Around the Bloc: Bulgarian City Bans Islamic Veils
In the same city, 14 Muslims are on trial for extremism and spreading religious hatred.
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In the same city, 14 Muslims are on trial for extremism and spreading religious hatred.
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The political thought of Kim Il Sung is defined in world literature in terms of the concepts of Juche or kimilsungism. Juche emerged in the mid-1950s and was influenced by the events that took place in the Soviet Union and the whole international communist movement after Stalin's death (1953) and the XX Congress of the CPSU (1956). In the initial phase, these ideas involved general teachings of the classics adapted to the specific circumstances and characteristics of North Korea. Soon, however, in opposition to the policies of Khrushchev in the Soviet Union, and with the escalating conflict between the Soviet Union and the PRC, they took on a decidedly nationalistic and xenophobic character. Since the mid-60s, Juche has contained explicitly anti-foreign ideas against both the USSR and China, and the rest of the world. In practice, the political thought of Kim Il Sung is a conglomerate of Stalinism, Maoism, traditionalism, nationalism and racism. This ideological explosive mixture has created a system that can be described as being fulfilled in terms of totalitarianism. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the communist bloc countries have led to even greater nationalization of the political thought of Kim Il Sung. In the new situation, all references to communism have been abandoned and replaced primarily by nationalism and racism.
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Premier of Hungary, which is also planning a legal challenge, says EU to announce ‘secret agreement’ to resettle up to 500,000 Syrian refugees from Turkey.
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The European Union has recently implemented one of the biggest reform packages in its history. Developed solutions are designed to (1) strengthen EU’s resilience to shocks and (2) improve its shock absorption capabilities. It seems that so far the stress was mainly placed on the first objective. Among the reforms which satisfied the second objective the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) plays the key role. However, this is not the only solution. The European Union is also developing a fiscal capacity for the European Monetary Union (EMU). On the base of a subject literature study, I have developed a model with boundary conditions of fiscal federalism (FF), which then was compared to macroeconomic data for the EU. The results of my findings show that the European Union, and especially the euro area, share a lot of characteristics typical for fiscal federalism. The biggest difference between EMU’s structure and FF model is in-sufficient size of central budget. As a result, the euro area is not equipped with stabilization tools which could act on the very early stage of a crisis. From this point of view, implementation of fiscal capacity in the form of central budget could fill this gap. However, it could bring further fragmentation of economic integration process in the EU, which probably would not positively contribute towards the stability in the political sphere.
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The intention of the author of this paper is to present a scientific analysis of the influence of culture and the cultural diplomacy of the European Union on the animation and stimulation of Europe’s integration process, which is in a constant state of perturbation and lack of stability. It examines the problem-related approach to the European Union’s change and development strategy, including the „Europe 2020” strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, which envisages the implementation of many new communal initiatives and practical solutions introduced by the European Union, including ones that concern both the cultural sector and the creative and audiovisual sector. The European Union, from 2020 onwards, intends to be ready to reach a high level of employment and efficiency, and a higher level of social integration. To enable this, the European Union must ensure attractive framework conditions for innovation and creativity. In that respect, the cultural sector and the creative and audiovisual sector are the source of groundbreaking ideas which may develop into products and services that could contribute to economic growth and job creation, thereby fighting the crisis and social problems. The economic and social crisis in Europe has also been influencing the world of culture. A series of problematic issues associated with the fragmentation of culture and its inventions are identified, including globalisation and digitalisation, underinvestment, inadequate protection of intellectual property and copyright, and insufficient international cultural cooperation.
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A few decades have passed since the behavioral revolution in American political science occurred. The paper presents main factors leading to the domination of behavioralism in political studies in the USA, in the 50. and 60. of the XXth century. They were of both intellectual and institutional nature. Disappointment with research results achieved within the institutional paradigm as well as the growing popularity of neopositivism should be mentioned among the former. Generous nancial support of research dedicated to human behavior seems to be crucial in the institutional context. Basic assumptions of behavioral political science are discussed in depth in the text. They are: rigorous methodology, the emphasis on the theory construction and the exclusion of values from the research process. The successive part of the text presents the dynamics of the behavioralism evolution and major planes of its critique. The most important of the latter include: the problem of engagement of political science in resolution of political and social problems as well as methods appropriate to political inquiry. In fact they are the same problems which are debated in political science since its emergence. Thus, behavioralism while gaining remarkable signi cance, has not resolved the basic problems of the scholarly identity of political science.
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The EU's migration commissioner is in Slovenia to discuss its urgent call for help.
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Poland’s history reflects the vicissitudes of the successes and difficult experiences of our statehood. It was a whirl of events we took part in, starting from the ancient times of the Piast dynasty and ending with the communist period. The post-Yalta order introduced in Europe after the atrocities of WWII divided Europe and the entire world into two blocs. Poland found itself in the Communist one. The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has a special role to play. Executing its statutory obligations on behalf of Poland, it is supposed to redress the injustices suffered by the Polish nation during the periods of Nazism and Communism. The IPN has undertaken the task of resolving this difficult past from 1939–1989. A crucial and inherent element of this process involves educational and research activities that allow the IPN to present the truth about this difficult period, after the truth about Polish history was distorted for nearly half a century and the heroes of the struggle for independence were doomed to oblivion. Restoring memory is about redressing the victims and honouring them which is indispensable from the point of view of the moral activities of the State institutions on behalf of which the IPN operates, as well as about academic and educational activities addressed at the youngest generation, allowing them to learn history while learning and having fun. The activities of the IPN are also addressed to the older generations, revising the former picture of Polish history conveyed by the communist State.
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The article presents an overview of the history of the Polish cultural relations with China. It covers the period from XII/XIII century to the year 2013. In the distant past Polish missionaries travelled to China and acquired knowledge on this country and its rich cultural heritage. The most prominent person of that epoch was Michal Boym, a devoted and courageous Jesuit, one of the best European specialist on China in XVII century. The establishment of diplomatic relations with the New China on 1949, was a turning-point in Polish-Chinese relations. Its concerned also cultural cooperation. Ever since started process of better reciprocal knowledge, especially in sphere of literature where even were some interaction. At the last years important role in cultural relations played a big projects as Polish participation in EXPO 2010 in Shanghai and the Year of Chopin. Increasing role played also initiatives of Polish cultural institutions in China and presence and development of teaching Chinese language at Universities and by Institutes of Confucius. The development of political cooperation between both countries and new Chinese initiatives concerning: bilateral relations, relations China with 16 Central and Eastern European countries and relations the EU – China permit to have great expectation for a future of Polish-Chinese cooperation, cultural cooperation included.
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Indonesia, the world’s fourth populous country, has an attractive value proposition for international businesses and investors. The economy is rapidly growing and by 2030 the country could become the world’s 7th-largest economy. However, there are still lacks of information among Polish resources about this market, especially concerning legal issues.The aim of this article is to introduce the general framework of the legal system in Indonesia such as the overview of Indonesian law through historical aspects; separation of powers (including description about executive, judiciary and legislative’s bodies), sources of law (written law and unwritten law as well).This publication contains general information, which will be more developed in further articles to make Polish readers more familiar with Indonesian issues.
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Krishna follower faces sanctions for speaking to passers-by and handing out religious books.
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The paper discusses the internal and external migration in Ukraine over the twelve months of 2014 in order to demonstrate how the political crisis and armed conflict influenced the mobility of Ukrainian citizens. The paper analyses the issue of internal resettlers with respect to their numbers and locations of their greatest concentration. It also discusses the activities of the Ukrainian authorities, aiming to protect and assist people moving around Ukraine. The issues of Ukrainian citizens migrating abroad are also considered (including the number of refugees and destinations), with particular emphasis on Poland.
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Agricultural real estate has a special place in national economies, and is of crucial political importance. Many investors believe that real properties are areas with high potential of the growth of value, in part due to the demand for food, and in part due to the ability to change their function to the commercial one. The aim of the article is to present the institutional and legal conditions of investment in agricultural real estate in Poland in force until 1 May 2016, with an attempt to assess the attractiveness of such investment and an indication of the potential effects that will be caused by recent changes in legislation. The author analyses the legal conditions of investing in agricultural property in Poland against the principles adopted in selected EU countries, which allows her to identify differences and similarities in the treatment of agricultural property in Poland and the selected EU countries. In addition, she analyses the market size through the volume of transactions of agriculture real estate in Poland, conducts the analysis of changes in the prices of agricultural land in Poland, pointing out changes in the price of such land in the selected European countries. The research also includes the volume of purchase of agricultural real estate by foreigners in Poland. The author uses the study of literature, legal acts, the analysis of the existing data and own calculations.
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This text has been adopted from the book Poszukiwanie optymizmu w epoce pesymizmu. Europa Wschodnia – przeczucia i prognozy (Searching for optimism in the times of pessimism. Eastern Europe – intuitions and prognoses) which is a collection of letters between Tomas Venclova and Leonidas Donskis. The book was published by the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe in 2015.
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The article focuses on the changes in political leadership on local governance level emphasizing the attitudes and values of local residents towards different visions of local democratic participation. The main problematic issue discuses the changes in the local political leadership referring to the context of self-governance administrative reforms. It also attempts to grasp the normative symbolic changes in attitudes and values on civic empowerment and democratic participation in decision-making processes. The theoretical conception of the article is based on a dual notion of local democracy, including distinction among representative and participatory modes of democratic participation on the municipal level. The concept of local democracy is regarded as a set of different attitudes and values of citizens towards the participation in local democratic decision-making mechanism. The theoretical discussion is complemented with the results of quantitative public opinion survey of Lithuanian habitants (over 18 years old) performed in February – March 2016. The main objective of the survey was to investigate the notions of Lithuanian habitants on mayor᾽s functions, power positions and leadership roles. Another crucial aspect examines the impact of decentralization and local governance reforms on democratic participation of local habitants on municipal level. Empirical results reveal the distinction among different attitudes towards participatory and representative local democracy types in local self-governance, which depends on variety of social-demographic factors. Common evaluation of self-governance aims, including economic development and encouragement of civic participation, as well as general assessment of self-governance performance becomes one of the main predictors to define the specificity of the local democracy mode in Lithuania.
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This article commemorates the signing of the agreement on local border traffic between the Second Polish Republic and the Weimar Republic on 30 December 1924. This year, 91 years have passed since that event. It should be emphasized that this was not the only such international agreement, as Poland entered into similar ones with Czechoslovakia (1925) and the Kingdom of Romania (1929).According to the author, solutions specified in the Polish-German treaties are sometimes better than those currently defined in agreements with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, as indicated by the analysis of the documents. The achievements of the historical-legal acts can and should be used in the creation of the Polish concept of boundaries and rights.
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Historically, the Balkan Peninsula is marked as an area where the Ottoman Empire made its influence known. The notion of Balkan space is often thought of in a negative way, being associated with the so called „Powder Keg of Europe”. At the start of the nineteenth century, the peninsula was divided by the Ottoman and Habsburg empires. One century later, the same lands are divided up by six states. No less than 11 wars and countless armed conflicts were necessary in order to get to this result. For the Europeans that lived at the start of the last century, the Balkans represented a terra incognita, a particular area, slightly explored, constantly avoided, carrying the burden of violence. A territory filled with terror and endless strife, conjuring up unpleasant images: political instability, secret societies, and atrocities. This study shows the manner in which diplomacy tried to play a major role in this region’s stability through its fundamental concepts (summits, international conferences, parliamentary diplomacy, the international activities of transnational and sub-national entities, the unofficial diplomacy of non-governmental elements, as well as the work put in by numerous international civil employees). Also, it will incline towards the last phase of the balance of power system, more specifically on its ending through the first Balkan war. Diplomacy is often mistaken for „foreign policy” or „external relations”, but the terms are not synonymous. Diplomacy is the main, yet not the only tool of foreign policy. On the other hand, foreign policy establishes goals, provides strategies and enforces measures that must be used in order for complete those goals. Diplomacy is therefore the main substitute for using violence, force or subversive tactics; it is the peaceful way in which two or more states can negotiate a common foreign policy
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This paper analyzes the conditions of bringing local authorities and officials to political responsibility within the municipal reform in the Russian Federation. The author’s attention is focused on the problem of differentiation between political and legal responsibilities at the municipal level. The grounds for political responsibility may be a law violation for which measures of legal responsibility have already been applied to an offender. In certain cases the subjects of local government bear political responsibility for the behavior of other people.
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The article outlines possible links between three types of narrative: conspiracy, critical and crime narratives. The basic methodological assumption here is that questions need to be asked about how a narrative works rather than about what genre it represents. The essay’s thesis raises questions about the need to change our understanding of the role of conspiracy theories in reconstructing the causes and courses of events. The authors argue in support of conspiracy theory as a potential narrative, because they find nothing particular in its means of reasoning that would allow us to draw a distinct boundary between conspiracy theory and critical theory within the meaning proposed by Bruno Latour. A crime narrative – Zygmunt Miłoszewski’s novel Grain of Truth – is used as a tool to analyse the functioning of a conspiracy narrative in the detective story. Utilising the division into classical and non-classical conspiracy meta-narratives proposed by Franciszek Czech, the authors of the article ask questions about the limits of the detective’s rational conduct, and the sources of his hypotheses and means of argumentation.
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