SUVERENITA STÁTU VČERA A DNES – K DYNAMICE POJMU A HERMENEUTICKÝM POSUNŮM V JEHO CHÁPÁNÍ

The article is devoted to the development of the understanding of the concept of state sovereignty from the initial period of its inception to the present time. Author’s aim is to highlight the dynamics in the understanding of this concept, which proves the notion of its continuous hermeneutic adaptation to the new social conditions. The concept of sovereignty can not be understood as a static concept, which did not change its content and definition over the years. The internal dimension of sovereignty is weakened by the development of the democratization of society, searching for legitimate sources of power, promoting the concept of substantive constitutional state. The external dimension is then modified in the context of deepening international cooperation and integration, with the creation of international rules for dispute resolution and the creation of integration groupings. The author responds to the current call for the federalization of the European Union (Speech by President of the European Commission Mr Barroso’s On the State of the Union 2012 presented in the European Parliament 12 September 2012), which opens the debate over disappearing sovereignty of the Member States of the European Union again. He points to the need for the open understanding of the concept, which allows us to create harmony between ambition of the supranational entity and interests of its basic units - the Member States.