An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration
This paper deals with the changing discourses of former Czech president Miloš Zeman on European integration and the European Union. Together with his predecessors Václav Havel and Václav Klaus, Zeman symbolises the period of democratic transition and consolidation after the Velvet Revolution and, as...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | ces |
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Charles University
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Acta Politologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://acpo.vedeckecasopisy.cz/publicFiles/002727.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797340294855786496 |
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| author | Pavlína Kutnarová Vít Hloušek |
| author_facet | Pavlína Kutnarová Vít Hloušek |
| author_sort | Pavlína Kutnarová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper deals with the changing discourses of former Czech president Miloš Zeman on European integration and the European Union. Together with his predecessors Václav Havel and Václav Klaus, Zeman symbolises the period of democratic transition and consolidation after the Velvet Revolution and, as prime minister from 1998–2002 and president from 2013–2023, he co-formulated Czech European politics. Although labelling himself a Euro-federalist, Zeman never spared any effort to criticise the EU. The paper assumes that the change in his Eurosceptic discourse was due to the institution of direct presidential elections. Zeman followed the Czech political mainstream, which is softly Eurosceptic. Moreover, Zeman’s Eurosceptic critique of the EU corresponded with the positions shared by his electorate. Euroscepticism, therefore, helped Zeman’s re-election in 2018. The authors analyse key texts from various periods of Zeman’s political career to describe and interpret his discourses on the EU in particular and European integration in general, to demonstrate that beyond the façade of his Euro-federalism, one can find a specific version of the mainstream Czech Eurosceptic discourse.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:00:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f8ea4d9a83645f790bcccd58daa44ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1803-8220 |
| language | ces |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:00:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Charles University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Politologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f8ea4d9a83645f790bcccd58daa44ca2024-01-29T11:14:38ZcesCharles UniversityActa Politologica1803-82202023-10-011539311110.14712/1803-8220/12_2023An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European IntegrationPavlína Kutnarová0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0585-633XVít Hloušek1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-1694International Institute of Political Research, Masaryk UniversityDepartment of International Relations and European Studies, Masaryk UniversityThis paper deals with the changing discourses of former Czech president Miloš Zeman on European integration and the European Union. Together with his predecessors Václav Havel and Václav Klaus, Zeman symbolises the period of democratic transition and consolidation after the Velvet Revolution and, as prime minister from 1998–2002 and president from 2013–2023, he co-formulated Czech European politics. Although labelling himself a Euro-federalist, Zeman never spared any effort to criticise the EU. The paper assumes that the change in his Eurosceptic discourse was due to the institution of direct presidential elections. Zeman followed the Czech political mainstream, which is softly Eurosceptic. Moreover, Zeman’s Eurosceptic critique of the EU corresponded with the positions shared by his electorate. Euroscepticism, therefore, helped Zeman’s re-election in 2018. The authors analyse key texts from various periods of Zeman’s political career to describe and interpret his discourses on the EU in particular and European integration in general, to demonstrate that beyond the façade of his Euro-federalism, one can find a specific version of the mainstream Czech Eurosceptic discourse. https://acpo.vedeckecasopisy.cz/publicFiles/002727.pdfmiloš zemandirect electionseuropean integrationeuro-federalismeuroscepticism |
| spellingShingle | Pavlína Kutnarová Vít Hloušek An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration Acta Politologica miloš zeman direct elections european integration euro-federalism euroscepticism |
| title | An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration |
| title_full | An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration |
| title_fullStr | An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration |
| title_short | An Unorthodox Euro-federalist: Miloš Zeman’s Changing Discourse on European Integration |
| title_sort | unorthodox euro federalist milos zeman s changing discourse on european integration |
| topic | miloš zeman direct elections european integration euro-federalism euroscepticism |
| url | https://acpo.vedeckecasopisy.cz/publicFiles/002727.pdf |
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