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Painful adaptation. The social consequences of the crisis in Russia

Author(s): Jan Strzelecki / Language(s): English

The Russian economy has experienced what has proven to be the most painful crisis for society since Vladimir Putin became President of the Russian Federation for the first time. The crisis has worsened the financial situation of all classes of Russian society due to the high inflation rate and a decrease in real wages. It has severely impacted the standards of living of the most politically active segments of the middle class residing in big cities. For a large portion of society the crisis implies a permanent degradation and the need to focus on physical survival in a situation of poverty and extreme poverty. Crisis caused the decline in the social mood, what sometimes triggers isolated economically-motivated protests. Most of the time, society chooses not to manifest its discontent but to adapt to the new reality by focusing on individual survival strategies and limiting consumption. The government’s tactic aimed at minimising the likelihood of further protests mainly involves stepping up the repressive nature of the system and bolstering official propaganda. This is contributing to a progressing atomisation of society and hampering society’s self-organisation.

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A captive island: Kaliningrad between Moscow and the EU

Author(s): Jadwiga Rogoża,Agata Wierzbowska-Miazga,Iwona Wiśniewska / Language(s): English

The Kaliningrad region can be called a 'captive island', because of its specific geopolitical location - it is part of the Russian legal, political and economic space, yet it is geographically separated from the rest of the Russian Federation, and it is particularly open to co-operation with its neighbours in the European Union. Moscow is trying to compensate the region for its separation, offering it financial support and economic privileges.At the same time, it is sensitive to any potential challenges to Russia's territorial integrity - and the centre's desire for control over the region often limits the latter's potential for cooperation and internal development. This report presents the situation in the region, and is intended to help develop a model for its effective regional co-operation with its EU neighbours.

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The Gas Target Model for the Visegrad 4 Region

Author(s): Sergio Ascari / Language(s): English

The similarity of issues and geographical proximity have led the Visegrad 4 countries (V4) to undertake closer collaboration in natural gas policy, notably by agreeing on a common security of supply strategy, including regional emergency planning, and a common implementation of the Gas Target Model (GTM) that European regulators have proposed for the medium-long term design of the EU gas market, and which has been endorsed by the Madrid Regulatory Forum. As a contribution to this collaboration, the present paper will analyse how the GTM may be implemented in the V4 region, with a view to maximize the benefits that arise from joint implementation. A most relevant conclusion of the GTM is that markets should be large enough to attract market players and investments, so that sufficient diversity of sources may be reached and market power indicators are kept below dangerous levels. In most cases, this requires physical and/or virtual interconnection of present markets, which is also useful to achieve the required security of supply standards, as envisaged in the Regulation 994/2010/EC.

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The turn to the East. The flawed diversification of Russian foreign policy

Author(s): Witold Rodkiewicz / Language(s): English

The ‘turn to the East’ proclaimed by Russia in 2010 has failed to bring about a fundamental breakthrough in her relations with Asian countries, nor has it produced impulses for the economic modernization of Russia’s Far Eastern territories. Although the energisation of Russian policy towards Asia which has taken place under this slogan has diversified Russian foreign policy somewhat, this diversification has two weak points: Firstly, it has occurred only in the political sphere. The share of Asian countries in Russia’s foreign economic relations has not risen significantly in comparison with the share of European and North American countries. Secondly, the ‘turn to the East’ has turned out primarily to be a turn towards China. In all spheres – diplomatic, economic, energy and military – it is Beijing that has become the most important Asian partner for Moscow. The result is that the policy that aimed to limit the excessive – in the Kremlin’s view – dependence of Russia on the West is likely to turn Russia into a ‘junior partner’ of the People’s Republic of China.

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Ramzanistan. Russia's Chechen Problem

Author(s): Maciej Falkowski / Language(s): English

The political activity and growing independence of Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov raises questions about his loyalty and the possibility of his openly renouncing his servitude to Moscow. Such a scenario seems unlikely because of the dependence of Kadyrov’s regime on Russia. He is burdened by his republic’s financial dependence, the stain of collaboration and the crimes committed on his own people, and so his regime cannot exist without Moscow’s support. However, Kadyrov’s dependence on Moscow and the apparent stability of the situation in Chechnya do not mean that a lasting peace has been established there. The current plan for governing the republic and the relationship between Moscow and Grozny is a temporary solution, based not on durable solutions, but on the situational convergence of the Kremlin and Kadyrov’s interests. A change of government in the Kremlin, or to an even greater degree a domestic crisis in Russia which weakens its position in the Caucasus, would mean the fall of Kadyrov’s regime, and the reactivation of pro-independence rhetoric in Chechnya.

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The Free State of Bavaria. The end of the CSU’s sovereign duchy?

Author(s): Kamil Frymark / Language(s): English

The Christian Social Union (CSU) has ruled Bavaria continuously for sixty years. The CSU’s domination of the state’s political scene, together with its influence on federal policies through its partnership with the CDU in the Bundestag, has made the party one of the most effective groups in Europe. This was confirmed in the election to Bavaria’s Landtag in October 2018, which the CSU has won once again. At the same time, the party is being confronted by other conservative groupings, mainly Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which has a similar profile to the CSU in several aspects. This, combined with the outflow of similarly sized groups of voters to the AfD and to the Greens, as well as to Freie Wähler, means the CSU is facing a new challenge that involves creating a comprehensive political agenda without losing the party’s conservative identity. The purpose of this report in to present the place the CSU occupies on the political map of Germany and the importance of this grouping for Bavaria. It discusses the changes happening both within the CSU and in Bavaria itself and the possible scenarios for the development of the party and of the state. To study these processes, the author has mainly used the methodology of observing political developments and analysing documents published by the German government, as well as Bavaria’s laws and documents compiled by the CSU. This has been complemented by interviews with German experts.

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Wolny Kraj Bawaria. Koniec udzielnego księstwa CSU?

Author(s): Kamil Frymark / Language(s): Polish

W Bawarii nieprzerwanie od sześćdziesięciu lat rządzi Unia Chrześcijańsko- Społeczna (CSU). Dominacja CSU na landowej scenie politycznej oraz jej wpływ na politykę federalną poprzez wspólną frakcję z Unią Chrześcijańsko- -Demokratyczną (CDU) w Bundestagu uczyniły z tej partii jedno z najbardziej skutecznych ugrupowań w Europie. Potwierdziły to wybory do parlamentu związkowego Bawarii w październiku 2018 roku, które CSU po raz kolejny wygrała. Jednocześnie partia jest konfrontowana z innymi ugrupowaniami konserwatywnymi, przede wszystkim Alternatywą dla Niemiec (AfD), która ma w kilku aspektach zbliżony profil do CSU. Zarazem odpływ podobnie licznych grup wyborców do AfD i do partii Zielonych, a także do Wolnych Wyborców stawia CSU przed nowym dylematem stworzenia szerokiej oferty programowej bez utraty konserwatywnej tożsamości. Celem opracowania jest przedstawienie miejsca CSU na mapie politycznej RFN oraz znaczenia tego ugrupowania dla Bawarii. Zarysowano zmiany zachodzące zarówno w CSU, jak i kraju związkowym, wskazano także możliwe scenariusze rozwoju partii oraz landu. Do zbadania tych procesów wykorzystano przede wszystkim metodę obserwacji wydarzeń politycznych oraz analizę niemieckich dokumentów rządowych, aktów prawnych landu Bawarii oraz dokumentów CSU. Przeprowadzono także rozmowy z niemieckimi ekspertami.

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28.93 €

Dopady vybraných veřejných politik na regionální rozvoj v České a Slovenské republice: Vědecký sborník

Author(s): / Language(s): Slovak,Czech

The proceedings include partial results from the second year of the research in both fields, i.e. the public sector and the financial sector. The results were presented at a seminar held in Šlapanice on 24 and 25th November 2011. Compared to the last proceedings, in which the main topic was the public sector, this year’s outputs focused on the financial sector.

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20.66 €

Destinační management jako nástroj regionální politiky cestovního ruchu

Author(s): Andrea Holešinská / Language(s): Czech

The monograph deals with the theoretical-methodological basis of destination management as a specific form of managing that is applied in the field of tourism. The monograph is based on the premise that tourism is a major factor in regional development and therefore it covers the tourism policy issue concerning the institutional instrument of regional tourism policy which is able to provide effective tourism development in a region. Besides the theoretical base, the monograph presents results of several researches that prove the application of destination management into practice. Foreign experience in destination management is analyzed and is used as a comparison to the conditions in the Czech Republic.

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27.50 €

Přímé a nepřímé financování soukromých neziskových organizací z veřejných rozpočtů České republiky v letech 2008 až 2013

Author(s): Zuzana Prouzová / Language(s): Czech

The economic power of non-governmental and non-profit organizations (NGO-NPOs), whether considering the broader or narrower definition of the private non-profit sector, is not very large in comparison with other sectors. The distinguishing characteristic of the non-profit sector is that it exists in areas where common interest is promoted and public services are provided. These areas are less intensive in terms of financial capital, although they depend on human capital. The significance of NPOs lies in activating human capital, generating free voluntary work, creating free non-market production, and producing goods for economically insignificant prices. In 2008–2013, the definition of non-profit organizations developed by the Czech Statistical Office’s Satellite Account of Non profit Institutions (SÚNI) included 13 legal forms. There were 6 legal forms for NGO-NPOs (of which three forms were a mere selection. There were 84,000–127,000 organisations in the Czech Republic in total) for the years 2008–2013. In 2008, there were 66,000 NGO-NPOs. The share of non-profit organizations in GDP (calculated by means of the expenditure method) was 1.6%, in 2008. In 2008–2013, 100,000–105,000 people (full time equivalent) worked for non-profit organisations, i.e. the share in the employment rate was 1.96–2.09 %. Volunteering also played an important role (25,000–27,000 volunteers, full time equivalent).

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20.60 €

Tři archetypy evropské sociální politiky

Author(s): František Svoboda / Language(s): Czech

A brief look into an etymological dictionary will show that the term economics is indirectly derived from the word nemein, meaning distribute, allot, apportion one‘s due. This implication is connected with the name of the Greek goddess of vengeance, Nemesis. The word economics therefore includes more than just a concern for economy: italso embodies the desire for justice.With respect to justice, the book does not consider its commutative form, but rather the distributive branch, where the examined problem consists in the use of private property for philanthropic and charitable purposes as opposed to the selfishness of one’s own benefit. In its final shape, the text subsumes three institutions of charity, or three universal patterns of behavior transmitted by education and culture, whose long line of development within European civilization can be followed from today’s complex system of social policies back to the realizations adopted in ancient Greece and Rome, obviously not excluding the essential intermezzo of medieval Christianity. The three institutions of charity are as follows: a gift (or alms), work (or an offer of sustenance), and loan. Eventhough specific activities of charitable organizations have been periodically transformed along with changes within the cultural and economic milieu, the patterns of human behavior remained the same.

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16.53 €

Bosna v chorvatských národně-integračních ideologiích 19. století

Author(s): Petr Stehlík / Language(s): Czech

The work comprehensively characterizes and assesses the status and role of Bosnia in Croatian national integration ideologies, which greatly contributed to the formation of modern Croatian nation in the 19th century (Illyrism, Yugoslavism, “Pravaštvo“). The text is written from a historical perspective and based on the comparative analysis of political and literary sources of the time. Although Bosnia has been a subject of interest for practically all generations of Croatian politicians, no similar work has been written so far, describing the transformations and constant ideas about the historical, political and national status of Bosnia, outlining the creation of the image of Bosnia and its inhabitants in the Croatian milieu.

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26.69 €

Národní parlamenty a evropská integrace: kolektivní aktér politického systému EU?

Author(s): Petr Kaniok / Language(s): Czech

The book is concerned with the role that national parliaments of EU Member states have had as a collective actor in the EU political system. The publication explains the historical development of this actorness and analyses its current form. In this regard, this monograph evaluates the use of instruments that have been provided to the national parliaments by the Lisbon Treaty. It explains why and to what extent the parliaments participate in collective scrutiny. The main finding of the book is that parliaments primarily understand their collective actorness as a brake to further European integration. Academic findings of the book are also set in general political context, stressing the need to improve the efficiency of parliaments in this role.

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31.82 €

Understanding Policy Attitudes: Effects of Affective Source Cues on Political Reasoning

Author(s): Lenka Hrbková / Language(s): English

How do citizens form their political attitudes? How do political actors influence people’s political views in their everyday lives? Do people’s feelings towards political parties and politicians influence the public opinion? The book presents a series of laboratory experiments focused on the formation processes of citizens’ attitudes to political issues in the context of their emotional attachments to political actors. The research puts emphasis on negativity and negative feelings of citizens towards political actors and shows that this type of negative attachment influences the way people think about political issues. Since the experimental method is a newcomer in the field of Czech political science, the volume’s ambition is also to introduce experiments as a relevant and useful tool for extending knowledge of substantial political processes and phenomena.

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23.14 €

Pravé, věrné a křesťanské příměřie…: Dohody o příměří mezi husity a stranou markraběte Albrechta na jižní Moravě

Author(s): Petr Elbel / Language(s): Czech

The monograph addresses a hitherto neglected area in the history of the Hussite Wars – the truce agreements between the warring parties. It focuses on South Moravia, where an interesting collection of these agreements from 1427–1433 has been preserved. The author focuses on the form of these agreements and subsequently places them within the wider context of the Hussite history in the region and elsewhere. The analysis of the truce agreements as a whole extends our knowledge of the political history of the Hussite era, provides information on the history of the everyday and expands our knowledge of the topography and prosopography of Hussite South Moravia. The book includes of the documents analysed a clearly laid-out table, a map, and an appendix of photographs.

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23.97 €

Panie k deťom a na upratovanie: Podoby platenej práce v domácnosti

Author(s): Zuzana Sekeráková Búriková / Language(s): Slovak

The monograph describes the emerging market of paid household work in Slovakia which is rather unusual: Unlike in other European countries, Slovak households mostly do not hire female migrants as domestic helpers but rather women who share nationality with those who hire them.

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23.80 €

Politicization in the Natural Gas Sector in South-Eastern Europe: Thing of the Past or Vivid Present?

Author(s): Martin Jirušek / Language(s): English

"In the last decade, there has been a number of mutual accusations of politicization of energy supplies between Russia and the West. These accusations came on heels with the general worsening of mutual relations between these two blocks. The biggest concerns have been related to gas supplies that were in the centre of the most serious supply crisis in January of 2009. The southeastern European states sustained the hardest blow as all Russian gas supplies flowing through Ukraine were stopped. On top of that, the impact on these states was more severe than in other parts of Europe due to their import dependency and structure of economies. In this book, the author addresses the question whether Russia really misuses gas supplies for its policy goals and what are the conditions for such use. Based on 13 case studies, the author examines whether Russia, through the state-owned company Gazprom and its subsidiaries, subscribes to the so-called strategic approach to energy policy. In other words, whether these companies serve as foreign policy tools of its homeland government."

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26.03 €

České předsednictví Rady EU – most přes minulost

Author(s): Petr Kaniok / Language(s): Czech

The book analyzes the Czech EU Council Presidency from the first half of 2009. The book consists of twelfe chapters describing and analyzing all aspects of Czech EU Presidency. The Presidency is analyzed in wide context, including case studies on preceeding French EU Council Presidency and suceeding Swedish EU Council Presidency.

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28.10 €

Liberální demokracie v době krize: Perspektiva politické filosofie

Author(s): / Language(s): Czech

Liberal democracy seems to be facing systemic threats that can be no longer labelled as normal oscillations in trust or explained as retreat of political activity to non-electoral participatory spheres. This volume brings together several key debates in political philosophy and theory which aim to provide responses to the perceived difficulties of liberal democracies. The authors share the conviction that the announced crisis of liberal democracy has important political roots – in other words, that its origins are to be primarily looked for in the normative background and institutional structure of extant liberal-democratic political systems. At the same time the book aims to provide an “advanced introduction” to contemporary debates in political philosophy, so that both students and researchers can draw on a balanced exposition of some central problems which animate political thinking about deeper roots of the systemic crisis of liberal democracy.

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Data analysis in the maritime domain

Author(s): Milena Stróżyna,Witold Abramowicz,Krzysztof Węcel,Dominik Filipiak,Jacek Małyszko / Language(s): English

The book delivers a rich set of foundations, state-of-the-art knowledge, new approaches and methods for the purpose of anomalies detection, maritime traffic analysis as well as risk and reliability assessment. It addresses relevant research problems at the intersection of maritime transport in global economies, reliability and risk assessment, and information systems and data processing. The book provides a theoretical overview of available maritime data sources and approaches for maritime data analysis, as well as a set of novel tools and methods for maritime data retrieval, fusion, and analysis. The proposed methods are evaluated on real-life AIS data, covering the entire world and more than 200 thousands of vessels, illustrating how they may be used for anomaly detection and risk assessment. The primary audience of the book are researchers from the fields of computer science and maritime transport as well as logistics service providers, shipping companies and port authorities companies that need support in managing security, safety, and risk of maritime transport services in global economies by making use of large-scale data processing.

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