Suchergebnisse

Russian security and foreign policy in the period of Medvedev's presidency in 2008-2012 was characterized by profound ambivalence. On the one hand, Medvedev promoted the concept of a multilateral world order with a 'new Russia'-as a restorative power-representing one of its leading centers. On the other hand, the Russian President decided to launch a military campaign against Georgia in August 2008 and subsequently ordered the reform of the Russian armed forces and the modernization of its weapon systems. The Russian president also continued to exaggerate threats to Russian national security and emphasize the possibility of using nuclear weapons. A specific feature of Russian foreign policy of this period was the tendency to use the supplies of energy resources as a political tool. At the same time, it can be observed that although the security cooperation between Russia and the US and NATO was re-established, mutual security relations remained burdened by a number of contentious issues. Adapted from the source document.

The issue of the Temelin nuclear power plant completion, which will have significant implications for the future of the Czech economy and energy sector, is currently one of the most debated political, security and economic questions in the Czech Republic. The main goal of this article is to define basic themes in Czech political discourse on completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant. The second aim of the article is to analyze development of Czech public discourse on the construction of the third and fourth block at the Temelin nuclear power plant. Methodologically, the article is based on thematic and content analysis. The period spanning from August 2009 to July 2012 is investigated. Adapted from the source document.

In early August 2009, the Czech company CEZ announced a public tender to enlarge its existing nuclear power plant Temelin with the addition of two reactors, with the option to build additional nuclear units in the Czech Republic and abroad. The tender attracted the attention of three companies, from the US, Russia and France, which submitted their proposals to the state-owned energy company CEZ at the beginning of July 2012. The main goal of this article is to analyze and interpret the Czech discourse on the construction of the third and fourth block at the Temelin nuclear power plant, in the context of Czech energy policy and security. At the theoretical level, the article builds upon social constructivism, which in relation to discourse analysis, as the basic methodology used in the text, reflects a number of theoretical assumptions. Methodologically, the article is based on thematic discourse analysis. Adapted from the source document.

The article explores the energy relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation. The focus is, however, not on the technical and institutional aspects of the relationship, but rather on the discursive formations that determine the prevailing interpretation of the relationship by each party. Building on the discourse analysis of 74 textual units produced by EU leaders and institutions, the article discovers the three most salient discursive formations, which centre respectively around three concepts: a) integration, b) liberalization, and c) diversification. The text goes on to assess the main features of these formations, their possible overlaps, and their influence upon EU-Russian energy ties. Adapted from the source document.