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2. The Road from Visegrad: Cooperation and Security in East Central Europe.
- Author
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Crumley, Michele
- Subjects
- *
NATIONAL security , *INTERNATIONAL relations , *NEW democracies - Abstract
The new democracies of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland have been at the forefront of integration into West European intergovernmental organizations since the fall of communism. Cooperation among Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland began in the post-communist era at the 1991 summit in Visegrad, Hungary. Although states in the West encouraged cooperation, particularly as a condition for membership in the EU and NATO, national security priorities of the Visegrad states diverge due to historical experiences and geostrategic location. The three states share a common insecurity from being positioned throughout history between great powers that have pursued expansionist policies from time to time. Although the foreign policy agenda of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland have been quite similar since the fall of communism, each state maintains different policy priorities and different traditional perceptions of external threats. Moreover, the three states have experienced varying degrees of security anxiety from the end of the bipolar system. The breakup of the USSR, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and COMECON, the wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the velvet divorce of the Czech and Slovak republics have had direct implications on security, trade, and foreign relations for each state. In neighboring East European states, military bases that once housed Soviet troops are currently being offered to the hegemonic power of the U.S. for troop redeployment consideration, and the U.S. military already has a presence as a NATO force on the Taszar air base in Hungary. This paper will examine the security postures of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland since the Visegrad Summit in 1991. What are the competing exogenous pressures that affect the security policies of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland? To what degree does cooperation impinge upon the security priorities and the sovereignty of Central European states? Can these states achieve relative gains vis-a-vis neighboring states and increase their influence with competing regional powers, or can shared norms and values from regional cooperation increase absolute gains and increase regional stability? In order to evaluate the security concerns, collective security, neoliberal institutionalism, and realism will be introduced as frameworks of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
3. Characteristics of Educational Sciences Research Activity in European Post-Socialist Countries in the Period 1996 to 2013: Content Analysis Approach
- Author
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Bouillet, Dejana and Jokic, Maja
- Abstract
In European post-socialistic countries or more commonly known as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries, regardless of their differences and specifics, the common communist and post-communist legacies in the field of educational sciences are still recognisable. The aim of this article is to explore research activity in the educational sciences in 15 CEE countries: 11 EU member states and 4 from the former Yugoslav Republic in the period from 1996 to 2013. The purpose of this research is to recognise the specificity and dynamics of subject and content issues, and development of methodological approaches in the educational science research. The sample consists of abstracts of 2,395 papers by CEE authors published in 265 journals indexed in Scopus between 1996 and 2013. Content analysis was applied, where the abstracts were grouped into specifically created categories describing the content and methods of the paper and analysed on the basis of two criterion variables -- CEE and non-CEE or international journals. The ?[superscript 2] test showed that the field of educational sciences in 15 European post-socialist countries changed over time in terms of quantity, content and methods, becoming more expansive and diverse, which is recognisable in papers published both in international and in CEE journals.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. The European Social Fund in the Visegrad Countries in the 2007-2013 Programming Phase
- Author
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Tomé, Eduardo and Tracz-Krupa, Katarzyna
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of the investment in training in education by the European Social Fund (ESF) in four Eastern countries, namely, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Hungary. Those countries have some political, cultural, social and economic similarities and share some common ground in the human resource development (HRD) sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use the human capital theory with some extensions to analyze the context, operations and impacts of the ESF in the Visegrad four (V4) countries between 2007 and 2013. The authors use three levels of methodology to access each one of those problems. Findings: The authors conclude that the ESF helped building the vocational training system in those countries, and to help them get near the equilibrium of high skills of the V4 Western European neighbors, and therefore, this one was a success story. However, quality issues remain to be addressed that may hinder the continuation of the success in the future. Research limitations/implications: The research could be enlarged in time and space and deepened in terms of methodology. This is one a first clarifying step. Theoretical work should become aware of the dichotomy between absorption and scientific logic. Practical implications: Detailed and precise evaluation practices must be implemented to guide and assess the policy. Social implications: Precisely because funds are scarce this paper enlights the dilemma and the tension between quantity and quality in the European HRD policy, this is an important social problem. Originality/value: The study is original because even if the HRD in those countries had already been studied (Sheehan and Buchelt, 2016), no study analyzing specifically the ESF in those countries has been carried out so far. The authors use an innovative methodology and address questions on context, operations and impact, which are also innovative and very relevant.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Agriculture, Communities, and New Social Movements: East European Ruralities in the Process of Restructuring
- Author
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Gorlach, Krzysztof, Lostak, Michal, and Mooney, Patrick H.
- Abstract
This paper examines the usefulness of the new social movements (NSMs) paradigm in the changing context of East European post-communist societies and their agricultural systems and rural communities. Starting with statements formulated in Western sociology in the context of Western democratic societies about NSMs as a protest against modernity, the paper analyses the role of such movements in the still modernizing Eastern European reality. The first part of the paper briefly examines some basic elements of the NSMs paradigm in European and American social science. The goal of this section is not only to identify the basic characteristics of NSMs, but also to identify the typical frames used by them. The second part of the paper focuses on the presence of NSMs in the communist era. Drawing on the idea of NSMs as indicators of a "post-materialist shift" as well as of "anti-establishment" and "pro-participatory democracy", the paper examines the frames of democratic opposition in Eastern Europe before 1989. The final part of the paper considers several selected examples from Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to explore the role of NSMs in the process of shaping new ruralities during the post-communist transformation.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Chasing the dragon east: exploring the frontiers of Western European finance.
- Author
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Raviv, Or
- Subjects
EUROPEAN Union membership ,ECONOMIC development ,FOREIGN investments ,ECONOMIC history - Abstract
Like many other developing countries in the past decade, Central European countries pursued financial market reforms based on the assumption that foreign finance would boost the depth and liquidity of their national financial systems, promote efficient economic management and enhance financial stability. Unlike other developing countries however, Central European countries expected to be shielded from the worst effects of global neoliberalism through the process of EU accession. This article evaluates the financial integration of Central Europe in the context of the global process of finance-led restructuring. The article concludes that the financial integration of Central Europe has failed to generate the promised optimisation of investment, let alone reduce macroeconomic risks. This is because the actual Eastward expansion strategies of Western European credit institutions were never geared towards addressing the developmental needs of the host Central European economies. Rather, they were always aimed at redressing the declining profitability of financial institutions operating in the already financialised economies of Western Europe. As a result, foreign financiers emerged as a powerful rentier class in Central Europe able to extract rent incomes far in excess of their profits in the west. The dominancy of foreign financiers in the region resulted in a reorientation of state policy, corporate strategy and households' behaviour, in line with the imperatives of financially based accumulation strategies. This lead not only to an unprecedented transfer of property rights from local society to foreign investors, but also to increased indebtedness and risk, which are ultimately unsustainable in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. The Forgotten Generations of Central and Eastern Europe.
- Author
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Tracy, Martin
- Abstract
Discusses factors that have helped to shape pension system policy goals and strategies of reform in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine. The factors are political support, capital formation of public and private savings, high tax rates, and social assistance. (JOW)
- Published
- 1994
8. Comparative Analysis of the on Job Training for Tax Officials in V4 Countries
- Author
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Nemec, Juraj and Burak, Emil
- Abstract
The goal of this paper is to provide a comparative account of tax administration training systems in V4 countries. We also compare their structure to basic training principles, such as those set out by the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations. Because of limited data availability we concentrated on basic characteristics, not on performance indicators. The goal is not only a simple comparative analysis, but also to search for any obvious lapses in good international practice, to try to assess to what extent the organisation of training may account for the relatively poor tax administration system results. The data show clearly that, in the V4 region, the content of the tax administration training system aims to follow good international practice, specified by the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations. The training systems are similar and offer almost fully compulsory vocational training, and good possibilities for specialised training. All four countries have specialist institutions for tax administration training. The most visible gap is the very limited link between tax administration training and university level training in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. The Effect of Different Types of Education on the Likelihood of Employment in 29 Post-Communist Countries of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union
- Author
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Habibov, Nazim, Auchynnikova, Alena, and Luo, Rong
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of a variety of levels of education, namely, high school, vocational and university education, on the probability of being employed in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Design/methodology/approach: The data are from two waves of the Life-in-Transition Survey that covers 29 post-communist transitional countries. The number of binary logistic models is estimated to quantify the effects of different types of education on the likelihood of being employed, while controlling for different sets of covariates. Findings: The findings reveal that the effect of employment associated with university education is higher than that of vocational education, which in turn is higher than that of high school education. However, the differences between the effects of the various levels of education are not considerable. Any specific level of education is always associated with a higher effect in Eastern Europe as compared to the former Soviet Union. The effect of education is also found to be higher for females than for males. In the former Soviet Union, the positive effect of university and vocational education on employment is found to go down with age. Originality/value: This is the first study which compares effect of different types of education on probability of being employed on a diverse sample of 29 post-communist countries over the period of five years.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
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10. Quo Vadis Judicial Reforms? The Quest for Judicial Independence in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Author
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Coman, Ramona
- Subjects
JUDICIAL independence ,COURTS ,POSTCOMMUNISM - Abstract
This article examines judicial reforms in the new member states of the EU in a comparative perspective. It explores the interactions between domestic and European actors in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and explains why the EU has had a differential impact on the way the principle of judicial independence has been implemented nationally. The differential impact of the EU is explained by considering both the nature of EU conditionality and the relationship between the judiciary and the political actors at the domestic level. The comparison reveals that the power of the EU is greater when tensions at the domestic level between judicial and political actors increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. CORE EXECUTIVES AND COORDINATION OF EU LAW TRANSPOSITION: EVIDENCE FROM NEW MEMBER STATES.
- Author
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ZUBEK, RADOSLAW
- Subjects
CABINET system ,EUROPEAN Union law ,INTERNATIONAL cooperation ,EXECUTIVES ,EUROPEAN Union countries politics & government - Abstract
This article compares cabinet institutions for coordinating the transposition of EU legislation in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. It examines how national executives have adapted to European integration and what factors have shaped institutional variation across countries and over time. During pre-accession, the Hungarian, Polish and (to a lesser extent) Czech cabinets established strong core executives for tracking EU-related legislative commitments, monitoring progress and reviewing the quality of transposition. After accession, the cores in all three cabinets loosened the grip on transposition, although to different degrees. The analysis shows that, if sectoral factors are kept constant, variation in the patterns of national adaptation can be explained with reference to external incentives and constitutional rules. High benefits of transposition before accession encouraged centralization, particularly in prime-ministerial cabinets. Fewer incentives under full membership contributed to a halt or reversal in core executive ascendancy, especially in ministerial-type cabinets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. International marketing in an enlarged European Union: Some insights into cultural heterogeneity in Central Europe.
- Author
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Skinner, Heather, Kubacki, Krzysztof, Moss, Gloria, and Chelly, David
- Subjects
MARKETING ,INDUSTRIAL management ,PERFORMANCE standards - Abstract
Copyright of Journal for East European Management Studies is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG 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.)
- Published
- 2008
13. Quality Assurance Before and After ‘Bologna’ in the Central and Eastern Region of the European Higher Education Area with a Focus on Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.
- Author
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Rozsnyai, Christina
- Subjects
HIGHER education ,EDUCATIONAL quality - Abstract
Focuses on quality assurances of higher education in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland before and after the Bologna Declaration which was signed in June 1999 by European ministers to strengthen the institutional autonomy in teaching and in the curriculum of higher education in Europe as of September 1, 2003. Objectives of the Bologna Declaration; History of higher education in Europe; Quality assurance methods followed in Central and Eastern European Countries.
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The Two Sides of Euroscepticism: Party Positions on European Integration in East Central Europe.
- Author
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Kopecky, Petr and Mudde, Cas
- Subjects
EUROPEAN politics & government, 1989- ,FOREIGN relations of the European Union ,EUROPEAN integration - Abstract
This article aims to make a three-fold contribution to the study of Euroscepticism in the wider Europe. First, it presents a two-dimensional conceptualization of party positions on European integration in general, and of Euroscepticism in particular, distinguishing between diffuse and specific support for European integration (i.e. 'support for the ideas of European integration' and 'support for the EU'). Second, it analyses the location, type, and electoral strength of party-based Euroscepticism in the four candidate countries of East Central Europe - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Third, it contributes to the ideology vs. strategy debate, showing that ideology is the dominant explanation for both types of support, although strategy at times plays a role in explaining specific support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. EWork in EU Candidate Countries. IES Report.
- Author
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Sussex Univ., Brighton (England). Inst. for Employment Studies., Mako, Csaba, and Keszi, Roland
- Abstract
Using data of an 18-country employer survey and facts of company case studies of the EMERGENCE project, a project illustrated diffusion of eWork in 3 these Central European countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland. Mainstream views of the transforming economies and various practices of generic business services were studied. Establishments surveyed in the post-socialist economies showed similarities and differences in their micro-institutional patterns compared to those in 15 European Union (EU) countries. Comparison of eWork diffusion indicated the following: (1) eWork was more widely used in the 3 newly associated states (NAS); (2) eWork diffusion was more balanced in the EU between medium and large firms than in the NAS; (3) eWork in the NAS was used more extensively in larger firms; (4) diffusion by sector showed its share in service sectors was higher than in primary and secondary industries, with differences greater in the NAS; ( 5) more business functions were kept in the organization in the NAS; and (6) outsourcing was more popular in the NAS. Company case studies gave insight into the complex processes of delocalization of eWork. Information and communication technology gave businesses of all sizes a tool to develop globally. NAS case studies illustrated the expansion type of eWork delocalization in company reorganizations and isolated company decisions. These two important dimensions of eWork delocalization were indicated in connection with NAS case studies: organizational changes and skill use. (Appendixes include 51 references and company data.) (YLB)
- Published
- 2003
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