Small specialists in EU's foreign policy-making: Czechia and Portugal's footprint in European global agenda

Small states face various limitations (e.g., smaller budgets and markets, fewer officials) in their foreign policy-making compared to their bigger counterparts. One of the strategies to cope with this disadvantage is specialization on a specific topic or territory, which allows for building expertise and bringing added value to the negotiating table. The Czech Republic and Portugal belong to the EU's smaller members. They share some common features (e.g., EU membership, similar size, and number of inhabitants) but differ in others (e.g., historical development, geographical position). However, both pursue the same goal to shape the EU's foreign policy. In both cases, it is also possible to define a territorial specialization or at least a specific focus in their foreign policy. In the Portuguese case, it is the relationship with its ex-colonies, mainly in Africa. In the Czech case, it is its connection with the other Eastern European states, today in particular with Ukraine. Both areas are the top issues in the current EU's global agenda because of their geopolitical importance. This paper will compare the role of the Czech Republic's and Portugal's understanding of their place in shaping the EU's foreign policy. In particular, it will explore the individual countries' motivations, their choice of channels of influence, and the perceived benefits. The research will build on official documents, public speeches, and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at respective ministries. It will contribute to understanding small states' behaviour in international organizations, mainly discussed in the small states and institutionalist literature.