Slovakia in the East: Pragmatic Follower, Occasional Leader
Slovakia in the East: Pragmatic Follower, Occasional Leader

Summary/Abstract: This article argues that Slovakia’s efforts to shape the EU’s Eastern policy have been a blend of solidarity and pragmatism, a permanent renegotiation between ‘the logic of appropriateness’ and the ‘logic of consequentialism’ (March and Olsen, 1989 and 1998). The solidarity dimension of this relation has drawn on Slovakia’s transition experience and a certain similarity between Slovakia’s historical experience and that of the EU’s Eastern neighbors. The pragmatic dimension has been motivated by a national interest that prefers a democratic and better governed neighborhood, and, at the same time, by Slovakia’s need to be respected and recognised as a relevant international player. At the same time, Slovakia as a small state has been using the EU arena to promote its foreign policy priorities and has selected the Eastern neighborhood as one of its contributions to the EU policy.

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