(Ne)konsistentnost v zunanji politiki Evropske unije: analiza zunanjepolitičnih stališč držav članic do Rusije

The ability to “act as one” is a crucially important capability of the European Union (EU) in the field of foreign policy. Policy consistency in this field affects the efficiency of the EU as an important foreign policy actor and impacts the public perception of the EU. However, coordinating the foreign policies of 27 diverse member states often proves to be challenging. This is best seen in the example of the EU’s relations with the Russian Federation (Russia), where the result is often considered the lowest common denominator among the member states’ policies. This Master’s Thesis examines the consistency of EU member states foreign policies and positions since Russia’s 2022 war against Ukraine using the adoption of the EU’s sixth sanction package against Russia as a case study. By analysing and comparing statements made by government officials of Germany, France, Finland, Hungary, Portugal, and Poland, this Master’s Thesis assesses the extent to which their recent foreign policies and positions have aligned with the EU’s common foreign policy position when it comes to relations with Russia. It finds that the dependency on Russian energy resources was the decisive factor for national positions. The factor that strengthened policy consistency was the realisation that Russia was an unreliable supplier and not worthy of trust – it manifested in various ways, for example, Germany ending its dependency on Russia or Finland deciding to give up its long-lasting neutrality.