Contemporary Europe, 2014 (vol. 2014), issue 2

Nový institucionalismus ve výzkumu europeizace: pozitivistická nebo vědecko-realistická metateoretická syntéza?

New Institutionalism in Europeanization Research: Positivist or Scientific Realist Metatheory Synthesis?

Jan Poruba

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):3-15  

Combination of europeanization and arguments of rational, sociological (constructivist) and historical institutionalism has become an important and frequently used part of research. To include all three approaches in a coherent research framework is however not axiomatic, as namely rationalism and constructivism are theories arising from different premises. Aim of the introduced text is to open a debate about compatibility og these concepts and to offer alternatives on how new institutionalism theories can be reflected and synthesized on metatheoretical level within one research. Apart from positivist position prevailing in practical research, a possible...

Diskurs "ekonomické krize" a konstrukce identit a jinakostí v oficiální rétorice španělských politiků

Discourse of Economic Crisis and the Construction of Identity and Difference in the Spanish Politicians' Speeches. Is Spain the Problem and Europe the Solution?

Kamil Fleissner

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):17-39  

This study aims to analyze and compare selected Spanish politicians'speeches, where the discoursive representation of "economic crises" supports the construction and reproduction of various collective identities and differences. I will reflect the theoretical approach of the social construction of identities and I will use the methodology of the critical discourse analysis to explore the basic discoursive strategies of argumentation that Spanish politicians utilize to re/define the relations among different dimensions of political identities.

The Impact of EU Human Rights Commitments on Its Trade Negotiations Case Study: Serbia

Monika Bokšová

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):41-64  

The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of the EU commitment to Human Rights on its trade negotiations with Serbia. The data collected was from completed trade agreements, human rights reports, progress reports and enlargement strategies, as well as a wide range of press conferences and statements made by various European institutions. The positioning by the EU of human rights commitments within their trade negotiations are analysed through four variables (rationale, definition, priority and conditionality) over a ten year period from 2003-2013 by using a process tracing method. These trade negotiations demonstrate that the EU has been playing...

Typologie forem zvláštního legislativního postupu z hlediska míry supranacionality při rozhodování

Typology of Forms of the Ordinary Legislative Procedure from the Point of View of the Degree of Supranationality in Decision-making

Jan Hřích

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):65-82  

The Lisbon Treaty has carried out an exact and systematic classification of decision procedures in the legislative area. It distinguishes two kinds of mutual interaction of the most important EU organs in adopting legislative acts of the Union: the ordinary legislative procedure (OLP) and the special legislative procedure (SLP). While the OLP has only one firmly set form, the SLP has in total four concrete forms, depending on whether the Council decides by a qualified majority or unanimously, and whether the European Parliament (EP), is engaged in the decision-making merely on the basis of unbinding consultation or there is unconditionally required...

The Comparison of Net Budgetary Position Development and GDP Development for Selected Net Recipients of the European Union

Jaroslav Kovárník

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):83-95  

The topic of European Union budget is very important for each member state, especially nowadays because of recessive economic crisis and on-going crisis of euro zone. This article analyses not only development of net position for selected countries of EU, but also compares the net position development with the GDP development. The level of GDP should be one of the most important indicators for calculation of contributions for each member state, but because of many exceptions and very complicated mechanism its influence could be low. The aim of this paper is to verify the hypothesis that there is some correlation between the development of net position...

Vzdorování českých správních orgánů a soudů právu Evropské unie na úkor ochrany spotřebitele

Resistance of Czech Administrative Authorities and Courts to EU legislation on Consumer Protection

Jan Vavrečka

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):97-115  

On the two examples from the practice between years 2012-2013 is in the article demonstrated controversial access of administrative bodies in the Czech Republic, the general courtsand the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic to their duties and the enforcement of EU law. By the description and analysis of the circumstances of these cases, the author points out the difficult issue of the impact of the preferential rights of EU compared to the national law of the Czech Republic and in fact also against broader national interests. Although theEU law has the right to operate widely and effectively in favor of the consumers, there are many power ways...

Opozice proti evropské integraci ve Francii: Doktrinální koncepty a alternativní projekty

Opposition to the European Integration in France - Doctrines and Alternative Projects

Pierre Brouland, Blanka Volfová

Současná Evropa 2014, 2014(2):117-131  

The aim of the article is to present different facets of those movements that have been opposed to European Union in France since the early 90's. Our purpose is not to describe the historical development of these movements, but to present their doctrines as well as the various alternatives which they offer. A close analysis focuses on two main "anti-European" groups - "sovereigntists" and "alter-Europeans". The first, who tend to recruit in the right-wing electorate, though not exclusively, reject the establishment of a supranational and federal Europe. They recall nostalgically the period of "Thirty Years of Glory" and dream of restoring the Gaullist...