Current Affairs Czechs pull punches on humanitarian foreign affairs agenda

Jan Kohout, photo: CTK Presidencies are traditionally an opportunity for countries to play a bigger role in setting the EU agenda and gently pushing some of their priorities. As a former Soviet bloc country, the Czechs have traditionally championed human rights and democracy in countries where they are absent. Cuba and Belarus figured large as priorities in the past.

Cuba cropped up again on the agenda of EU ministers on Monday as they held their annual discussion on what policy to take towards the Caribbean communist regime. EU countries are divided between those – such as Spain - favouring more engagement with Cuba and those such as the Czech Republic and Scandinavian countries who want a tougher line emphasising human rights. So it was little surprise that the outcome was a middle line calling for continued political dialogue but emphasising human rights and noting the lack of any marked improvement.

Photo: www.eu2009.cz Petr Kratochvíl is deputy director of the Institute for International Relations in Prague. For him, the final declaration on Cuba was an example of a presidency seeking a compromise rather pushing its own goals or ideals:

“The Czech Republic was – as its diplomats expressed many times – disappointed by the ongoing absence of sanctions against Cuba. But during the negotiations yesterday it was again silent about the issue. So in this traditional area the Czech Republic has not been able to push further on its agenda.”

Overall, Mr Kratochvíl believes that those who hoped the Czech presidency would take a more strident line on human rights will have been disappointed. He says one factor has been a change in Prague’s policies following the realisation that the tough line with some countries was simply not paying off.

Petr Kratochvíl “Czech diplomacy and the diplomacy of new EU member states changed considerably in terms of being more cooperative with these regimes. Again, we can see this most clearly in the case of Belarus because Belarus was invited to Prague for the Eastern Partnership Summit – which was, of course, heavily criticised by human rights organisations and by the opposition in Belarus. But this really shows that the traditional hawkish policy of isolation was exhausted and perceived as exhausted in the new member states.”

He says another factor has been the fact that the Czech Republic has traditionally played a less prominent role regarding other countries such as Burma, Iraq and Iran. The result is a go with the flow foreign policy of rather bland declarations about issues.

Mr Kratochvíl adds that the arrival of a caretaker Czech government has meant even less willingness to ruffle feathers by taking a strong line. And he warns that a further dilution of the humanitarian stance could be on the cards following Czech parliamentary elections in October.