In this introductory series, we are delighted to introduce the talented PhD students who will be joining our project in January 2025 – today we are presenting you Lukáš Svoboda from Czechia.
Ahoj! My name is Lukáš Svoboda and I am a recent graduate from the Charles University Faculty of Law
in Prague, Czechia. I have focused mainly on labour law and social security law, especially with an overlap
into European Union law. This interest has resulted in several participations in the Hugo Sinzheimer Moot
Court Competition and a few articles published with the Department of Labour and Social Security Law.
My PhD project covers the relationship of Czech cross-border workers to the European Union and, more
generally, social security coordination. The focus of the work will be based on a case study of two Czech
regions – Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem. This territory is located in the Northwest of the country,
bordering Germany, mostly Saxony (former German Democratic Republic, GDR) and Bavaria (which is
an “old” Bundesland, part of West Germany).
Historically, these regions have been associated with wealth and prosperity based mainly on heavy industry
and coal mines. In fact, these mostly German populated regions were among the richest not only in then
Austria-Hungary, but also in Europe as well. Even after the formation of Czechoslovakia after the World
War One and deportations of the original inhabitants post-World War Two, the area has upheld its status
as the “Coal Heart” of the communist regime, with incomes of the population being well above average
for the era.
This has changed with the Velvet Revolution in 1989. The decline in demand for goods produced for the
former Comecon countries in the region and the greening of the industry has led to the closure of many
state-run enterprises. This economic downturn led to population decline affecting healthcare, education
and transportation accessibility.
This situation has led for people living in the area to search for work across the border, in Germany. This
was virtually enabled through social security coordination, firstly performed on the basis of bilateral
international treaties (one of which governed this topic between Germany and Czechia). The Eastern
Enlargement of the EU made this even easier as the coordination regulations stared to apply. This means
Czech citizens may work abroad without fear of losing out on their social security rights – the “social
umbrella” follows not only workers, but also their families.
Despite these people benefiting from the EU established system allowing swift and easy access to not only
jobs, but also other aspects of daily life (such as healthcare – many people have a dentist in Germany
because they could not find one on the Czech side of the border), the view of the EU does not seem to be
much positive in these regions. Statistically, voters in these areas would more likely cast a ballot to a party
regarded as populist, Eurosceptic, or even advocating the withdrawal from the organisation. This is
strikingly paradoxical.
Institutional integration, “from above”, appears to be successful. But what about integration “from
below”, from the view of the ordinary people? My project will therefore focus on one target group, as
discussed above – Czech frontier workers, or pendlers, as we call them, and their relation to and
perception of EU social security coordination and EU in general. I would also like to discuss some trends
in this field, such as a rise in cross-border telework in recent time, how the system has dealt with it, and if
there are any possible better long-term solutions to this problem.
I especially like the interdisciplinary nature of the RIGHTS-TO-UNITE project, as well as new approach to European integration. I am joining the project together with my “home” Charles University PhD programme. I am
really looking forward to studying in Dublin. The only hard thing to get used to is the unpredictable and
sometimes gloomy Irish weather ;-).
Lukáš will be officially introduced at our hybrid project launch which takes place on 8 November, for which registrations are still open via Eventbrite for both, in person & online attendance.