Counter-strategizing after a dialogue failure: Stakeholder involvement and nuclear waste disposal in the Czech Republic

This case study focuses on the temporal dynamics of stakeholder interaction to provide a sociological analysis of the deep geological repository siting process in the Czech Republic. By introducing the concept of counter-strategizing, it clarifies the shift in interaction after the state authorities backed out of a dialogue with local communities at pre-selected sites in 2016 but continued to push ahead with their siting mission. The study triangulates complementary data sources (interviews, focus groups, content analysis, and participant observation) to capture the qualitative dimension of stakeholder interaction. Insights concerning the effects of counter-strategizing derived from the Czech case contribute to critically examining the participative turn in nuclear waste management. Two mismatching strategies formed in response to the failed dialogue: an avoidance strategy by state institutions and an influence strategy by local communities. The resulting mutual distrust and heightened level of contestation among the opposing stakeholder groups jeopardize the implementation of the EU nuclear waste policy. The question for researchers and policy makers is whether the Czech case might augur a broader trend.