This article aims to explain the phenomena of incredibly broad consensus among the Scottish political elites around European integration. All relevant political forces (present in the 2016–2021 term in the Scottish Parliament) have une quivocally supported further membership. European integration and the EU are specifically defi ned in public debate to carry out certain functions from the perspective of the Scottish political elite. These interpretations in this text are divided into three categories, serving three basic functions: facilitation of the process of increasing the competences of Scottish institutions (through independence or decentralisation), support for social development based on left-wing values and strengthening the distinctiveness of Scotland’s national identity. They were distinguished through in-depth analysis of scientifi c literature, documents of public institutions and political parties and statements of Scottish politicians. Author concludes that the distinction between the three basic functions of European integration from the perspective of the Scottish political elite is justified, although it is not always possible to draw a precise line between them. It is also easy to see that there are interrelationships between the different elements of these functions.
Visegrad Group (V4) containing Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, is one of the examples of regional cooperation within the European Union(EU). Recently V4 has shown some coherence in case of migrant wave to the EU, as well as presented unified position vis-à-vis climate change or leaders election in the EU. The Author has taken into consideration major political parties – both ruling and in the opposition – and their programs in all V4 countries and comes to following conclusions: 1. There is no coherence of V4, as Czech Republic and Slovakia are not ready to follow the footsteps of Hungary and Poland in creation of so called illiberal democracies. 2. All V4 countries are domestically highly polarized, with the exception of Hungary dominated by its charismatic leader Viktor Orbán. 3. Internal instability cannot bring a cohesive and unifi ed voice of V4 in the EU in more coordinated way. 4. If V4 countries will constantly undermine the core system of values, or Copenhagen criteria, of the EU, as Hungary and Poland is doing, combined with more and more problems with corruption, as all of them have, then un-famous East – West division line can reemerge in the EU and on the European continent leading to weakening of it on the global scene.
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