The concepts of identity and solidarity have become particularly relevant in the context of regional integration. However, larger comparative approaches to the foreign policy identity of EU members remain rare, even after the EU's Eastern enlargement in 2004/07. There is even less work on solidarity in foreign policy. The core idea of this publication is thus to investigate the link between identity and solidarity in the foreign policy of members of the European Union (EU), in particular its East Central European (ECE) members. Although many publications account for an interest in ECE foreign policies, only few analysts have tackled them in a comparative perspective. In fact, the study of ECE policies was so far constrained by the political agenda of accessions to the EU and the fi eld of foreign policy remained underestimated.

In concentrating on foreign policy identity and solidarity in EU's Eastern neighbourhood, the contributions to this book, which gather specialists from and analyses on all ECE countries, depart with a constructivist agenda, but show that other approaches, like rationalist arguments, might also be relevant to explain ECE's progressive involvement in Eastern Europe. The book thus not only contributes in an original manner to comparative studies on ECE foreign policies, but also takes position in the now classical debate in International Relations on the relevance of both constructivist and rationalist approaches. It will therefore be of interest for experts and scholars of International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis and European integration.

CONTENTS:

Identity and Solidarity in the Foreign Policy of EU Members: Renewing the Research Agenda - Elsa Tulmets (Institute of International Relations, Prague)

Czech Foreign Policy Identity and Practice towards Eastern Europe: From Ignorance to Assistance - Tomáš Weiss (Charles University, Prague)

Another ‘Mission in the East'? The Polish Policy towards the Eastern Neighbourhood - Melchior Szczepanik (Institute for Public Affairs / Senate of Poland, Warsaw)

The Eastern Partnership in Estonian Foreign Policy - Vahur Made (Estonian School of Diplomacy / Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership)

The Challenges of Lithuanian and Latvian Policy towards the Eastern Neighborhood - Katerina Kesa (INALCO, Paris)

Slovakia's Eastern Policy: A Blend of Pragmatism and Solidarity - Lucia Najšlová (Europeum, Prague / SFPA, Bratislava)

New Eastern Perspectives? A Critical Analysis of Romania's Relations with Moldova, Ukraine and the Black Sea Region - Irina Angelescu (Graduate Institute of Geneva)

A Limited Priority: Hungarian Policy in the Eastern Neighbourhood - András Rácz (Hungarian Institute of International Affairs Budapest)

Mapping Slovenian Policy in the Neighbourhood - Polona Bunič, Zlatko Šabič (University of Ljubljana)

Bulgarian Foreign Policy in the Neighbourhood on the Brink of the 21st Century: Between Identity and Solidarity - Ivan Nachev (New Bulgarian University, Sofia)

Conclusion - Elsa Tulmets (Institute of International Relations, Prague)

Bibliography
Index
Notes on Contributors