ABSTRACT
The Czech Republic, Estonia and Finland share an understanding of the huge importance of the European Union (EU) for their international standing and leverage. The EU is seen as an indispensable power multiplier and an avenue to promote national foreign policy interests. Geopolitical location and a history of difficult relationships with Russia (although with considerable variations among the three cases) push all three countries towards the EU. At the same time, significant EU critical sentiments can be observed in each case, with attachment to national sovereignty being a major source of hesitation towards the integration project. National control and intergovernmental decision-making are deemed essential in the field of foreign policy. Apart from these commonalities, the dynamics and depth of Europeanization differ considerably within this group of countries. Even a brief overview of the basic tenets of their foreign and EU policies reveals important differences which are reflected in their positions regarding the European External Action Service (EEAS).
