of the Czech foreign policy and anchor it in European mainstream as promised by the Social Democrat’s own program. Widely expected reorientation became victim of attempted bureaucratic transformation and waned in turf battles with entrenched bureaucracy inherited from previous government and in government’s own priority to pack the ministries with loyal partisans before the civil service is frozen by the new legislation. Thereby the Czech foreign and security policy changed in proclamation, yet little change occur in strategic documents and practical policy.