Migration represented a persistent and highly politicized issue in Europe, with significant implications for national security, public policy, and legal governance. Although Europe historically functioned as both a source and destination of migration, the post-World War II period marked a structural shift towards inward migration, accompanied by increasing levels of irregular mobility. Within this context, human smuggling emerged as a key facilitating mechanism of irregular migration and a growing security concern. The present study examined human smuggling as a driver of irregular migration and as a multidimensional security risk, with particular emphasis on the Czech Republic. The main objective of the research was to analyze current trends in irregular migration and human smuggling between 2010 and 2024 and to assess the effectiveness of existing legal and political responses. The study employed a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach, combining analysis of European Union and national legal frameworks, official migration and law enforcement statistics, and selected case studies related to organized smuggling networks. The findings demonstrated that human smuggling networks remained resilient and adaptive, continuously adjusting their operational strategies in response to strengthened border controls and enforcement measures. The results further indicated a strong link between human smuggling and organized crime structures, as well as persistent gaps in legal harmonization and cross-border cooperation. The study concluded that more effective mitigation required enhanced international coordination, improved use of technological tools in border management, and preventive policies addressing both smugglers and vulnerable migrant populations. These findings carried important implications for migration governance, security policy, and future legislative development within the European Union.
The theoretical study and analysis of practical impacts from applying the secret tool of politics within the doctrines from "raasison t etat" and "arcana imperii" have significantly intensified recently. This was mainly related to the risk of international tension, the development of new technologies, and their application as new instruments of power. The intensity of the study of secret political tools was also connected to the effort of state power to legalize certain tools and thus ensure their widespread use. The adoption of the French law on camera surveillance sparked disagreement and a major public debate, especially with non-governmental human rights institutions. Therefore, this article conducted a qualitative analysis of selected philosophical and legal attitudes towards selected instruments of secret politics from the 17th century to the present. At the same time, the influence of natural law on the humanization of certain secret state practices, specifically political assassination, was analyzed. Another qualitative analysis focused on the development of practical attitude of the US state power towards the use of political assassinations. The results of the analyzes showed that the attitude towards arcana gradually changed from the 16th century onwards, especially under the influence of the natural law school. Undr their influence, regulations and humanizations. Therefore, this article proposed a discussion on the optimal reconceptualization of the traditional concept of arcana imperii. New concept should take into account the modern needs of parliamentary democracies, based on consent, on human rights and at the same time regulate the current possible shift of the boundaries of instrumental political power in the area of arcana imperii.
The current far right is on the rise. The aim of the analysis is to show what features are contained in the political communication of the SPD movement, the most prominent representative of the populist far right in the Czech Republic. The focus is on nativism, which can be considered a combination of nationalism and xenophobia. These terms are also among the umbrella terms of the far right. The rhetorical-narrative strategy of the SPD is examined through a thematic qualitative textual analysis in the run-up to the 2017 and 2021 parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic. The results show that nationalism is pervasive throughout the movement's rhetoric: it features explicitly in themes relating to the defense of the nation and homeland, as well as in criticism of the European Union, in which the nation and identification with it come strongly to the fore. Xenophobia is a tactic the SPD uses to defend the nation against the invasion of foreign conquerors. The SPD is a xenophobic movement and in its communication it openly displays a prejudiced hatred of: foreigners, migrants, foreign customs, foreign cultures, foreign elites and NGOs, 'foreign ideologies' and trends such as globalism and gender identity. Nativism is an explicit and very distinctive feature of the SPD's political communication and forms an integral part of its rhetorical-narrative strategy.
The Slovak Republic has long been profiled as a supporter of the integration ambitions of the Western Balkan countries and in the international environment as an "expert" on the region. The Western Balkans have become a territorial priority of several Slovak governments and interest in it has been demonstrated not only by the increasing number of diplomatic representations at the bilateral level, but also by the engagement of Slovak diplomats and other actors in important processes taking place in the region. In order to justify the prioritization of the Western Balkans, the authors refer to the small state theory, according to which small states search for their thematic prioritization to increase their reputation vis-à-vis their partners and allies. States in general also tend to play a specific national role. In relation to the Western Balkans, the role of an "example" is most applicable to the Slovak case. The second part of the article focuses on the changes in priorities of the Slovak foreign policy in relation to the Western Balkans. A more detailed analysis of the instruments of Slovakia's foreign policy, its institutional background, as well as the development in the area of personal capacity of Slovak diplomacy is conducted. The authors suggest that the influence of domestic determinants, and particularly the willingness of the governmental parties to meet the expectations of their voters, serve as an important explanatory factor for the changes in foreign policy priorities of Slovakia during the fourth government of the prime minister Robert Fico.
The study examined the underlying causes of the recent backlash against globalization, a phenomenon increasingly visible in political and social developments across Western democracies. Previous debates often separated material and non-material explanations; however, this research focused on how these factors coevolved, interacted, and mutually shaped public perceptions of globalization. The objective of the study was to analyze how expectations about a less globalized counterfactual world, combined with political actors' strategic mobilization of globalization-skeptic attitudes, contributed to the rise of anti-globalization sentiment. The analysis concentrated on two prominent political events of 2016—Brexit and the presidential campaign in the United States—as illustrative cases of how globalization became a central theme in political contestation. The study employed a qualitative review of existing scholarly literature, examining theoretical perspectives and empirical findings related to economic grievances, cultural concerns, identity politics, and political communication strategies. Through this approach, the research identified recurring patterns in how political campaigns framed issues of immigration, economic insecurity, and national sovereignty. The findings indicated that both the Brexit campaign and the US presidential campaign used similar narratives linking globalization to perceived economic and social risks. These narratives resonated with segments of the electorate who felt disadvantaged by global economic integration. The study concluded that the globalization backlash was shaped by the interplay of structural economic changes and political framing strategies. The research suggested that future work should further explore how political actors translate complex global processes into simplified messages and how these messages influence public attitudes and policy debates.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine fundamentally transformed the European security environment and forced states to reassess their foreign and defense policies. Within this context, the adoption of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States represented a significant strategic decision for both the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. The objective of this study was to identify and compare similarities and differences in the domestic political discourse surrounding the adoption of the DCA in these two states, with a specific focus on the role of disinformation narratives. The study was based on a qualitative content analysis of political discourse. The research examined official statements, parliamentary debates, press releases, and other forms of public communication by key political actors involved in the ratification processes in both countries. The analysis was limited to the specific periods during which the DCA was debated and approved in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. The results indicated that although the DCA was successfully ratified in both states, the character of the political discourse differed substantially. In the Czech Republic, the ratification process was marked by broad political consensus, a predominantly substantive debate, and limited use of disinformation narratives. In contrast, the Slovak political discourse was highly polarized, emotionally charged, and characterized by the extensive use of anti-American, sovereignty-related, and security-based disinformation narratives. The intensity and framing of political discourse significantly affected the perceived legitimacy of the DCA. The research highlighted important implications for democratic decision-making, security policy legitimacy, and societal polarization in Central Europe.
This article examined the role of Islam in Central Asia, using Uzbekistan as a representative case due to its demographic and religious significance. The study aimed to analyze the contemporary religious-political orientation of the country through official receptions held by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as an external factor shaping the position of Islam. The analysis covered the period from 2017 to 2024 and was based on qualitative content analysis of presidential receptions involving representatives of Islamic cities, regions, and states, as well as international organizations and diplomatic missions. These receptions were examined as indicators of Uzbekistan's foreign policy priorities and as reflections of the Islamic dimension of national identity at the level of official state policy. The findings demonstrated that, over the past eight years, Islam had been employed by the Uzbek president as a cultural, diplomatic, and political instrument in interactions with foreign partners. At the same time, the analysis revealed a pronounced pragmatism characterized by a clear preference for economic growth and a balanced engagement with both Islamic and secular actors within the international community. The study showed that Islamic references were selectively emphasized and strategically framed rather than ideologically dominant. The conclusions contributed to a more nuanced discussion on the role of Islam in the socio-political development of Uzbekistan and highlighted the interaction between national and international priorities within the policy of the "New Uzbekistan" under President Mirziyoyev. The findings suggested a certain ambivalence in the president's approach to Islam, shaped by pragmatic considerations.
The implementation of participatory budgeting in schools, both globally and in Slovakia in particular, represents an innovative process that introduces new opportunities for the development of students, their perception of the school environment, and their view of society as a whole. Research in this field remains limited and considerably fragmented, reflecting the relatively recent adoption of this innovative approach. The main objective of this article is to contribute to the understanding of youth-oriented participatory budgeting within the selected case study, and to contribute to the identification of the benefits and self-perceived empowerment of students who decided to participate in participatory budgeting. Within the framework of exploratory research, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted to gain deeper insights into the experiences of participants. These were followed by a questionnaire that collected comparable data from 134 students, revealing differences between those who participated in participatory budgeting and those who did not. Students who participated shown a higher self-assessment of their abilities and provided more positive evaluations of the community as a whole, and of their school environment in particular. Research findings point to the positive impact of participatory budgeting in selected school on students' personal development. Participation in participatory budgeting not only develops practical skills, but also strengthens their belief that they can actively influence their surroundings and contribute to the improvement of the community.
Both in the US and the Czech Republic, there was a group of people who were uninsured or underinsured due to insufficient residency status, high insurance rates, business practices and exemptions, and insufficient legislative tools to address this situation and offer affordable insurance to the widest possible population. The aim of the article was to specify these causes in the Czech Republic and the US, compare health insurance systems and forms in the Czech Republic and the US, define people at risk due to its absence or limitation, and describe the changes that have been made to provide affordable insurance and healthcare to the widest possible population. In the US, this problem is long-standing and more widespread, as it also affected citizens and permanent residents who could not afford standard commercial insurance due to low income or serious diagnosis. In the Czech Republic, permanent residents and employees of employers based in the Czech Republic are entitled to public health insurance, so the problem mainly affected foreigners outside these groups. In the Czech Republic, this problem has increased with the arrival of war refugees from Ukraine. In order to define vulnerable persons and determine their access to healthcare, a questionnaire survey was conducted in the US, which examined the residence status of persons, access to health insurance, diagnoses, and average healthcare expenditures. Furthermore, changes in the Czech Republic were monitored, carried out with the aim of including previously excluded groups of the population in public health insurance. In both countries, legislative changes led to a reduction in the number of uninsured and underinsured persons, but the problem persisted, especially in the US. In addition to people who remained uninsured because they did not meet the conditions for obtaining insurance, there may also have been people who were insufficiently aware of their health insurance entitlements. They would have welcomed advice, but if they did not find it, their insurance problems could have persisted. In both countries, insurance debt was a problem for vulnerable individuals, but in the US, it is more devastating, given the high level of patient co-payments.
Ideology is one of the most debated and frequently used terms in the social sciences. Since its inception during the French Revolution, it has undergone significant evolution, becoming a central framework for analyzing political and social processes. This paper explores the historical development of the concept, beginning with Antoine Destutt de Tracy's original definition, its reinterpretation by Marx and Engels, and culminating in contemporary scholarly discussions. Particular attention is given to the enduring challenges of defining ideology, its descriptive and normative roles, and its function in legitimizing power structures. The study aimed to clarify how the meaning of ideology changed over time and to identify the features that continue to shape its academic use. A review of theoretical works in political philosophy, sociology, and history was conducted, enabling the comparison of multiple perspectives and the reconstruction of the main intellectual debates. The analysis revealed that the understanding of ideology shifted from its initial philosophical formulations, through critical interpretations that emphasized its potential to distort reality, to more recent neutral and analytical perspectives highlighting its role as a semiotic and political framework. Typologies of ideologies were also examined, demonstrating their capacity to guide action, frame discourse, and challenge existing power relations. The findings suggested that ideology functions simultaneously as a cognitive structure and a normative guide, providing individuals and groups with a framework for understanding their social position and pursuing political objectives. It was concluded that, despite persistent definitional ambiguity, ideology remains an essential tool for interpreting political reality.
Currently, there is a growing need to provide care and ensure quality of life for people dependent on care of others. The merit of this study is the care for seniors in Austria, with an emphasis on 24-hour home care provided by foreign (Slovak) care workers. Our domestic research has so far focused mainly on Slovak care-providers in Austria. The aim of this study is to shift the focus to the Austrian recipients and their reflection of this issue. The model of 24-hour home care is examined in the context of broader and changing social and economic conditions and the way of life of families; and the key elements of the global care chain concept were applied in the examination. Empirical data were obtained through our own survey, the main method of which was semi-standardized interviews with 15 Austrian seniors and their families, as well as relevant statistical data and legislation. The results of the research show that the Austrian seniors and their families perceive advantages of this care in relatively low financial cost in combination with the high quality of care and also appreciate multiple positive effects on the quality of their lives. At the same time, however, the complexity and vulnerability of the current home care system, which is dependent on migrant workers, is perceived. Long-term sustainable and accessible 24-hour care is therefore not only a problem for families and the private sphere, but an important societal problem, requiring institutional solutions and posing new challenges for public policies and social security systems.
Recenzia na knihu: Rękawek, K. 2023. Foreign Fighters in Ukraine: The Brown–Red Cocktail [Zahraniční bojovníci na Ukrajině: hnědočervený kokteil]. New York: Routledge, 2023. 256 s. ISBN 978-1032030807.
