Austria as a small state in international organizations: the tactics of pursuing Austrian national interests in the European union

This diploma thesis deals with the issue of small states in the context of the European Union. It principally focuses on strategies of small states which help them to pursue their national interests in the European Union. Austria has been chosen as a case for the practical purposes of this diploma thesis. The theoretical part introduces the concept of small state in general, characterizes this specific term in the structures of the European Union and points out to the weaknesses of small countries, which may reduce their foreign-policy activism. Subsequently, the text analyses the strategies of small states which are used for the promotion of national interests in the European Union, or more precisely in the Council of the European Union. A practical section of the thesis deals with Austrian foreign policy engagement in three key political issues of the Alpine republic. The analysis of the Austrian initiatives during the years 1995-2015 has identified the strategies which Austria used to pursue its national positions in the European Union