Forskningsprosjekt
Common Fear Factors in Foreign Policy
Norway and Czechia are both smaller/medium-sized European states and members of NATO, the European Economic Area and the EU’s Schengen zone.
They benefit greatly from the common opportunities provided by these institutions, but their regional and institutional proximity also mean they are exposed to common risks and threats. In recent years concerns have been voiced in both countries – among publics as well as policymakers – on issues ranging from potential rising illiberalism in Europe, hybrid destabilisation and Russian aggression, to migration and the political and social effects of increasing numbers of people on the move, as well as regarding energy and climate security.
Czech and Norwegian actors have responded in a number of ways to these concerns – which have been securitised to varying degrees - and this has affected policymaking, including foreign policymaking, as well as the international positioning of the two countries and their relations with neighbours, partners and global interlocutors. By bringing together leading foreign policy experts from Norway and Czechia, this initial study – COMFEAR – aims to identify key issues of common concern and shared threats as perceived by publics and policymakers in Czechia and Norway.
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Common fears, common opportunities?
How do Czechia and Norway assess and respond to a changing international political context?
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Common Fears, Common Opportunities? Czechia and Norway in the changing international context
With long-dominant structures in flux, European states – and perhaps smaller ones in particular – are now forced to rethink their foreign policy approaches and practices. This policy briefs outlines how one small Northern European state, Norway, and one Central European state, Czechia, assess and respond to a changing international political context. While located in different geopolitical settings, and with different histories, political systems and resources at their disposal, Norway and Czechia operate under many of the same international framework conditions. How are Norwegian and Czech officials and policy makers evaluating contemporary developments? What do they identify as the key fears to which they must respond? Which partners and institutional structures have they traditionally relied on – and what indications of change (if any) can we now observe? We find that Norway and Czechia face many common fears – from concerns about the international order and their global sense of place, to challenges to key institutions such as NATO and the EU, and concerning specific issues such as climate change, energy security, territorial security, and how to best respond to migration. We argue that these common fears could provide a springboard to greater cooperation that can diversify Czechia and Norway’s support networks and entrench a greater sense of international belonging for both countries.