Towards a civil society-based foreign policy: The future of Czech-German and Polish-German relations?
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Germany’s size, geographical location, and influence in the EU means its politics have significant implications for Poland and Czechia. This policy paper by Rachel Herring analyses Czech-German and Polish-German relations, focusing on opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the context of Germany’s political and geopolitical role in Europe.
This paper takes an in-depth look at areas for bilateral development in Czech-German and Polish-German relations. First, official German speeches and debates are analysed to build a picture of how Czechia and Poland are conceptualised in German foreign policy. Then, in the main part of the analysis, the potential of different specific formats and policy areas for pursuing deeper bilateral relations are discussed. The analysis draws on interviews with a range of think tank experts, civil society actors, and diplomats. Finally, policy recommendations are made for the development of Czech-German and Polish-German relations.
The text is part of the Policy Papers series, delivered by non-V4 expert fellows within the Think Visegrad Fellowship, of which the Institute of International Relations Prague is a member. It was also presented at one of our events.
Find the complete policy paper attached.
