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This analysis sets the political scene for the Serbian elections of April 24, 2016. It relates the efforts of the Hungarian national community of the 1990’s to the fate of this northern province of the country. Besides presenting the circumstances and results of the elections, it also describes the challenges and tasks facing the new government in relation to the Hungarian community. The author identifies the long-lasting problems and controversies which have been resolved or partially resolved in Serbian-Hungarian relation. It also points to the issues that require further efforts to be settled.
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In Romania, parliamentary elections were held on December 11, 2016. The elections were organized in a proportional system with county-level party lists, mostly reflecting the pre- 2008 election system of the country. The elections, − for the most part because of the low turnout of the electorate of the PNL, − resulted in a left-leaning coalition consisting of the PSD and the ALDE. The elected government seems to be stable; however, the Romanian party system is rather unpredictable and tends to change surprisingly often. Concerning the results of the Hungarian party it can be said that the negative tendency ended at the 2016 election, and the ratio of votes cast for the RMDSZ reached the results of 2004 and 2008 again.
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In the early 1990s Greece blocked the international recognition of the Republic of Macedonia under that name and is currently blocking accession of this country to NATO and EU demanding name changes, which the government of Skopje refuses to adopt. The Macedonia name dispute is a clash over historical narratives and the right to claim origins of the Macedonian ethnic group and nation today and in the ancient past. For Greece, the key element is winning the argument over the legitimacy of ancient Macedon as a Greek state and not having the name Macedonia used by its northern neighbour. For the Republic, the intricacies of the ancient history are only instrumental to the recognition of the country under its constitutional name and the unblocking of the Euro-Atlantic integration. Consequently, the only way to resolve the seemingly intractable name dispute between Greece and Macedonia is to deal with the historical and identity issues that both sides care most for and ignore those that are not important for the resolution or could be left aside to be disagreed upon without political consequences. A political solution with an agreed international name for the country ‘Republic of Makedonija’ is likely to solve the dispute and improve the relations between the two countries.
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The topic of the so-called Dobrudja “Mahzar” is an inseparable part of the events in the area between the Danube and the Black Sea that preceded and followed the Craiova Treaty of 1940. On the one hand, this topic illustrates one of the methods used by Romanian propaganda to preserve the territorial status quo with regard to Southern Dobrudja. On the other hand, the case of the Declaration of loyalty to Romania casts light on the state of the Bulgarian community in Dobrudja and its loyalties on the eve and after the Treaty that divided “definitely and forever” this land between Bulgaria and Romania. The paper presents in the form of an investigation the history of this Declaration, considering the Bulgarians’ participation in the initiative, and its consequences. The controversial topic raises the question of the possible and impossible dual loyalties of minorities.
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The article gives general characterisation of the ways in which these organizations use modern communication technologies. Currently, every major terrorist organisation maintain robust media wings, which focus on producing videos, publishing magazines and sharing them with the public via the Web. The empirical system of reference is based on the activity of al-Qaeda, her franchise AQAP (al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) and ISIS (the so-called Islamic State). While analysing the media of terrorist organisations, the Lasswell model was applied. This formula is a standard research procedure used for investigating acts of communication by answering the questions: who, says what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect?. The author also present typology of videos produced by jihadist organisations, characterised the most important and active media actions of terrorist organisations and a typology of recipients of such messages. The article presents a number of reasons why the Internet has become such an important tool for terrorists.
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While the scope of the paper is to assess the actions undertaken by the European Union towards the FSU-CIS (the former Soviet Union, Commonwealth of Independent States) which was manifested through the Eastern Partnership Initiative in the years 2008–2014, the focus will be centred on theoretical concepts and their ‘explanatory power’ rather than actions undertaken by European or Russian decision makers. Taking that into the account, this essay will critically assess the explanatory power of the neorealist school of thought which although overtly criticized, still remains a viable tool in explaining the processes occurring in international relations.
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In recent years, armed conflicts have changed in nature (civil war, ‘terrorism’) and the means used are increasingly technological (robotisation, cyberwar). Faced with these developments, some would claim International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is outdated. While these technological innovations present new challenges in the application of IHL, it still constitutes a relevant legal framework for armed conflicts and the conduct of hostilities. Indeed, the flexibility of IHL allows it to adapt to contemporary conflicts. Therefore, this shows that the statements about its obsolescence are primarily political in nature.
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The author analyses the dynamics of the Polish party system in the light of the outcomes of the parliamentary elections in the Third Republic of Poland (since 1989). He exposes especially the last element of that evolution – the 2015 parliamentary election. It resulted in the victory of Law and Justice (PiS) party. For the first time in the history of democratic Poland, the victor was able to create a government without having to negotiate with coalition partners. The success of PiS seems to be a result of the combination of several factors. It would be mistaken to portray an emerging situation as a simple rightist win. PiS to some extent represents a social attitude, typical for the socialist (social-democratic) parties, with some part of the program including a populist message, but with the combination of a conservative approach to several issues and nationalistic stand on a perception of patriotic mood. The important meaning has a support of PiS by the Catholic Church, especially at the grass-roots level. The victory of PiS and forming of the majority government have an important meaning for the functioning of the political parties’ system in Poland. For the first time since 1989, there were not balancing of power situation which the coalition governments have brought about. The political parties, creating the opposition in parliament, must offer a new strategy of behaviour in such circumstances, especially dealing with challenging the PiS policy to compromise a democratic system based on the 1997 Constitution, e.g. division of power, position of the Constitutional Tribunal and functioning of the judiciary.
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In the article are examined problems of labour emigration, causes and effects of international emigrant processes are analysed for the future of Ukraine.
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The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the place of Ukraine among other countries by the level of budget openness, to specify the disadvantages inherent in different groups of countries in order to justify the directions of increasing the efficiency and transparency of the budget process and budget management in Ukraine. The methodology of calculating the Open Budget Index, which is calculated by the International Budget Partnership since 2006, is explored. Based on the analysis of the Reports of 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2015 years, the results of a comparative analysis of the position of Ukraine among the rest of the world by the level of openness (transparency) of the budget using the data of the Open Budget Index are presented. A grouping of countries was conducted using a matrix approach to establish the relationship between the levels of the Open Budget Index and the levels of public participation, oversight by legislature and oversight by the Supreme Audit Institution. Taking into account the number of countries covered by the Opne Budget Index, a detailed analysis of the indicators of a group of 28 countries in Europe and Central Asia, covering 27.5% of all countries covered by the study, and which includes Ukraine, has been made. Taking into account the indicators presented in the Report of the International Budget Partnership, in order to more accurately characterize the content of the evaluated processes, the feasibility of using the title "Index of Openness (Transparency) of Budget Management" is substantiated. The necessity of the analysis of the influence of the quality of budgetary management on other international indices has been substantiated in order to reveal their interrelation and to substantiate the directions of development of the system of budget management. The shortcomings inherent to various groups of countries of the world with the purpose of substantiation of directions of increase of efficiency and transparency of budgetary process and budget management in Ukraine are specified. The results of the comparative analysis show that more attention should be paid to public participation, since at a low level of this indicator it is not possible to reach a high level of Open Budget Index, even by creating an effective system of supervision and control by the legislature and Supreme Audit Institution.
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The paper is devoted to the research of strategic aspects of the development of innovative-integrated structures in Ukraine in the conditions of the globalization of economic relations in the world. The relevance of developing the innovative strategies of economy's management at the level of state and its regions, implementation the effective innovation policy and appropriate mechanisms for its realization with using the modern forms, methods, levers, instruments of regulation of the innovation processes are emphasized. On the basis of the analysis of tendencies in the sphere of innovation activity and socio-economic development of the country as a whole, the lack of favorable prerequisites for the significant dissemination of innovative-integrated structures at the current stage of development of the national economy has been stated.The expediency of a strategic approach to the regulation of the processes of creation and development of the innovative-integrated structures in Ukraine has been underlined, which is aimed to the long-term management on basis the defined goals and using the set of means regarding their achievement, taking into account the actions of external and internal conditions and the dynamics of their change.The purpose and content of the main components of the strategic approach to the development of innovative-integrated structures, such as a strategic analysis and monitoring, strategic forecasting, strategic planning, strategic management, are defined.The peculiarities of applying of the modern strategic instrumentation of development of the innovative-integrated structures are substantiated to which of what are been: a foresight research, branding of territories, territorial benchmarking, program-target method, scenario method, etc.
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The article considers the issues of legal support of state regulation of innovation activity in Ukraine. The lack of legal framework in the innovation sector is a significant factor contributing to the formation and development of innovative activity and the effective use of the existing intellectual potential of the country and its regions. Many barriers exist in laws and regulations, which ultimately adversely affect the formation and development of an innovative climate in the state and its regions, taking into account socio-economic and political instability.The purpose of the article is to study the degree of legislative provision of state regulation of innovation activity in Ukraine and the search for directions for its improvement in conditions of socio-economic instability. The author determines the basic Ukrainian laws which regulate the innovative activity in Ukraine. The paper substantiates the necessity of legislative framework improvement for the implementation and normal operation of the model of innovative development in Ukraine. The drawbacks of the present legislative base of innovation activity regulation in Ukraine are analyzed. The article determines the main features of the innovative activity and the ways of implementation of innovative activity regulation. It was determined that regional legislation in the field of regulation of innovation activity may be more progressive than at the national level. In addition, it will not only complement it, but fill in the gaps, especially in terms of terminology, rights and responsibilities of the parties to the innovation process and in other issues related to the specific activity of innovation-integrated structures.
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The article deals with the basic aspects of regulation on the definition and control of customs value of goods in European countries. The methods of customs valuation used in the EU, the main elements of the procedure of the correctness of its determination, especially the settlement of disputes in this area. The analysis and expediency of implementation of articles of the Customs Code of the EU in defining and controlling the customs value of goods in domestic practice.Thus, the purpose of writing is a synthesis of European experience regarding normative regulation on the definition and control of the customs value.Thus, summarizing the results of the research, it should be noted that the question of definition, control and adjustment of the customs value of goods in the EU is economic in nature and provides for the protection of customs interests of both the state and participants in foreign economic activity is regulated exclusively by regulations that are not only customs Code, but also leadership (guidance) to determine the customs value and amendments thereto, which contain detailed algorithm of actions for each of the participants customs relations. In addressing problem areas to adjust customs value of preferred consensus through written consultations between the customs authorities and participants of foreign trade who are interested in observing the customs legislation creates conditions for the development of mechanisms for customs simplifications.However, it should be noted that certain elements of the European practice of regulation study issues reflected in the Customs Code of Ukraine, however, worth noting that it is expedient adaptation implemented articles to domestic realities of state customs, which certainly should include the development and adoption of additional regulations andlegal acts that regulate issues identification, control, adjustment of customs value of goods, and will make these processes "transparent" and accessible to members of customs relations.
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The article discloses the study and the ways of improvement of theoretical aspects of creating the conditions for the innovation cluster in the region with the help of grounding the indicators of innovation, investment and personnel constituents. The analysis of the conditions for the formation of innovation clusters in the context of the regions of Ukraine was carried out. The explanation of the trends of activation of the formation of innovation clusters in the conditions of economic growth of the regions of Ukraine was further developed. It was grounded on the assessment of innovative development of the region, which is an important stage in the development of regional innovation strategies and the choice of clustering directions. It is substantiated that the success of the development of the innovation cluster in the economy of the region depends, first of all, on the development of innovation, investment and personnel components. The use of multicriteria assessment of the preconditions for the formation of clusters in the region is proposed, which allows taking into account the most important factors influencing the process of formation of the cluster.The proposed method involves the use of available data for analysis, and takes into account the most important factors of the preconditions of clusterization. Therefore it is universal for using. The practical application of this technique will allow a reasonable preliminary selection of regions in which the most favorable prerequisites for the formation of clusters are available. Prospects for further research will consist in the study and evaluation of the conditions for the functioning of potential clusters in the region with the use of such qualitative methods as SWOT-analysis, PEST-analysis, the results of which can be used for substantiation of conditions for the formation of cluster structures in certain areas of economic activity in the region.
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The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities in the areas of educational migration in Ukraine, to find out the reasons for the process of its existence, and to substantiate the directions of interaction between employers and higher primary schools as one of the most effective measures to reduce the volume of educational migration in Ukraine.The features and vector orientation of educational migration of the population of Ukraine are considered in the article. The dynamics of educational migration in Ukraine during the years of state independence have been analyzed. The main reasons for the process of the spread of educational migration and its consequences are determined. Attention is drawn to the imbalance of the labour market and education. The main measures for stabilization of educational migration flows at the international, state, regional and individual educational establishments are determined. The directions of interaction between employers and higher educational establishments as a means of stabilization of educational migration flows are offered.In the context of dramatic increase in educational emigration, the development of the market for educational services and the establishment of its link with the labour market become necessary. Cooperation between employers and high education will allow solving a number of existing problems. The main directions of this interaction include: organization of internships at the enterprises; updating of training programs according to employers' requirements; participation of practitioners, professionals in the learning process; the introduction of a dual education system, etc.
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The paper is defined the necessity of forming integrated structures for improving the competitiveness of agroindustrial complex as the main component of sustainable development of economy and its national security at current stage of economy's reforming. Personnel provision as one of the formative factor in the process of the formation of integrated structures in the agroindustrial complex is distinguished.The main socio-economic preconditions of personnel provision of integrated structures in general and in the agro-industrial complex, in particular, are considered. The shares of rural population and agricultural lands in terms of countries of the world, including Ukraine are analyzed. The status of staffing of rural areas of Ukraine, the based on basic demographic indicators is considered. The dynamics of indicators, which are characterizing the socio-economic preconditions of personnel provision of integrated structures in the agroindustrial complex of Ukraine, are analyzed. The complex of measures which could aim to solve the problems with personnel provision of integrated structures in the agroindustrial complex of Ukraine is presented.
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