Institucionální a politické limity společné zahraniční politiky Evropské unie

This master’s thesis examines the institutional and political limits of the European Union’s common foreign policy. Its aim is to analyse how the asymmetry of European integration affects the Union’s capacity to act in foreign policy and to identify the mechanisms that constrain this capacity. The thesis employs a qualitative multi-level research design linking the institutional framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, political conceptions articulated within the European Parliament, and the perspectives of the Member States. The analysis draws on legal and political documents, a contrast with the institutional framework of the United States, and expert interviews with Czech Members of the European Parliament and representatives of EU-level and national diplomatic practice. The European Union’s response to the war in Ukraine serves as a stress test of the identified limitations. The findings show that the European Union is not incapable of acting in foreign policy; however, its capacity to act depends on consensus among the Member States and on the availability of their capacities.