What is the current state of strategic communication in the Czech Republic and Slovakia? This project aims to assess the main operational and situational challenges for strategic communication in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with the goal of providing recommendations on how to improve the situation.

These countries face problems such as rising polarization and distrust towards the states’ communication, lack of political will and resources, vulnerable groups that are hard to reach, and populist political actors. The project identifies the new regional situation formed by the pandemic, war in Ukraine, and economic and energy crisis, focusing on countries close to the frontlines and new problems stemming from this geopolitical situation. This is a situation that creates or intensifies vulnerabilities which are easy to exploit by authoritarian states to erode social cohesion and especially broader support for Ukraine, whether humanitarian, financial, or especially military.

The project aims to delve deeper into the landscape of strategic communication in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with country reports. The reports lay out the legal and institutional framework of local strategic communication and main actors involved in its development. Subsequently, the reports assess the particular domestic challenges and opportunities for developing an efficient strategic communication system. Ultimately, the reports aim to contribute to the ongoing discourse on improving strategic communication within the countries with recommendations for its optimization and alignment with national interests and goals.