Abstract
The chapter analyzes the security policy strategies of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries in the light of the shelter theory. The chapter focuses on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a primary military shelter and also on the V4 as a rising formation illustrating a complementary shelter to NATO. The chapter analyzes the group’s contribution to NATO and, vice versa, NATO’s guarantees to the V4. We argue that the motivations behind membership in NATO are not limited to seeking shelter for the group’s members but relate directly to belonging to the democratic security community that NATO represents. Moreover, the current position of particular V4 states, especially on Russia and migration, diverges from the common and unified approach to security threats, and this could prevent the V4 itself from becoming a security community, thus making them incapable of providing shelter for the V4 countries and countries in V4+ formats.
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under contract No. APVV-16-0540.
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Notes
- 1.
Thorhallsson and Bailes (2017), pp. 51–52.
- 2.
Bailes et al. (2016), p. 11.
- 3.
Bátora (2015), p. 73.
- 4.
Thorhallson (2018), p. 62, Institute for Public Administration and Politics, Iceland.
- 5.
See special issue of Politics in Central Europe, 14, no.2 (2018).
- 6.
Schmidt (2016), p. 119.
- 7.
Marek Madej, 2013. “Visegrad Group defence cooperation: what added value for the European capabilities?” Note de la FRS No. 19/13 (2013):2, NORDIKA Programme, Foundation pur la Recherche Strategique, https://www.frstrategie.org/web/documents/publications/notes/2013/201319.pdf (accessed December 12, 2018).
- 8.
Rácz (2009), http://www.visegradgroup.eu/congress-of-visegrad/gyorgy-racz-the-congress (accessed January 4, 2019).
- 9.
Bátora and Matlary (2012).
- 10.
Fawn (2013), p. 342.
- 11.
Ibid, 342.
- 12.
Ibid, 343.
- 13.
Handl (2001).
- 14.
Fawn (2013), p. 348.
- 15.
Madej, “Visegrad Group defence cooperation,” 3.
- 16.
Madej, “Visegrad Group defence cooperation,” 6–9.
- 17.
Bátora and Matlary (2012).
- 18.
Fawn (2013), p. 348.
- 19.
Bezpečnostní strategie České republiky (2015) (Security Strategy of Czech Republic – translated by authors), https://www.vlada.cz/assets/ppov/brs/dokumenty/bezpecnostni-strategie-2015.pdf (accessed February 6, 2019).
- 20.
Rafal (2010). http://www.pism.pl/zalaczniki/Report_V4.pdf (accessed December 12, 2018).
- 21.
Madej, “Visegrad Group defence cooperation”.
- 22.
Ibid, 3.
- 23.
Bátora and Matlary (2012), pp. 32–33.
- 24.
Kufčák (2015).
- 25.
Madej, “Visegrad Group defence cooperation,” 7.
- 26.
Valášek (2011).
- 27.
Kufčák (2015).
- 28.
National Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland (2014), Bezpečnostní strategie České republiky/Security Strategy of the Czech Republic (2015), Hungary’s National Security Strategy 2012, Hungary’s National Military strategy 2012, Bezpečnostná stratégia Slovenskej republiky (2005)/Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic Bezpečnostná stratégia Slovenskej republiky—návrh (2017)/Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic—draft.
- 29.
SIPRI - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2018).
- 30.
National Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland (Warsaw, 2014).
- 31.
“Many Czechs Love U.S. but Say “Hold the Radar,”” New York Times, October 1, 2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/01/world/europe/01czech.html (accessed September 28, 2019).
- 32.
Bezpečnostná stratégia Slovenskej republiky – návrh (2017) (Security Strategy of Slovak republic – draft - translated by authors), https://www.slov-lex.sk/legislativne-procesy/SK/LP/2017/627 (accessed January 6, 2019).
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More on Ondrejcsák’s blog on https://dennikn.sk/autor/robert-ondrejcsak.
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SITA. “Zmluvy na nákup stíhačiek F-16 považuje Pellegrini za neplatné, opozícia žiada demisiu Gajdoša”, Financial Report, December 1, 2018, http://www.finreport.sk/agenturne-spravy/zmluvy-na-nakup-stihaciek-f-16-povazuje-pellegrini-za-neplatne-opozicia-ziada-demisiu-gajdosa/ (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 35.
Williams and Neumann (2000).
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- 37.
“Hungary is an ally of the United States,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Website of the Hungarian Government, last modified January 29, 2019, http://www.kormany.hu/en/the-prime-minister/news/viktor-orban-hungary-is-an-ally-of-the-united-states (accessed February 1, 2019).
- 38.
“Hungary is increasing its involvement in Afghanistan and Kosovo”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Website of the Hungarian Government, last modified December 5, 2018, http://www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade/news/hungary-is-increasing-its-involvement-in-afghanistan-and-kosovo (accessed February 1, 2019).
- 39.
“V4 cooperation reinforces both the European Union and NATO”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Website of the Hungarian Government, last modified November 16, 2018, http://www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-defence/news/v4-cooperation-reinforces-both-the-european-union-and-nato (accessed January 4, 2019).
- 40.
“PM Orbán says Hungary’s defence is “not the task of NATO or the European Union but our task,”” About Hungary, last modified May 17, 2018. http://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/pm-orban-says-hungarys-defence-is-not-the-task-of-nato-or-the-european-union-but-our-task/ (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 41.
ibid.
- 42.
National Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland (Warsaw, 2014).
- 43.
“Slovensko ako člen EÚ uznáva sankcie voči Rusku.” SME. October 10, 2018. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20934029/danko-volodin-slovensko-ako-clen-eu-uznava-sankcie-voci-rusku.html (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 44.
Ministry of Defence. Hungary’s National Military Strategy. (2012), https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/167317/Hungary%202012%20national_military_strategy.pdf (accessed January 6, 2019).
- 45.
Belkin et al. (2014), p. 286.
- 46.
Schmidt. “Friends forever?”.
- 47.
- 48.
TASR. “Fico: V4 vrátane Slovenska nikdy nebude súhlasiť s povinnými kvótami” Teraz.sk, last modified February 23, 2018, http://www.teraz.sk/slovensko/fico-v4-vratane-slovenska-nikdy-nebude-s/310359-clanok.html (accessed January 4, 2019).
- 49.
“Polish PM: We cannot accept refugees.” Radio Poland, last modified May 16, 2017, http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/307247,Polish-PM-We-cannot-accept-refugees (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 50.
“Hungarian prime minister says migrants are “poison” and “not needed.””. The Guardian, last modified July 27, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/26/hungarian-prime-minister-viktor-orban-praises-donald-trump (accessed January 4, 2019).
- 51.
Siegfired Mortkowitz, Andrew Gray, “Babiš to EU: If you think I’m bad, Czech out the other guy,” Politico, last modified February 2, 2018, https://www.politico.eu/article/andrej-babis-to-eu-if-you-think-im-bad-czech-out-the-other-guy-migration-quotas-euroskepticism/ (accessed January 4, 2019).
- 52.
Hendrickson (2000).
- 53.
Bell and Hendrickson (2012).
- 54.
Hendrickson (2000), p. 28.
- 55.
Bell and Hendrickson (2012), p. 160.
- 56.
Klára Mrázková, Alžbeta Neuschlová, Milan Puchoň. “Dosavadní působení a otazníky nad V4 Battle Group”, CBAP, December 10, 2017, http://www.cbap.cz/archiv/3695 (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 57.
“V4 battlegroup is on standby,” The Slovak Spectator, last modified January 5, 2016, http://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/pm-orban-says-hungarys-defence-is-not-the-task-of-nato-or-the-european-union-but-our-task/ (accessed January 3, 2019).
- 58.
“V4 cooperation reinforces both the European Union and NATO”.
- 59.
MOSR-KOd. “Prioritami v oblasti obrany počas slovenského predsedníctva vo V4 bude príprava Bojovej skupiny EÚ, spoločná ochrana vzdušného priestoru, či spolupráca v rámci PESCO”, Ministry of Defence of Slovak Republic, last modified July 1, 2018, https://www.mod.gov.sk/42219-en/prioritami-v-oblasti-obrany-pocas-slovenskeho-predsednictva-vo-v4-bude-priprava-bojovej-skupiny-eu-spolocna-ochrana-vzdusneho-priestoru-ci-spolupraca-v-ramci-pesco/ (accessed January 3, 2019).
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Figulová, A., Janková, K. (2021). One Region, Different Strategies: Slovakia and the V4 in the Euro-Atlantic Security Environment. In: Brady, AM., Thorhallsson, B. (eds) Small States and the New Security Environment. The World of Small States, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51529-4_12
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