A new article by Jakub Záhora connects two seemingly distant concepts: fieldwork studies in international relations and science fiction stories. The author uses analogies with science fiction to work towards more careful reflections on the ethical, political and personal stakes of field-work based research in international relations.
Michal Onderčo and his colleagues study the CFSP’s effect on EU voting on nuclear weapons at the UNGA (1979–2022). Despite strains from global shifts, they find convergence hardly increases but consensus remains stable, challenging mainstream expectations of EU foreign policy. Full study here.
Lauren Sukin and colleagues show that U.S. restraint in the Russo-Ukrainian reassured allies and partners more than displays of force. Based on novel data from a survey of 27 250 people in 24 countries, the study finds that caution and indirect support boosted trust, challenging assumptions favoring military resolve.
Zuzana Krulichová’s new article in Cooperation and Conflict reviews narrative approaches in IR, distinguishing between agency-centric and structure-centric perspectives. She calls for more focus on their interaction, noting that longitudinal or historical studies could sharpen analysis and theory.
Michal Smetana and Daniel Prokop’s policy brief examines the Czech Republic’s uncritical support for Israel during the Gaza conflict, despite mounting evidence of severe violations of international law. They argue that this selective approach undermines Czechia’s human rights credibility, fuels dehumanization, and aligns the country with extremist policies opposed even within Israel.
Tobias Risse’s first global quantitative study of the relationship between states’ level of liberal democracy and their support for arms control finds that democracies back conventional arms control regardless of the initiator but support nuclear control only if led by democracies.
Michal Smetana, Marek Vranka, and Ondřej Rosendorf explore public support for arms control in the third nuclear age, arguing its complexity lowers awareness. People rely on simple heuristics, making opinions elastic and open to “elite cues” from experts and politicians shaping attitudes.
We are thrilled to share that Zakir Rzazade has been awarded the Best Paper Prize for Ph.D. students and early-career scholars at this year’s European Initiative for Security Studies (EISS) annual conference. Congratulations, Zakir!
