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Homeless people were a new sight in the post-1989 Czech Republic, as the previous regime effectively criminalized homelessness. Thus, in the 1990s, the new visibility of homeless people was a shock to the public eye. This paper is based on a longitudinal study of how, based on this new visibility, the representations of homeless people developed throughout the 1989–2015 period. The paper focuses on the interplay between physical visibility of homelessness and its visibility for public policy. It introduces a threefold theoretical model of how the former is transformed into the latter: I argue that, to be recognized as "problematic" in public space, a group must (a) be recognized as a distinct category (categorical visibility), (b) be recognized as a threat to the civil order (moral visibility), and (c) that public policy must have legal instruments to perceive and address the issue (the eyes and arms of public policy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to explain and understand contemporary spatial changes within housing estates in Prague with special attention to the role of public and private institutions. We argue that housing estates are undergoing considerable functional heterogenization and becoming integral parts of the city as a consequence of mix of commercial development, specific public policies and activities of local actors. We focus on two crucial aspects of the contemporary development of housing estates within the capital city of Prague: (i) the new functional differentiation of housing estates as a consequence of private activities and commercialization; (ii) the role of master planning and public policies on the level of both the city and self-governed city districts. Activities of commercial and public institutions are perceived as structuration processes enabled and restricted by the constraints of contemporary post-transformational city. Methodologically the paper is based on analyses of the content of planning documents and policies (Metropolitan Plan, Strategic plan of Prague and selected documents of the city districts) and statistical information sources that relate to three levels of spatial detail. A case study of the largest housing estate and a symbol of socialist housing in Czechia—Jižní Město—illustrates the impact of state and municipal policies and commercialization on the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on sustainable public procurement (SPP) and its role in public procurement of the members of the Visegrad Group (Hungarian, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic). Sustainable public procurement is a current trend in public purchasing around the world. The European Union's sustainable development policy, which respects the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, seeks to influence the public procurement policies of the members of the European Union. Every country, including the Visegard Group countries is trying to implement sustainable development criteria in its procurement process and to change legislation. The aim of this paper is to compare the implementation of public procurement in the Czech Republic with other members of the Visegrad Group (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary) and analyse how the public procurement (tenders) respects the criteria of sustainable public procurement in the case of the selected public procurements (tenders) in rail transport. We analyse the public procurement process and investigate the possibility/appropriateness of using social responsibility criteria in the individual phases of the procurement process (award criteria). The results show that there are different methods of implementing SPP in the V4 countries. There are significant differences between the regions. Based on the results of our research and analysis of the selected tenders, we concluded that the principle of social responsibility needs to be reflected in all steps, i.e. in the formulation of the subject of the public contract, the preparation of the contractual terms and the selection of evaluation criteria in their qualitative form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of KONTAKT - Journal of Nursing & Social Sciences related to Health & Illness is the property of University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Population health and food safety is one of the main priorities of the agro-industrial complex and the economic policies of governments. This is also reflected in the health safety of the meat in the event of infectious diseases. Food safety policy is linked to public spending by the state, which also takes responsibility for the health of the population. This paper deals with the analysis of the economic impacts of the Mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy - BSE) occurrence in Czech Republic, namely the financial compensations to the farmers whose herds had been affected and the costs of animal killing and carcass disposal in the rendering plant. The data were obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture of Czech Republic, the State Veterinary Administration and the Czech Statistical Office. Original scientific research reflects the period from the first occurrence of the disease to the end of 2019. Between February, 2001 and the end of 2019, a total of 1 977 881 cows were examined and 30 cases of the BSE were detected. Consequently, 4243 cows in cohorts were killed and their carcasses were safely disposed of. The total of the compensations in this period reached EUR 8 013 000. Of these, 80.6% (EUR 6 458 000) were compensations for the value of the killed animals, 12.7% (EUR 1 020 000) for the related costs, i.e., killing, safe disposal of carcasses and the examination for the BSE, and 6.7% (EUR 535 000) for the losses due to non-materialised production. The costs associated with the payment of compensations are therefore significantly lower than if the real effects of the disease on the health of the population were affected. The fact that in the last 10 years the disease has not occurred in the Czech Republic corresponds to the improving situation in EU countries, so the Czech Republic has been recognised as BSE negligible risk country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the dynamics of an implementation of the policy of a higher local real estate coefficient as an innovation in the fiscal policy of local governments in post-communist Czechia. The punctuated equilibrium theory is applied in order to show the dynamics of diffusion of this fiscal innovation among 6,258 municipalities in the period 2009–2021. In order to get a more complex picture of local governments´ behaviour, dynamics are studied in a nexus of various approaches to fiscal federalism. In particular, the S-shaped curve and spatial analysis are employed within the analytical framework. The results suggest the policy of a higher local real estate coefficient is spreading out in municipalities known for a higher level of population and industry concentration where is a need for a high level of public services. Secondly, the policy is applied most frequently in populated areas and regions challenging structural challenges contributing to their depopulation. Thirdly, considering the election cycles, the local governments act on issues of a level of local taxation tactically. Finally, the spatial analysis revealed the approach of tactical changing of local taxes is rather concentrated in the north-western part of Czechia (i.e., in the underdeveloped region with obsolete economic structure). On the other hand, the spatial division of municipalities that surrounded the policy of higher local taxation is equal across the country. We also argue the impact of tax-mimicking behaviour may be less determinant than the previous studies suggested. On contrary, the factors like population density, depopulation, and substitution of the declining tax revenues seem to be more of determining factors for Czech municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Social remittances- the transfer of ideas, practices, and codes of behaviors- are a well-documented subject in migrant transnationalism literature and transnational family studies. However, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has generated unprecedented regulations around the world which require widening the conceptual basis of social remittances in a state of emergency. As the pandemic progresses, most countries require civilians to follow a number of norms deemed as the "new normality," while other countries continue to operate under their "old normality," with minor or no restrictions. As national pandemic policy responses vary across countries, transnational families live under different regimes of "normality." In these settings, the study of transnational families offers a valuable opportunity to examine a special type of social remittances practiced during global crises, and analyze whether the exchange of rules, practices, and ideas across national borders has any impact on re-shaping and renegotiating pandemic-coping "new normality" practices for both migrants and their families. The paper is based on 13 in-depth interviews conducted with representatives from Armenian transnational families with migrant members in Russia, the Czech Republic, or Belarus. These countries provide a backdrop for an examination of social remittances among transnational families that we term "pandemic transnationalism." The study shows that the circulation of safety rules and "good practices" actively shapes the everyday behavior of migrants and their families, their level of perceived danger towards the coronavirus, and their practical knowledge of safety measures. The latter are often harnessed in informal collective settings despite being in conflict with the obligations and regulations of their home society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of public spending on education and research and development (R&D) on the formation of gross domestic product (GDP) in nine Central European countries, which are divided into two clusters -- "old" and "new" EU members. The study took into account official Eurostat data of both the EU and national statistical organizations for the period 2010--2019. The analysis of this impact was carried out using a system approach, statistics and econometric framework including panel data regression, Wald, Breusch-Pagan, Hausman tests. The main finding of the present study is the identification of additional income in terms of GDP in Euro per capita for selected countries, which is obtained from adequately spent public funds for education and R&D. Our results showed that the strongest influence of these expenditures for the "old" members was in Germany and Austria, and for the "new" -- in Slovenia and Czechia. It is proved that this impact is different in individual countries and is determined by the public financial policy of national governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pravnik is the property of Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of State & Law and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article investigates, whether the adoption of ethical codes in the Czech Republic and in Ukraine mainly aim at implementation of EU ethical framework for public administration or should be viewed as a part of national anti-corruption policy. To that end, the article will analyse, whether the ethical codes for public administration in the Czech Republic and Ukraine reflect core principles of EU ethical framework for public administration, or rather contain specific provisions aimed at eliminating corruption. The practical effects of relevant provisions, their enforcement and contribution to elimination of corruption will also be analysed. Besides analysis and comparison of the situation in the Czech Republic and Ukraine, the article aims to identify common experiences and patterns to provide generalization useful for understanding the effect of ethical codes on elimination of corruption and national implementation of European core ethical principles for public administration in wider context of Central and Eastern European post-communist countries, which are still suffering from quite significant rates of corruption and examples of maladministration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to analyse the readiness of local governments in the Czech Republic to implement their own integration policies. THEORETICAL BASE: The relevant theoretical concepts are based on migration studies and social policy. METHODS: This present survey is an explanatory multi-case study. The research set consists of five cities. The data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with political and professional representation of cities and experts from NGOs, secondary analysis of strategic and legislative documents. OUTCOMES: The integration policy of local governments is based on the principle of their individual voluntary commitment and is implemented only through time-limited projects. The binding definition of political and administrative responsibilities is a necessary condition to be set by the national government. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Social departments of local governments are the key institution dealing with the integration of foreigners in a municipality. Social work is therefore an essential profession that helps to design and implement a substantial part of the measures of municipal integration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the political discussion on the Danube-Oder-Elbe (DOE) international water corridor in the Czech Republic in the period 2010-2021. The issue has become highly politicised among Czech political bodies in the last decade. The article presents the development of political interests in the DOE issue in the Czech Republic regard to the concept of the social responsibility. Due to the fundamentally contradictory changes in the Czech government's policy towards DOE during the period under study, the authors focus on analysing expert documents (e.g., expert strategies, action plans for the Czech Republic, DOE studies, government programme statements) and political decisions in the Czech Republic on the given topic in the last decade. The authors present the results of the research by content analysis of relevant documents, which were examined by cluster analysis on the relationship "costs of solving negative financial externalities" and "DOE ownership". The methodology used is a combination of cluster analysis, PRISMA analysis and descriptive analysis. The research results show that the analysed documents show a high degree of mutual incoherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to present the position of the Czech government and the society of this country towards the war in Ukraine. The text is an attempt to conduct a comparative analysis of the position of the Czech government and the part of society that has been opposing the government's policy towards Ukraine for some time. The author presented the main consequences of the Czech government's support for Ukraine, which are related to the post-pandemic crisis. These include, above all, problems with the supply of oil, natural gas and nuclear fuel for Czech nuclear power plants. Social problems include high inflation, rising interest rates and rising prices of basic commodities. In the summary, synthetic conclusions were drawn that confirm the discrepancies between the government's policy and the position of that part of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the political aspect of the recognition of the Armenian genocide has mostly focused on the realpolitik and its impact in terms of legislation and relations between political actors. A new dimension in research regarding the Armenian genocide occurred by presenting legal performativity within memory laws in France and Germany. Here, I build on the understanding that performative analysis may help us uncover the deeper circumstances of the recognition of the Armenian genocide, going beyond the classical dichotomy—recognition/nonrecognition. The case of the Czech Republic revealed the problem in the division of executive power regarding foreign policy between the government and the president. Furthermore, the analysis revealed the parliamentary instruments legitimizing the recognition of the Armenian genocide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines selected system-level variables. Its premise is that a better understanding of how and why scholars may, or may not, choose an international orientation in their career requires taking into account factors beyond personal preferences or constraints. We suggest that characteristics of national systems shape prospects and strategies of internationalisation and look at two broadly defined variables: resource availability and career incentives. With respect to the first, we study the absolute level of national resources and their relative importance vies-a-vis those provided by the EU. With respect to the second, we consider the rules and norms governing the progress of academic careers, especially the extent to which international collaboration is significant and necessary for initially attaining a stable academic position and career advancement. We explore these questions through targeted comparison of four national cases, selected to ensure crosscutting variation across the selected variables. A comparison of two relatively low-resource cases (Bulgaria and the Czech Republic) with two relatively high-resource ones (France and Finland) is followed by a comparison with respect to career incentives. This allows to conclude that both factors should be considered as necessary conditions for internationalisation, and to suggest how this hypothesis might be further tested in subsequent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International treaties on the limitation of double taxation have set out rules which regulate in which country tax should be paid if taxpayers receive earnings from abroad. This article deals with the place of taxation for gross wages. These taxes are predominantly paid in the country, where the employer has got its registered office. Some rare exceptions exist, however, where the employee reports and pays tax in the country of their origin, i.e. where they have their domicile. This applies to the earnings from employment of Czech boatmen employed in the Kingdom of the Netherlands based on a treaty concluded with the former Czechoslovakia in 1974. The Financial Administration of the Czech Republic has placed many boatmen and their families in a highly unfavourable social situation as a result of demands for the repayment of income tax on earnings from employment, including sanctions, despite the option of a refund of any tax paid in the Netherlands. The objective of this article is to point to a possible conceptual solution for such exceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to make sense how organized crime is constructed by the Czech government. Drawing on the intention-based model of organized crime (Sergi, 2017), this study specifically examines whether the country's national policy frames organized crime as a profit- or power-oriented phenomenon. To this end, an analysis of the government-issued Concepts for Combating Organized Crime was conducted, focusing on the rationale behind the adopted legal measures designed to combat organized crime. Qualitative content analysis was applied to first identify the relevant measures and then to examine their rationale in light of the intention-based model. The analysis revealed that the legal measures were primarily designed to counter profit-driven criminal groups operating in legitimate markets alongside legal and respectable actors, where such groups benefit from being virtually invisible to official authorities and are tolerated by other market actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on education generally find that higher education has a positive impact on various aspects of life. Nevertheless, studies focused on elderly people and their psychosocial health and development seldom view higher education as an important factor. Our aim was to explore the relation between higher education and ego integrity, a measure based on Erikson's concept of psychological maturity in later life. We used four national samples of non-institutionalized elderly people from Cameroon (N = 238), China (N = 254), Czech Republic (N = 167), and Germany (N = 240). Relationships between ego integrity and several possible moderator variables were tested by multivariate regressions in each sample. Between-subject ANOVA was employed to test differences in ego integrity between university educated and non-university educated people. We found that ego integrity is affected by culture in interaction with gender and the level of education attained. University-educated people reported higher ego integrity than persons with lower education in three of four cultural samples, which suggests a relatively stable relationship between university education and ego integrity when controlling for gender, age, and working status. These findings highlight the importance of education in late adulthood. In terms of policies and practice, they underscore the importance of reduction of educational inequalities as well as desirability of improved access to higher education, expansion of opportunities for the achievement of complete education in later life, and facilitation and support of lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]