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The Small Enterpreneur: Culture and Economic Action

The Small Enterpreneur: Culture and Economic Action

Author(s): Tanya Chavdarova / Language(s): English

This paper is concerned with cultural differences and how they affect the process of doing business by a specific economic agent: the sole proprietor who operates in the capital cities of Bulgaria and Macedonia. The analysis is based on the empirical results of surveys that are representative of the sole proprietors in Sofi a and Skopje. The sole proprietor is defined here as a physical owner and is represented by the social category self-employed or employer of few wage or non-paid family workers; i.e. the legal term sole proprietor corresponds to the social term small entrepreneur. The legal term is preferred for the purposes of the cross-national empirical survey because the sole proprietor exists as a category in the Trade Law of both countries and has the same social defi nition. It is covered by the national statistics and this fact has permitted us to draw consistent samples in Sofi a and Skopje.

Analysis of the Postprivatization Behavior of Enterprises in Bulgaria in the Period 1992-1994

Analysis of the Postprivatization Behavior of Enterprises in Bulgaria in the Period 1992-1994

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Two years after the adoption of the Privatization Law(1992), even if slowly, privatization in Bulgaria has made considerable progress. It is the only transition country wich implements only market (capital) privatisation. Bulgaria is a middle-income country, which poses a serious barrier to capital privatization. Of course, experience (Chile, for instance) has shown that a successful capital privatization is possible in such countries as well.

DPC POLICY NOTE 07: Is Substantial Political Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina Possible through the Ballot Box in October 2014?

DPC POLICY NOTE 07: Is Substantial Political Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina Possible through the Ballot Box in October 2014?

Author(s): Valery Perry / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; political reform; 2014; elections; electoral system;

Two comments are often (and increasingly) heard about politics, elections and citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH): 1. “If citizens want political change, they should vote for political change”1 2. “BiH needs more political accountability from its elected leaders at all levels, (but without difficult, substantial, politically impossible changes to the constitutional structure or election system).” Few would doubt the apparent truth behind these statements. A core element of a functioning, accountable democracy is the regular possibility for the alternation of power, as citizens vote out, and vote in, different leaders and parties that offer different platforms for the future. Voters should be able to use the election system to force politicians to deliver and to be accountable. Nothing is standing in the way of BiH’s path to a more prosperous, reform-oriented, Euro-Atlantic future other than citizens voting for new leaders who can bring this vision to reality. However, based on the experience of the past 18 years, is this a realistic approach to politics in a post-Dayton, pre-EU BiH? This paper considers whether there are incentives in the BiH electoral and political system that promote a relationship based on accountability between the electorate and the elected, and whether it is likely that a country that purports to be hungry for reform and progress, and tired of the same old faces in politics, can or will demonstrate this interest through their choices in the general elections in October. Why does it seem like every election in BiH is meant to be “pivotal,” while in reality little seems to change?

Turkey: On the Road to a Presidential System

Turkey: On the Road to a Presidential System

Author(s): Karol Wasilewski / Language(s): English

Keywords: Turkey; AKP - Justice and Development Party; presidential elections; Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

The Turkish parliament has adopted a constitutional reform package that introduces a presidential system. The amendments not only impair parliament’s role but also weaken the judiciary’s independence. To enter into force, the reform package must be approved by referendum, set for 16 April. The referendum campaign will intensify tensions in Turkey and the changes could lead to a deterioration of Turkey-EU relations.

Taiwan Elections: Implications for Its Ties with the Mainland and Internationally

Taiwan Elections: Implications for Its Ties with the Mainland and Internationally

Author(s): Justyna Szczudlik / Language(s): English

Keywords: China; Taiwan; East Asia; elections; parliamentary elections; presidential elections

In presidential and parliamentary elections in Taiwan on 16 January, the chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Tsai Ing-wen, stands a great chance to be elected president and the DPP may take over the parliament, the Legislative Yuan. Tsai’s victory might weaken cross-strait ties. There is also the possibility for less stability in the Taiwan Strait. The uncertainty about cross-strait relations may narrow the room for launching talks about an EU-Taiwan investment agreement.

Macedonia’s Lagging Behind in Efficient Usage of EU Funds (IPA, Framework Programmes) – Analytica’s Analysis

Macedonia’s Lagging Behind in Efficient Usage of EU Funds (IPA, Framework Programmes) – Analytica’s Analysis

Author(s): Sonja Risteska / Language(s): English

Keywords: North Macedonia; EU funds; modernization and development; IPA; Structural Funds; Research Framework Programmes; financial agreements; economic development; sustainable growth;

The progress regarding to Chapter 22 from the acquis communautaire which is connected to the regional policy and coordination of structural instruments, is crucial for the EU candidate and potential candidate countries in becoming proficient in European affairs. Different types of funds are provided by the EU for decades now to help regions that are lagging behind in their modernization and development. In order to take a full advantage of the benefits that IPA and later on the Structural Funds provide, the countries will have to keep on with the reforms and create an effective and properly functioning institutional and legislative system as well as an appropriate administrative capacity that will be able to successfully manage these funds. Apart from the IPA and the Structural Funds there are also other EU Funding Opportunities as the Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, open for research organizations and SME’s from all over the world. EU’s main idea behind this is that “in an open global economy, competitiveness lies in the capacity of businesses to create high value-added goods and services. A move towards innovation-based sustainable growth is therefore at the heart of the EU's response to globalisation.”

Violence and intolerance against Serbs in 2013

Nasilje i nesnošljivost prema Srbima u 2013.

Author(s): Milena Jurišić,Ljubomir Mikić / Language(s): English,Croatian

Keywords: violence against Serbs;

The analysis that follows certainly calls into question the soundness of a generalized assessment made by the Croatian authorities of the years 2011 and 2012, specifi cally that “[ ... ] in the Re public of Croatia there is no increased threat to members of national minorities” and that “[ ... ] there were no identifi ed elements which would indicate that there is organized violence against members of ethnic minorities, but in all cases individual incidents were recorded, which do not indicate a threat to national minorities in a certain area or during a certain time period.” Specifi cally, during 2012 the caucus of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS ) in the Croatian Parliament and the Serb National Council (SNV) received information about an increased number of cases of ethnically motivated violence and intolerance towards members of the Serb community and their institutions.

UNREALIZED RIGHTS AND FAILED POLICIES: Representation of national minorities in the state administration and judiciary

Neostvarena prava i promašene politike: Zastupljenost nacionalnih manjina u državnoj upravi, pravosuđu i policiji

Author(s): Slađana Božić,Ljubomir Mikić / Language(s): English,Croatian

Keywords: Croatian Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities;

The Croatian Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, adopted in 2002 with a two-thirds majority of all MPs, stipulates special rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities in order to enable their active and effective participation in public affairs and public life at all levels. Minorities in Croatia are thus guaranteed the right to proportional representation in the state administration, police and judicial bodies. This right is to be exercised using population fi gures from offi cial census results. According to the latest 2011 census, minorities comprise 7.67%, and Serbs 4.36%, of the total population of Croatia.

Ukrainians and their language. The Act on the State Language of Ukraine

Ukrainians and their language. The Act on the State Language of Ukraine

Author(s): Tadeusz A. Olszański / Language(s): English

Keywords: Ukraine; Ukrainian language; state language; act; law; eliminating Russian language; politics; anti-Russian campaign; Ukrainization;

On 25 April, the Supreme Council of Ukraine passed a law guaranteeing the role of the Ukrainian language as the state language. The act was passed with a significant majority (278 in favour, 38 against), and was signed into law by President Petro Poroshenko on 15 May. This is not an act on the state’s language policy, but the role of the official language in the life of the country. The act is clearly aimed at eliminating Russian from as many spheres of community life in Ukraine as possible, especially from education and the media. The other, equally important task is to ensure development, standardisation, and modernisation of the Ukrainian language where there are currently shortcomings. The act, which was originally intended to be an instrument in Petro Poroshenko’s presidential campaign, will be used in the campaign for the early parliamentary elections of 21 July by the former president’s party and other groupings that form the broad anti-Russian camp. Opponents of the new act will probably contest it before the Constitutional Court, but rulings cannot be expected before the election. For the moment, it is unclear what position President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will take on the new act. It is possible that he will wish to amend some provisions. On one hand, during the presidential campaign, he frequently stated that the rights of the Russian-speaking population had to be guaranteed, while on the other his supporters include a large number of proponents of radical Ukrainization, whose support will be important to Zelenskiy in the parliamentary election.

Homage to significant B&H women and their achievements

Homage to significant B&H women and their achievements

Author(s): Tamara Sarajlić-Slavnić,Vedrana Frašto,Maja Abdomerović,Elma Hodžić,Andrea Dautović,Olga Lalević,Ifeta Lihić,Zlatan Delić,Amina Hujdur / Language(s): English

Keywords: Female achievements; Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Homage;

Laura Papo Bohoreta, the birth name of Luna, was born in 1891 in Sarajevo as the daughter of Judah and Esther Levi. At the end of the 19th and early 20th century she lived in Istanbul, where her entire family moved. There they lived very modestly. Since early childhood, she began to read various books. Later she studied French at the International French School for Jews (Alliance Israélite Française) in Istanbul.

Challenges for Trudeau’s Second Government

Challenges for Trudeau’s Second Government

Author(s): Paweł Markiewicz / Language(s): English

Keywords: Canada; Justin Trudeau; government; domestic issues; relations with China and US; international trade;

Following the federal elections of 21 October 2019, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) remains a prominent player in parliament. However, it lost its majority and will rule in a minority government. Concerning domestic issues, growing regional differences will demand the government’s attention. The challenge in foreign affairs will be repairing relations with China and avoiding further trade escalations with the U.S. Amid the Chinese-American rivalry, Canada may look for closer relations with the EU.

A Polar Silk Road: The Arctic in China’s Foreign and Economic Policies

A Polar Silk Road: The Arctic in China’s Foreign and Economic Policies

Author(s): Damian Wnukowski / Language(s): English

Keywords: Polar Silk Road; People’s Republic of China; foreign policy; economic policy; The Arctic; Belt and Road Initiative;

The Arctic is playing an increasingly important role in Chinese foreign and economic policy. In January 2018, the Chinese government published a strategy for this region, recognising it as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Arctic is to be used primarily as a source of raw materials and an attractive transport route connecting Eastern Asia with Europe. China’s actions may ultimately challenge the interests of Poland’s allies, including the United States, which should be taken into account when considering cooperation with Chinese entities.

The Role of Private Military Contractors in Russian Foreign Policy

The Role of Private Military Contractors in Russian Foreign Policy

Author(s): Anna Maria Dyner / Language(s): English

Keywords: Russian Federation; private military contractors; foreign policy; legalising private military contractors; state policy;

Private Russian military contractors operate not only in Syria and Ukraine but also in countries where Russian enterprises are investing. Although under Russian law, this type of organisation is prohibited—the State Duma again rejected a bill legalising them—unofficially they enjoy state support because they increase Russia’s military influence and allow the authorities to avoid responsibility for actions carried out by these units in conflict zones.

Getting Ready for Ukraine’s Presidential Elections: Poroshenko’s Plan

Getting Ready for Ukraine’s Presidential Elections: Poroshenko’s Plan

Author(s): Daniel Szeligowski / Language(s): English

Keywords: Ukraine; presidential elections; President Petro Poroshenko; politics; government; reform process;

Since last autumn, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has intensified his preparations for the next presidential elections, scheduled for March 2019. With low public support, he cannot count on repeating his 2014 success, when he won in the first round with almost 55% of the votes. His actions, though aimed at improving ratings and putting rivals on the political defensive, negatively affect the reform process in the country.

Ukraine: Local Government Reform Accelerates, but Slowly

Ukraine: Local Government Reform Accelerates, but Slowly

Author(s): Adriana Skorupska,Piotr Kościński / Language(s): English

Keywords: Ukraine; local government reform; EU assistance; training programmes for officials; Ukrainian government; decentralisation of power;

Local government reform was supposed to be one of the priorities of the Ukrainian government. Despite declarations by political parties and the newly elected president and international support, the pace of change is slow. It is essential that the declarations are followed by more decisive action on the part of the Ukrainian authorities. EU assistance in the form of outside expert help should place a greater emphasis on the preparation of local authorities and communities for reform and include training programmes for officials and local activists.

An International Handbook of Good Practices for Building Resilience against Violent Religious Radicalisation

An International Handbook of Good Practices for Building Resilience against Violent Religious Radicalisation

Author(s): Rositsa Dzhekova,Lilia Yakova / Language(s): English

Keywords: GREASE; CSD; radicalisation; secularism; good practices; Australia, Belgium; France; Germany; the UK; Egypt; Indonesia; Malaysia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Russia

This handbook was created within the framework of the GREASE consortium which focuses on examining the relationship between radicalisation, secularism and the governance of religion. The main objective of the handbook is to outline good practices on resilience-building against violent religious radicalisation. It accomplishes this goal by combining practices from twelve in-depth case studies on violent religious radicalisation in countries in “the West” (Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, the UK), the MENA region (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), South and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia) and countries with history of ethno-nationalist separatist struggles (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia). Based on shared practices, themes and commonalities across this range of country cases, the handbook outlines a common set of good practices. It illustrates these good practices though real examples from the country studies while it recognises that there is “no panacea to violent religiously-inspired radicalisation.” Although the handbook does not make claims that the good practices it identifies are the solution to violent religious radicalisation, such practices can provide valuable practical guidance and orientation to relevant stakeholders in designing resilience efforts. CSD contributed to the content of the handbook through results from the case study it conducted on good practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Capturing the "administrative mind": Polarization of relations between citizens and the state

Одзаробување на „административниот ум“: Поларизација на односите меѓу граѓаните и државата

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Macedonian

Rodne ideologije: kako ekstremisti iskorištavaju borbe za ženska prava i pokreću recipročnu radikalizaciju

Gender Ideologies: How Extremists Exploit Battles Over Women’s Rights and Drive Reciprocal Radicalization

Author(s): Nejra Veljan,Maida Ćehajić Čampara / Language(s): Bosnian

Keywords: gender; ideology; extremism; women's rights; reciprocal radicalization;

Tokom okupljanja krajnje desnice na Svjetskom kongresu porodice u Italiji 2019. godine ultrakonzervativni španski aktivist je izjavio: „Ovaj kulturni rat je globalni rat. Neprijatelji su se infiltrirali u sve institucije, od političkih partija do Ujedinjenih nacija. Ali, trendovi se mjenjaju i sada moramo pokrenuti globalne kampanje u prekograničnom ultrakonzervativnom odgovoru. Moramo preuzeti vlast, direktno ili indirektno, ‘kontroliranjem okruženja’ u kojem djeluju političari.“ Te iste godine, obraćajući se Generalnoj skupštini Ujedinjenih nacija, generalni sekretar UN-a Antonio Guterres naglasio je potrebu za odgovorom na aktualno „protivljenje ženskim pravima“, ističući da svi trebaju „skretati pažnju na uznemirujuće zajedničko obilježje terorističkih napada i ekstremističkih ideologija: nasilnu mizoginiju počinilaca“. Iako oba govora izazivaju strah i oprez, u samo jednom je javno opisan neprijatelj. Mobilizacija nacionalista nakon političkih uspona krajnje desnice i autoritarnih režima u zemljama istočne i zapadne Evrope, i širom svijeta, izrodila je nove oblike ekstremističkih narativa okupljene oko tradicionalnih i vjerskih ideologija, u kojima rod ima važnu ulogu i gdje rasprave o rodnim normama, pitanjima i politikama imaju značajan uticaj na političku mobilizaciju. Rasprave o pobačaju, planiranju porodice, „prirodi“ žena i muškaraca, seksualnom obrazovanju u školama, rodnim studijama na univerzitetima i položaju seksualnih manjina, slijede linije političkih podjela - s krajnjom desnicom na jednom kraju spektra. Evidentno je da su stavovi i kapaciteti desnice ugrađeni u nove nacionalističke politike i retoriku, kao i u populističku i ekstremističku mobilizaciju pod krinkom antifeminističkog narativa. Dominantni desničarski diskurs da su muškarci ugroženi nastojanjima da se uspostavi rodna ravnopravnost doveo je do uspona novih oblika patrijarhata, obojenog nacionalizmom, antiimigrantskom retorikom i mizoginijom. Iz navedenih razloga, rodne analize su ključne za konceptualizaciju i dublje razumijevanje ekstremističkih grupa i mogu nam pomoći ne samo da razumijemo nedovoljno istraženo pitanje intersekcije roda i politike unutar krajnje desnice - nego i da razmislimo o tome kako bi se dinamika ove pojave mogla promijeniti. Nakon okupljanja predstavnika/ca krajnje desnice u Charlottesvilleu, SAD, koje je rezultiralo pogibijom Heather Heyer, krajnje desničarske grupe su se usmjerile protiv preminule, nazivajući je „droljom“ i eksplicitno slaveći njenu smrt. Heyer su opisivali kao „definiciju beskorisnosti“ jer za krajnju desnicu 32-godišnja žena bez djece predstavlja „bezvrijedan teret za društvo“. Navedeni primjer ekstremističke retorike svjedoči o isprepletenom odnosu između krajnje desnice i mizoginije i pokazuje na koji način desničarske grupe i pojedinci svoja uvjerenja zasnivaju na muškoj premoći nad ženama. Protesti u Hrvatskoj nakon ratificiranja Konvencije Vijeća Evrope o sprečavanju i borbi protiv nasilja nad ženama i nasilja u porodici (Istanbulska konvencija), uz povlačenje Turske kao potpisnice i nastojanja Bugarske, Poljske i Mađarske da se distanciraju od Konvencije, dodatno ukazuju na snažnu vezu između uspona krajnje desničarskog populizma, ekstremizma i antifeminizma. Uz uspon i sve veću promociju nacionalističke mobilizacije, povlaćenje iz međunarodnih

Countering Violent Extremism Baseline Program

Countering Violent Extremism Baseline Program

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: BiH; violence; extremism; countering; baseline program;

The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations’ Countering Violent Extremism Baselines Program is a multi-country1 research initiative to identify and monitor key subnational indicators of violent extremism (VE) and community resilience. Implemented in partnership with Management Systems International, the program enables the U.S. Government (USG), partner governments, and civil society to better understand and respond to changing VE dynamics.

Uncapturing the "administrative mind": Polarization of relations between citizens and the state

Одзаробување на „административниот ум“: Поларизација на односите меѓу граѓаните и државата

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Macedonian