The diploma thesis identifies and assesses current problems of the European Monetary Union, based on: firstly, theoretic approach which reviews the position of monetary union within the range of alternative exchange rate regimes, secondly, historic approach which explains evolutionary principle in the process of European monetary integration, and thirdly, economic approach which analyses the viability of the euro area by application of the criteria of the optimum currency area theory. Subsequently, the roots and development of today's euro area crisis are described and also future scenarios of development in Greece and entire euro area are briefly outlined. The analysis shows that the European Monetary Union by far does not meet the optimum currency area criteria and thus the euro area is considerably vulnerable to future asymmetric shocks.

Mythos can be regarded as an (absolutely) true story about the beginning of the world. Man with the mythical consciousness understands his spiritual transcendence and perceives time as eternity. The mythical consciousness was predominant in the society at first, but in the Antiquity started being replaced with the mental consciousness that puts science on a pedestal. However, the mythical consciousness is ingrained in man. National and transnational systems -- the Holy Roman Empire, the United States of America as well as the European Community -- were created with the consciousness of mythos. Man is able to transform the mythos, as a return to the (ideal) beginning, into political visions. New mythoi can be created by abusing the original ones -- see the Nazi mythos or the Communist mythos. However, such mythoi do not work in a long run and represent the negative externalities of the mythical consciousness. The true and original mythos must be one and universal since the beginning of the world (Earth, universe) is just one as well. The synthesis of the mythical consciousness and the mental consciousness (the synthesis of spirit and science) gives rise to the integral consciousness that sees matters in a complex manner ("he, who shall not understand everything, shall understand nothing") and interconnects feelings with reason. Political visions created based on the integral consciousness and implemented based on spontaneity and democratic consensus can move the society to a qualitatively higher level.

My master's thesis focuses on analysis of political and economic development of Great Britain in 1957 -- 1964 period, when the Conservative Party was in charge, led firstly by H. Macmillan and then A. Home. After Macmillan gained the post of Prime minister, due to the Suez crisis, I present an analysis of British domestic economy, whose good condition led to conservative election victory of 1959. Then I analyze the shift of British government towards decolonization of Africa and also the British decision to join ECC (predeceased with EFTA agreement). Furthermore, there is an analysis of reasons behind H. Macmillan's resignation, which were mainly of medical character. Third part of my work is considering the Home government, his position as the Prime minister and development of British economy during early 1960's. Thesis is concluded by analysis of 1964's election, where the Labour Party achieved slim victory over the Conservative Party, and therefore was able to form a government.

Over the last decade, Europe has been the scene of an increased and generalized sense of ‘Euroscepticism’, expressed through a growing feeling of rejection towards the European Union, its institutions and values. This phenomenon has further resulted in a questioning of the EU’s legitimacy, with an emerging opposition to the principle of supranational governance executed by the EU observed across the Union. While this reveals an issue of general identification with the EU and the European project among individuals, the European Union has sought to respond to this through specific means, particularly through the approach of shaping a greater sense of European identity for and among ‘Europeans’. This has been going through the European Commission’s financial contribution, and the Council of Europe’s establishment of a wide range of organisms, programs, or projects working to establish this identity through multiple aspects, for instance through cultural and legal aspects, as well as to increase identification with this sense of identity. This research seeks at conducting a close study of specific programs created or funded by the EU, and establishing this sense of European identity. Our findings suggest that the shaping of a sense of European identity has remained a challenge despite the institutions’ efforts in that sense, as the concept of European identity still represents an unclear, blurred concept for many people. Moreover, the outcomes of this research have highlighted the issues behind the process of identity-shaping in the case of European identity, that is the persisting lack of identification with this identity, as well as the shaping of an exclusivist identity, rather than an inclusive identity promoting integration and inclusion for all individuals.

The main goal of diploma thesis "European Waltz under the Austrian Baton? - Analysis of the Austrian EU-Presidency in the Years 1998 and 2006" is an evaluation of two Austrian presidencies in the European Union in the years 1998 and 2006. In connection with the Austrian foreign policy and its position in Central Europe, stigmatized by political sanctions from the side of the "EU-14" in 2000, its delayed access into the European integration structures in 1995 and with its neutrality status, it will be interesting to find out how Austria managed to rule the European Union. Austria held the EU-presidency for the first time as an unexperienced newcomer after only three and half years of membership in the EU. Eight years later, Vienna governed the EU for the second time, but this time as a skilled member after a decade of its active membership in the European Union. In spite of the difference of the two distinct times, the author will attempt to compare both presidencies. Will Vienna achieve as the chief of the EU the goals stated by its working program for the presidency and will it be able to face the greatest challenge of its European policy? As often happens with presidencies, the agenda could be heavily influenced by unexpected events that cannot be controlled. In order to judge the quality of the...

This dissertation is an exploration of the ways in which contemporary practices of pluralism are challenging, and being shaped by, concepts of state sovereignty. I explore two very different contexts; the relationship between First Nations and Settlers on that part of Turtle Island sometimes called Canada, and the relationship between the European Union and its Member-States. In both contexts, I explore how political, legal, and economic practices are generating forms of social order that depart to varying degrees from the total, exclusive authority associated with sovereignty. In particular, I show that actors in both settings have actually developed two remarkably similar practices – interpenetrating institutions or co-decision mechanisms, and conditional authority claims. Together, these practices enable actors to contest and coordinate their respective authority claims in ways that do not rely on an overarching sovereign or even a shared understanding of their relationship. Instead, practices of interpenetration and conditional authority make all parties responsive to multiple standards of conduct, allowing diverse actors to seek justice over time in conditions of persistent difference and conflict. / Graduate

This paper analyses the implementation problems of the European Union’s (EU) most comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and the EU, namely, the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and related them to the democratization process in Kosovo. The SAA aims to strengthen European integration and support Kosovo to fulfill European principles needed in order to become a member in the union. The agreement was signed in 2015 and annual progress reports have been published by the European Commission in order to evaluate the progress and shortcomings. These progress reports show that Kosovo has faced issues while trying to implement the SAA, mostly due to lack of strong democratic principles (judicial independence, public administration, institutions) and corruption. This paper also examines Kosovo’s democratization process since early 1980s in order to evaluate whether issues faced in the implementation of the SAA are related to poor democratization. By applying a case study design, analyzing relevant material and using democratization theory, this paper finds that Kosovo has undergone significant democratization, however, democratic consolidation is at an early stage and the problems faced there are of similar nature as those problems faced in the implementation of the SAA, hence why it is safe to assume that these issues are indeed related to one another.

During the eastern enlargement of the EU four emerging countries of the Visegrád Group - Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary - joined the community of European states. This significant event notably affected not only the transformation process in the countries mentioned above but also their relations with the EU member states. The aim of this master thesis is to research the impact of the eastern enlargement of the EU on economic relations between C.E. countries and Germany, and to answer the question whether the EU accession was the main decisive factor for the dynamic development of economic cooperation between the above mentioned states. The analysis of economic relations focuses on two key dimensions: trade relations and direct investment. The government's policy of supporting the investment activities both in Germany and C.E. countries is also taken into account. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first chapter intends to analyze the integration process of the C.E. countries in the '90s and its influence on the dynamic development of the economic cooperation between Germany and Visegrád Group. The second section deals with the theoretical aspects of international trade and foreign direct investment. This part intends to provide comparative criteria that will help in answering...

The presented diploma thesis focuses on the attitudes of selected youth political organizations in the Czech Republic towards the European Union and the process of European integration. It takes in account the fact that youth political organizations can be identified as agents of political socialization as well as it is possible to study them within the broader term of political participation (to study their influence on attitudes and opinions of their members). The analysis concerns selected eight Czech youth political organizations, Mladí sociální demokraté (the Young Social Democrats), Mladí konzervativci (the Young Conservatives), TOP tým, Mladé ANO, Mladí zelení (the Young Greens), Mladí lidovci, Mladí křesťanští demokraté (the Young Christian Democrats) and mSTAN. The theoretical basis for the analysis is Euroscepticism, specifically the typology of C. Flood and S. Usherwood is used. This typology, with six possible positions, is linked to six scenarios of possible development, based on the five scenarios presented by the European Commission in 2017 as part of the White Paper on the future of Europe and its further direction. Compatibility of both scales is tested. The necessary data collected via questionnaire survey. The thesis concludes that youth political organizations are relevant...

The diploma thesis deals with a case of cross-border cooperation in the European Union, namely the cross-border cooperation of health emergency services in the Šumava Euroregion. The research focuses mainly on how this cooperation has been arranged and how the European integration theory can be applied to this case study. The diploma thesis analyzes the role of different actors, what contracts were needed for the cross-border cooperation, how the negotiationof the project took place, where the initiative for this cross-border cooperation originated or what complications occurred. The topic of cross-border cooperation of health emergency services is a practical example of European integration and therefore it also includes the study of cross-border cooperation of regions in the European Union, the role of EU funds for regional development and last but not least the EU health policy. The thesis is based on the theory of European territorial integration, which is characterized by the disappearance of the border and suppression of the unilateral orientation of the state inland. Furthermore, there are related theories of regional development and new regionalism. It also works with the theory of shared sovereignty, which inevitably comes with deeper integration. The theme of the diploma theses is time...