Foreign policy narratives of Central and Eastern European political parties

Authors: Vít Hloušek, Krisztina Arató and Boglárka Koller

In: Foreign policy narratives of Central and Eastern European political parties, European Politics and Society,

DOI: 10.1080/23745118.2026.2717313

Abstract

This article analyses foreign policy narratives articulated by political parties in Central Europe, focusing on Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia across two electoral cycles surrounding Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The study demonstrates the predominance of liberal–internationalist and sovereigntist–isolationist narratives. The analysis confirms that the economic left–right divide is a weak predictor of foreign policy orientations, whereas the GAL–TAN cleavage and the presence of populism – particularly radical-right populism – are more consequential. Overall, the research underscores the interdependence of domestic politics and foreign policy, while highlighting persistent diversity in Central European party narratives.