Monika Sus

The European Parliament's diplomacy : a tool for projecting EU power in times of crisis? : the case of the Cox–Kwasniewski mission

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the way the European Parliaments diplomacy affects EU power, particularly during times of crisis. The analysis is focused on the Cox–Kwasniewski mission that the Parliament sent to Ukraine in 2012–13. Based on interviews and existing literature, we discuss the genesis and the development of the mission and then evaluate its impact. We argue that the mission with time became a key diplomatic instrument and enabled EU power projection by giving momentum to the promotion of the EUs approach towards Ukraine, which was already wavering due to the deadlock over the Association Agreement between Kyiv and Brussels and then due to President Yanukovychs refusal to sign the agreement.

Post-Brexit EU/UK security cooperation: NATO, CSDP+, or ‘French connection’?

The purpose of this article is to understand the EU/UK security relationship after Brexit and the institutional form(s) it may take. Taking stock of the literature on the consequences of Brexit for European foreign affairs, this article employs a question-driven approach to examine uncertainties regarding the future EU/UK security relationship. These questions relate in particular to the United Kingdom’s commitment to European security after Brexit, the nature of post-Brexit developments within the Union, and the European Union’s willingness to afford the United Kingdom a substantial role after withdrawal. This article examines each of these questions in turn, before considering the viability of three frequently mooted institutional arrangements post-Brexit: UK participation in the CSDP as a third country; increased engagement with NATO that becomes the main platform for cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union; and the enhancement of bilateral ties between the United Kingdom and key European allies – especially France.

Think tank involvement in foreign policymaking in the Czech Republic and Poland

Abstract Studies on foreign policy think tanks have too often remained disconnected from the analysis of foreign policy outcomes. Yet, investigating the development, functions and influence of think tanks can provide valuable insights into the context in which foreign policy is formulated. The Czech Republic and Poland represent interesting comparative cases in this regard: while Polish think tanks are more numerous and tend to be better placed in international rankings, they are less involved in the policymaking process than their Czech counterparts. This contrast has mainly to do with the sociology of foreign policy elites and the role of political parties in both countries.

The Polish EU Council Presidency in 2011: Master or Servant?

Abstract The point of departure of this article is limited systematic research on the rotating EU Council Presidency after the Lisbon Treaty. In order to assess rotating presidencies the paper proposes a three-tier approach which includes a functional, a behavioural and a contingency dimension. These dimensions are supplemented by the institutional changes of the Lisbon Treaty referring to the rotating presidencies. Next, the paper applies this evaluation framework to the Polish Presidency that took place in the second half of 2011. Finally, it draws conclusions from the Polish case for both the leadership capacity of the rotating Council Presidency in the post-Lisbon European Union and the performance of Poland’s EU Council Presidency.

Poland's EU-Council Presidency under Evaluation: Navigating Europe Through Stormy Waters

The volume embarks on the analysis by relating to three main aspects of rotating Presidencies. First, the introduction systematizes the major functions of the rotating Presidency. Against this background, the individual chapters analyze the Polish term. Second, the authors address the tension between the formal neutrality expectation and the tempting opportunity for the country holding the Presidency to foster its national interests through the informal impact on the policies formulated, decided upon and implemented during the Presidency. Third, the volume adopts a contingency approach by distinguishing between endogenous and exogenous variables that may affect the outcome and success of the EU Council Presidency.

Making EU Foreign Policy: National Preferences, European Norms and Common Policies by Daniel C. Thomas (ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. 240pp., £57.50, ISBN 9780230280724

limitations in its methodology. For example, the author bases the book mainly on the answers of national and transnational civil servants, but I think that the sample is really too small to share their empirical findings at the end of the book or to draw a numerical conclusion from the answers. Apart from these methodological problems, this carefully written book is worth reading in order to look at Norwegian–EU relations from the Norwegian elites’ point of view.