Concept of multilateralism in German foreign policy in the Balkans: comparative case study of recognition of sovereignty of Slovenia and Chroatia (1991) and Kosovo (1992)

The diploma thesis "The Multilateralism Concept in German Policy toward the Balkans: Germany's Recognition of the Independence of Slovenia and Croatia (1991) and Kosovo (2008)" deals with the role of the Federal Republic of Germany in the process of recognition of the independence of successor states of Yugoslavia in the context of discussion about transformation of the German multilateralism and normalization of the German foreign policy. The disciplined interpretive case study focuses on selected examples, which were perceived as the most controversial by German and foreign political and social circles: the German pressure on the international recognition of Slovenia and Croatia in 1991, which caused strong criticisms and fears, that the unified Germany would leave the principle of multilateralism in exchange for a unilateral promotion of its national interests; and the recognition of Kosovo in 2008, which meant ignoring the UN resolution 1244. The aim of the thesis is to describe and to interpret motives and the manners of the Germany's acting in the selected causes in detail and to test the hypothesis by Rainer Baumann about transformation of the German multilateralism "towards more instrumental perception of the multilateral cooperation and orientation on material and status-oriented national..