Slovakia on the Road to EU Membership

Since 1993 Slovakia followed the historical and social-cultural implicitness and the political wish of its people to return to the European community. On their journey »back to Europe« the Slovak Republic has to overcome the obstacles that the political system and the history of the 20th century had left behind for the country as well as for the whole region. The volume brings together, politicians, high-ranking civil servants and academic experts from Slovakia concluding with an evaluation from an outside-perspective. The authors give a detailed inside-perspective on the motives and interests as well as on the expectations and experiences that are related to the integration into the European community and Western alliances. Furthermore the contributions focus on the development of the political, economical and social systems, which lies the foundation for the relationship towards the European Union and NATO as the vital orientation of the foreign and security policy of the Slovak Republic.