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The aim of the thesis is to analyse the nature of multi-level governance in climate protection policy in Germany and Austria and to compare the analysed cases. The concept of multilevel governance is used as the theoretical basis of the thesis, the key idea of which is the mutual integration and influence of the levels of governance. Using this concept, the thesis analyses the horizontal and vertical levels of policy making and implementation involving both state and non-state actors. The analysis is carried out through four features of multilevel governance, predefined on the basis of an analysis of the literature, which are: diffusion of competences, non-hierarchical institutional framework, consensus-based decision-making and the principle of partnership. These features are also the dimensions on the basis of which the selected cases are compared. The multi-level governance in the climate protection policy of Germany and Austria is then classified on the basis of the typology of Liesbet Hooghe and Gary Marks. The thesis also includes an analysis of the instruments and policy processes of climate policy in both countries, which will provide insight into the role and influence of the different levels of governance in the formation of policy in the analysed area of governance.

The subject of this diploma thesis is the analysis of oil-rich countries based on the case study of the Russian federation and the republic of Azerbaijan. This analysis will be based on the Resource curse theory which is fundamental for the conceptual framework of this diploma thesis. This theory describes the resource-rich states as more prone to be governed by an authoritarian regime. This relationship will be defined in the case study of Azerbaijan and Russia by comparative analysis of selected factors and state budget revenues from oil and gas. In the first chapter, the methodology and critical source analysis will be exercised together with the theoretical framework. In the second and third chapters, this paper will focus on the analysis of Azerbaijan and Russia based on factors of repression, war, corruption, and freedom of the press which is the core of this work-study. This diploma thesis is based on the presumption of superabundance on one source-focused export, mainly fossil fuels. Based on this relationship the hypothesis will be tested, which will subsequently confirm or refuse the theory of the resource curse. At the same time, the collected data will be compared with selected European countries and the United States of America which will add the required value to the research. The...

OF GRADUATE WORK Title: The problem of applying political, cultural, historical and territorial rights of the Evenks in Russia Author: Zhdanov Ilia Supervisor: PhDr. Michael Romancov, Ph.D Number of pages and characters: 1/1436 Abstract The problems associated with the realization of the rights of nations without their own states are quite discussed. Some nations conquer others within the framework of state expansion, after which many nations are on the verge of solving many problems - how to survive, how to realize their political, social, cultural rights within the existing reality? In this thesis work, a specific example of one small northern nation in the Far East of Russia, the Evenks, was taken. In the first part, models of federalism were considered, one of which is Russian federalism. Russian federalism is unique for a number of reasons, but the main thing is a complex federal structure - some subjects of the federation within others, a national-territorial and at the same time territorial type of federation. In the second part, the position of the Evenks in Russia was studied, the indicators of knowledge of the language, the presence of their own territorial autonomies, the evolution of their position within the Russian state were studied. In the third part, the experiences of other states...

This bachelor's thesis deals with the modern French Arctic policy and its gradual evolution. A crucial prerequisite is the transformation of the Arctic narrative, that is how the region is generally seen. While it had been previously understood as a place for international cooperation, global warming has dramatically changed the region. Thus, both the key points of the Arctic debate and its participants and the overall narrative have changed. The goal of this thesis is to find out whether France reflects this change of the narrative and if so, how. France has shown interest in the region for a long time and its long-lasting presence makes it an important actor. The research has been done through the analysis of relevant government documents and proclamations which demonstrate the official country's approach the best. The resulting findings confirmed the transformation of Arctic policy, which changes its main proclaimed interest over time. The emphasis is no longer on scientific activity as it once was. Although it is increasingly incorporating security and the strategic importance of the region into its approach, given the recency of the phenomenon, it cannot yet be said with certainty that this will become the central focus of future policy, although the trend described suggests that it will.

The following thesis is focusing on the geopolitical as well as geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap. In addition to an overview of the realist theories of international relations used in the analysis as such, the thesis includes a section devoted to the historical development of the geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap, but above all an analysis of the current geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the once mentioned specific North Atlantic region. The analysis of the current geopolitical situation is written with an emphasis on the increasing importance of the area for NATO and the Russian Federation, whose interests have increasingly clashed in recent years, not only in this region. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate a causal relationship between the generally deteriorating relations between NATO and the Russian Federation following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the growing importance of the GIUK Gap.

The study seeks to explore the Russian Orthodox Church's influence on the Western Balkan region from 2005 to 2014, using the soft power theory pioneered by Joseph Nye. The existing cultural ties between majority Orthodox countries in the region and Russian Orthodox Church created an environment that is prone to cultural influence coming from the Church. Using Joseph Nye's description of the public diplomacy mechanism (which is behind soft power application), this work analyzes Russian Orthodox Church activities in the region, establishing that Serbia appeared to be the most prioritized in the Church's public diplomacy, followed by Montenegro, North Macedonia and Republika Srpska respectively. As soft power theory assumes, its application must bring out certain changes, that are produced by the power of attraction. Not surprisingly, Serbia adopted a number of laws that correspond to the stimuli coming from the Church, with less success in the remaining three countries, but with visible results associated with the Church's public diplomacy. The work solidifies the notion that the Russian Orthodox Church has a measurable effect on certain political outcomes in the Western Balkan countries.

The diploma thesis entitled "Geostrategic Importance of Greenland" deals with the current geopolitical position of the island in the context of advancing climate change. This brings Greenland many opportunities, but also threats that could affect its further development. The main aim of the work is therefore to examine how the geographical location of the island in combination with the advancing climate change affects its development, especially towards the future full independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. The work maps the current situation of Greenland in terms of newly emerging opportunities as well as the threats it also faces. Furthermore, the work focuses on the relationship between Greenland and Denmark and tries to describe the strategic importance of the island for Denmark. Although the Arctic is an area where states have cooperated in the past decades, in recent years tensions have been growing in the region between the Russian Federation, which is increasing its military presence there, and Western states represented by the North Atlantic Alliance. In addition, China is trying to penetrate the region, which is not indifferent to the strategic importance of the region, and other non-Arctic actors, led by the European Union, are also turning their attention to the region. The...

This bachelor's thesis focuses on the CFA franc and its influence on Franco-African relations. The thesis deals with the historical context, the origin and gradual development of the CFA franc. As well as the role of the CFA franc in the context of mutual relations between France and the member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The thesis presents two main narratives connected with this issue, the neo-colonial point of view (which perceives the CFA franc as a neo-colonial weapon of France), as well as the opposite, anti- neo-colonial point of view (which perceives the CFA franc only as a currency without all of its negative connotations resulting from its history). In the research part of this thesis the method of a SWOT analysis was used and applied on both the neo-colonial and anti-neo- colonial narratives. As a result, it was possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with both narratives. The interpretation of the results allowed me to answer the main research question: Did the CFA franc play the role of a neo- colonial weapon of France in relation to the West African Economic and Monetary Union member countries?. The final result is ambiguous, it confirms that the CFA franc is often considered as a neo-colonial weapon of...

The topic of this diploma thesis is fake news as a current security and political problem. The term fake news is not officially codified. This diploma thesis will mainly focus on the theoretical definition of the term fake news and its differentiation from similar terms with which it's often interchanged incorrectly. Furthermore, this thesis will focus on social media, which can be used to spread fake news, as well as on the methods used for distinguishing fake news in the online world. The term fake news is also often connected with the term hybrid threat also referred to as a possible tool of the hybrid war, therefore this thesis will dedicate a section to these concepts and their critique. Fake news as a security and political issue will be observed within the example of the Czech Republic based on the selected definition of fake new with focus on the influence of Russia. First, actors who are possibly responsible for spread of fake news within the Czech Republic will be mapped, after which four specific websites and their reporting on certain news events in connection with Russia in the period from March 2020 until present will be examined.

Buck-passing, an increasingly prominent concept to explain states' foreign policy, suffers from inconsistency in both theory and application. This thesis proposes a revised theoretical framework of buck-passing, which is established on the distinguishment of three images of buck-passing-intent, action, and outcome. The conceptualization of buck-passing, in contrast to other strategies, should center the image of outcome because buck-passing is a strategy that intrinsically involves three parties, and its outcome cannot be fulfilled unilaterally. The revised framework also challenges the traditional consensus that no buck-passing occurs under bipolarity, arguing that the regional great power is possible to stop a superpower's aggression in a limited war. In the case of the Munich Crisis, the involved great powers, except for bandwagoning Italy, adopted the buck- passing strategy at the end, leading to the signature of the Munich Agreement as the outcome of appeasement, where no collective good as checking aggression was provided. In the case of the Korean War, while facing the US aggression in a bipolar world, although the Soviet Union refused to engage in, China caught the buck and militarily intervened in the Korean Peninsula. The discrepancy between the Chinese and the Soviet policies was...

This thesis deals with the topic of German-Russia relations during the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel and also with the dynamic of these relations in the stated period. The theoretical part is focused on foreign policy and the levels of its analysis. The analytical part researches the behavior of the Russian Federation and Germany in international crises. The research works with the historical context and the background of selected affairs which may have affected the behavior of both participants in the international field. This thesis aims to explain how the German-Russia relations changed between 2005 and 2021, which direction they took and how they were affected by international crises.

Knowledge of a country's national geopolitics is the key to understanding the state in all its political forms. Therefore, this thesis is devoted to the Ukrainian geopolitics of the 20th - 21st century. In it we described the main concepts and opinions of Ukrainian geopoliticians. Our goal was to learn more about the theoretical foundations of Ukrainian geopolitics as it was in the 20th century and to see its further development in the 21st century. We tried to describe as fully as possible the views of Ukrainian geopoliticians and note the peculiarities of their thinking. We also analysed possible factors influencing the geopolitical vision of Ukrainians in the 20th and 21st centuries. This thesis is divided into three major parts and conclusions. The first chapter presents the main geopolitical concepts that emerged in the first half of the 20th century and their classification. In the second chapter, we focused more on those concepts that concerned the Black Sea region. In the third chapter, we presented the main and interesting concepts of Ukrainian geopolitics of the 21st century. Conclusions are an important analytical element of our work

Taiwan has been generally considered a moderate player in the South China Sea's tense waters. Despite its low-profile policy, the Republic of China (ROC) has one of the most extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea, in accordance with its 1947 Constitution. The ROC's South China Sea policy is influenced by Cross-Strait relations, which are the main concern of any ROC administration. This thesis investigates Tsai Ying-wen's approach to the South China Sea by examining its interaction with the One China principle and looking at its interplay with the New Southbound Policy. It finds that Tsai Ying-wen's administration has further de-emphasized Taiwan's claims over the area, for both domestic and international reasons. This approach strategically fosters the maintenance of the status quo and paves the way for strengthening ties with Southeast Asian countries and maintaining the United States' support, partially confirming Waltz's neorealist approach.

CHARLES UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Institute of Political Studies Department of Political Science Master's Thesis No Safe Harbour: Is Economic Reliance on the People's Republic of China Sinking Regional Foreign Policy Independence in the East-Asia Pacific? ABSTRACT This paper has been commissioned to explore the relationship between political and economic dependency of East-Asia Pacific nations, with a GDP (nominal) of over US$100 billion, on China. Ten case nations were selected for analysis; Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Two separate metrics were created; the "Economic Entanglement Index (EEI)" and "Political Dependency Index (PDI)", containing a total of six and five individual indicators each, respectively. Analysing this data, I was able to quantify the levels of political and economic dependency each of these ten case nations shared with China. Singapore was ranked as the most dependent nation in both categories while Japan ranked the least dependent for the EEI and tied with Australia for least dependent in the PDI. Both indexes were also combined to create an overall "Sino-dependency score". My analysis indicated a moderate correlation between the levels of economic and political dependency on China. In...

The Arctic region because of it's unique geographical location and question of "How will the Arctic Geopolitics develop in the future." , Arctic region became the key for Russia to develop it's - "Arctic Rim Super Complex" Participants Rim security complexes and their "inner ring" of the Arctic region.

Undeniable geopolitical significance of the Russian Far East renders development of the region a matter of national priority for the entire 21st century. Enormous untapped potential of the region is not limited to the range of possibilities offered by export of its natural resources. Developing a non-resource export potential of the Russian Far East offers a way of ensuring sustainable economic growth - a key component of regional, and national, competitive capabilities. At the core of Michael E. Porter's book "The Competitive Advantage of Nations" is a model of national competitive advantage that introduces the concept of business clusters as drivers of economy. Applying Porter's analytical framework and building on recent experience of government-driven innovative cluster development in Russia, the thesis seeks to propose an economically sound model of International Medical Education Cluster for the Russian Far Eastern Federal District. The cluster will support Russia's engagement with Asia and complement one of the world's largest and fastest growing industries - that of healthcare - by addressing one of its most acute needs, namely the growing worldwide shortage of healthcare personnel. The proposed model capitalizes on federal policy of internationalisation of Russian higher education,...

CHARLES UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE Institute of Political Science Department of Geopolitical Studies Master's Thesis Populism and the Covid-19 Pandemic in Latin America: A Case Study of Brazil Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic confronted the world with a global health crisis like never before. Unlike some countries which were able to manage the crisis with little loss, some countries failed. This thesis offers an extensive analyses Brazil's Covid-19 response with a primary focus on President Bolsonaro's populist nature. It aims to discover a correlation between the political leadership style of populism and poor Covid-19 management in Brazil. In order to accomplish that, the two concepts of medical populism and the performance of crisis have been applied to the case study, by investigating Bolsonaro's social media presence and public statements. The results displayed that Bolsonaro attempted to perform a crisis by simplifying the crisis and propagating his performance, but untimely failed to successfully perform the crisis. In addition, the results also indicate that Bolsonaro exercised medical populism by attempting to pit the people against the establishment and creating a dramatic and spectacular depiction of a public health crisis. Ultimately, the research will conclude that Bolsonaro's...

The goal of this thesis was to analyze the unilaterally declared entities of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic and determine, whether they should be considered de facto state or puppet state. Using the E.Berg's, E.Kuusk's methodology I was able to measure the position in the international system, certain aspects of internal and external sovereignty, considering the importance of the external actor, the Russian Federation. De facto state is established through local support and its declared goal is to gain the international recognition, meanwhile puppet state is established through military conflict and its dependene on the external actor, sponsor state, reaches such a degree, it can be considered a covert occupation. Independence is an important factor in the actual functioning of the entities. If the formal independence hides the actual independence, entity will be considered a puppet state. In this case both entities meet all the criteria of B.Ivanel's puppet state and formal independence hides the actual independence. Their existence is guaranteed by the sponsor state, the Russian Federation. The dependence on material support (financial, military) is of vital importance. Without the support entities would not be able to provide the basic needs for the population and would have been...

Power relations are always a current and interesting topic for researchers. The intersection of economics and geopolitics today can give us a new perspective on traditional things. With addressing power relations in Central Asia, I have sought to contribute to the academic debate on the transfer of power from a different perspective. Power relations are always a current and interesting topic for researchers. Russia and China are two powerful states whose interests and goals intersect in Central Asia. China's economic expansion in the region leads to the question of whether or not the two power states can work together within one region. In this work, we will first look at the roles of Russia and China in Central Asia. In particular, will be analyzed economic and strategic cooperation with the help of regional organizations. this master thesis focuses on the period from 2001 to 2019. In the second part of the work by applying of power transition theory from American political scientist Abram Fim Kenneth Organski, will be analyzed whether the Russia-China relationship is closer to cooperation or confrontation.

This bachelor thesis deals with diplomatic recognition of the USSR by Great Britain and the United States. In the first part the development of the Soviet diplomatic tradition is introduced in the reference period, i.e. 1917-1933, with the description of key aspects of foreign policy of the Soviet Union. The second chapter is devoted to the question of recognition of the USSR by Great Britain, containing a brief description of tsarist regime commintments to Britain. The third part clarifies the recognition of the USSR by the United States with emphasis on economic cooperation during 1920s and it's role in the recognition of the USSR de iure. Conclusion of this thesis introduces a comparison of both cases focusing on four aspects (reaction on bolshevik coup d'état and consolidation of the AUCP(b) leader role, role of post-war German question and tsarist Russia debts, volume and development of international trade, engagement of domestic political situation) in order to identify and explain the delay between recognition by Great Britain and by the United States.

Announced in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) is a global development project that extends across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Most Western scholars and politicians have been highly critical of the BRI, particularly in connection with sub-Saharan Africa, defining the project as neo-imperialistic and arguing that only China would benefit from it in terms of political, economic, and military expansion. This thesis uses Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria as case studies to measure the effectiveness of the BRI in the development of these three countries. On the basis of this analysis, it can be posited that not only China, but also sub-Saharan African countries, specifically continental coastal democracies with access to natural resources that engage with China as business partners within the BRI's context, derive substantial benefits from their partnerships. To different degrees, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, are presented with opportunities to improve their infrastructure, enjoy economic growth, and reduce inequality by engaging in the BRI. Key Words:​ ​Sub-Saharan-Africa, China, Belt Road Initiative, development, economics, neo-imperialism, natural resources, infrastructure Title:​ China and Africa: The Dragon in The Lion's Den

Democratization has been dominating international relations since the end of the Cold War. Moreover, democratization assistance became embedded in states' foreign institutions, as it is seen in the examples of the United States and the European Union. As states perceive international relations from a neo-realist perspective, it raises a concern about their reasoning behind democracy promotion. This thesis attempts to find a correlation between states' geopolitical objectives and democratization. Its goal is to prove that democratized countries tend to incline towards the assisting power, and this benefits the assisting power's geopolitical objectives. By studying EU and US geopolitical goals and applying them on the democratization of Ukraine, this thesis attempts to find how democracy promotion in Ukraine benefited the USA and the EU. To support the claim that ideology can be used to pursue geopolitical goals, it draws a parallel with the Communist coup d'état in Czechoslovakia in 1948 and analyzes how the USSR benefited from supporting the Czechoslovak Communist Party. Keywords Democratization, soft power, smart power, Cold War, communism, United States, European Union, USSR, geopolitics, democracy assistance

Iran's growing influence in Latin America has come as a surprise for many. Iran's diplomatic, commercial, and even cultural presence expanded steadily in the past two decades. While the subject is often discussed from a US-centric perspective, the political elements of the regional countries engaging with Iran are frequently overlooked. Additionally, a widespread belief suggests that Iran's success in Latin America is inherently linked to radical left-leaning governments. Hence, this work aims to analyze Iran's activity from a Latin American perspective and tries to elucidate if Iran's success can be sustained in times of political changes. Moreover, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela had distinctive political, financial, and historical reasons to increase -or decrease- their interaction with Tehran, which goes beyond the political leaning of a respective government. However, each chose a different approach when dealing with Iran. Keywords Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Iran Foreign Policy, Hezbollah, AMIA, Lula da Silva, Kirchner, Chavez

Neoclassical realism has the ability to advance our understanding of foreign policy responses through the recently designed neoclassical realist model. However as international relations have proven, a theory is not a concrete motionless design. Improvements can be made and the fluidity of theory allows social sciences to adapt and advance. This thesis introduces developments to neoclassical realism by stating that the individual factors and intervening variables hold varying degrees of importance that alter between each foreign policy decision. There is no overarching set of instructions for 'foreign policy', rather an adaptable model that takes into consideration the geopolitical arena, the state and the statesman. The case study chosen for this thesis is the Russian foreign policy response to annex Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Analysis and comparisons of the variables resulted in three factors standing out as most significant. The most important influence within the systemic stimuli was the nature of the strategic environment and the window of opportunity that arose in Crimea due to Ukrainian political and military instability. The intervening variable leader images proved to be the decisive factor, as the consolidation of power by Vladimir Putin allowed the annexation to be completed...

This bachelor thesis conducts research in terms of South China Sea within the frame of its significance for the important players in the international politics - USA and China. On the basis of the historical framework and naming critical atributes for international maritime law, it identifies a long-lasting strategical and historical importance of this particular area and it displays current political issues it the new historical light. This thesis also documents important changes in Chinese and American foreign policy since 1980's until current history represented by the end of the second term of former US president Barack Obama in 2017. Through the paradigm of neorealistic perspective on international relations it describes main principles in Sino-American relations in South China Sea, which have security-economic atributes. The concepts of "rising power" and Nye's "soft power" are used for deeper analysis and better identification of the factors that influence Sino-American interests in this area. To show the issue in complex details, the analysis based on these concepts indicates another layers of political-ideological, or social-cultural characters. The findings of this thesis can be used in another research for this particular area or in analysis of Sino-American relations.

This bachelor thesis deals with relations between Russia and the European Union between 1994-2017 and aims to identify and analyze the greatest milestones of cooperation or conflict between these two actors. It is divided into three chapters. The first chapter deals with foreign policies of the European Union and Russia. The second chapter contains three small case studies of the biggest milestones in terms of mutual cooperation between Russia and the European Union. The third chapter also contains three small case studies, but on the contrary solves the milestones in terms of mutual conflicts. This work concludes that the cooperation between the two actors is not satisfactory, as both actors pursue different goals and operate on completely different rules and thus have a rather conflicting atmosphere. The work also concludes that mutual means of communication between the two actors are often ineffective and do not help to solve mutual problems.

This bachelor thesis is focused on the matter of Syrian Kurdistan. Starting with brief history of the entire Kurdish ethnic group and the development of Kurdish status in Syria in the 20th century, along with Kurdish political parties, it explores the progress of Syrian Kurdistan's since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. It emphasizes the involvement of Syrian Kurds and their supporters in the war, the purpose is to analyse the Kurdish position in the clash and to describe the relationship of the superpowers to the question of Syrian Kurdistan after the end of the conflict. The thesis primarily aims at linking the development of Rojava's autonomy with Kurdish participation in the war and transformation the strength of their position at the regional and international level during and after the war.

This thesis examines China's foreign aid, trade and government-sponsored investment activities in Central Asia from 2001 to 2014, asking and answering the question if any implications on Sino-Russian relations occurred as a result. As China continued to experience sustained economic growth, its development disbursements internationally began to expand as well. This work attempts to analyze the size and scope of these disbursements from China into Central Asia to see if it has impacted Sino-Russian relations utilizing the theoretical framework of geoeconomics put forth by Edward Luttwak and refined by Blackwill & Harris. Understanding the trajectory of Chinese and Russian foreign aid, trade and investment structures historically and contemporarily allows for a clear understanding of both nations' approach as neither actor is a member of the OECD and as such does not adhere to rigid definitions of what constitutes as foreign aid or other. The Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan comprise a geostrategic region, with each individual state endowed with tremendous resource potential that remain in global demand. As China's domestic demand of energy surpasses its supply, it will seek new outlets to further its national interests. The potential...

This bachelor thesis is focused on definition and description of geopolitical concepts in contemporary Russian Federation. In first chapters of this bachelor thesis we will describe the importance of the term geopolitics and why is this term significant. Subsequently, the classical geopolitical concepts were presented, of which the new geopolitical theories, that are relevant for contemporary Russia, comes from. In the main part of this bachelor thesis we focused on three main geopolitical theories- atlanticism, eurasianism and "Russia as an island". In the last part of this thesis, the theories were demonstrated in practice with an objective, which was to find an answer for question if is contemporary Russian geopolitical thinking based on science or ideology.