Eurovision as a tool of cultural diplomacy: case study the Czech Republic

This diploma thesis focuses on the phenomenon of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is one of the most-watched non-sporting events in the world. This contest provides a space for the implementation of cultural diplomacy, which, within the vast field of international relations, represents a powerful but often rather secondary tool for promoting these relations. The aim of this single case study is to explore the potential of Eurovision as a means of cultural diplomacy for the Czech Republic and to formulate guidelines for future years based on an original empirical study. In this context, the author asks two main research questions: what is the role of Eurovision in promoting cultural diplomacy in the Czech Republic; what can be learned from successful (or unsuccessful) examples of cultural diplomacy conducted at Eurovision, and how can these lessons be applied in the Czech context? In order to achieve the objective and answer the research questions, past Czech participation in the contest was analysed, and two in-depth interviews were conducted with cultural publicist Pavel Turek and music publicist Aneta Martínková. The results suggest that the Czech delegation should focus on the overall promotion of the competition and improving the presentation of their performances. This could lead to increased viewership, which would help to solve the long-term problem of underfunding the competition.