THE LONG SHADOW OF ORDOLIBERALISM: GERMANY’S APPROACH TO THE EURO CRISIS

Author(s): Sebastian Dullien,Ulrike Guerot / Language(s): English

The new treaty agreed by European leaders in January reflects Germany’s distinctive approach to the euro crisis rather than collective compromise. Much to the frustration of many other eurozone count-ries, Germany has imposed its own approach – centred on austerity and price stability at the expense of economic growth – on others without considering whether the institutional flaws of monetary union beyond a lack of fiscal control may be the cause of some of the distortions and problems that the cur-rent euro crisis has exposed or whether its approach could have a negative impact on other eurozone countries. German economic orthodoxy has been widely criticised elsewhere in Europe. // This brief explores the historical and ideological foundations of German economic thinking and discusses how it differs from mainstream international economic discourse. It argues that there is more to Germany’s distinctive approach to the euro crisis than the much-discussed historical experience of the hyperinflati-on in the Weimar Republic on the one hand and simple national interest on the other. Rather, there is an ideological edifice behind German economic orthodoxy with which Germany’s partners must enga-ge. While a change in the government after the next general election, in 2013, would lead to a change in German economic policy, it is unlikely to dramatically change the country’s approach to the euro crisis.

UNDP - HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2016 - KOSOVA. Making the Labour Market work for Women and Youth

Author(s): Erëblina Elezaj,Agon Maliqi,Hajrulla Çeku / Language(s): English

Łódź, EXPO 2022 Candidate: Opportunities for Poland and Central Europe

Author(s): Adriana Skorupska / Language(s): English

Łódź is a candidate to host Specialised EXPO 2022. It proposes the flagship event “City Re: Invented,” a newly created city. The theme of change of a post-industrial centre refers to the successful transformation of Poland and other countries of Central Europe. The exhibition provides the host country an opportunity to present itself as an innovative state that uses new technologies to manage development. The final selection of the EXPO host city will be made in November. Łódź’s campaign and its international support efforts are entering the final, most intensive phase.

Commitment to Equity for Children: Redistributive Effects and Efficiency of Social Assistance to Households with Children in Belarus

Author(s): Kateryna Bornukova,Jose Cuesta,Gleb Shymanovich / Language(s): English

Children are explicitly targeted by social policy in Belarus, as child-related benefits constitute a major part of the public direct transfers. Despite this, households with children are among the social groups most vulnerable to the risk of absolute poverty and multidimensional poverty in Belarus. This paper seeks to inform the understanding of the distributional impact of taxes and public spending on children in Belarus. The analysis reveals that current child benefits system is geared towards supporting the families with children aged 0-2, which leads to crucial gaps and shortfalls in coverage of the most vulnerable groups: households with three or more children, single-parent households, and children aged 6-9. Besides, households with children often bear a heavier-than-average tax burden as compared to the general public. Therefore, the design of the social assistance to the households with children needs improvement, in particular, by means of development of targeted social assistance and introduction of vulnerable group-specific benefits for, inter alia, households with three or more children, and single-parent households.

Ključni problemi u procesuiranju korupcije u Bosni i Hercegovini: materijalnopravni aspekti

Author(s): Adela Bejtović-Janušić / Language(s): Bosnian

Corruption is undoubtedly ubiquitous in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in all pores of society and on an increasing scale. By simply searching journalistic texts, it is possible to notice that citizens perceive corruption as one of the ways to exercise their rights and interests, primarily in health and education, but also in the police and judiciary. // A 2013 study of the national integrity system by Transparency International states that “despite years of reforms, international community engagement and donor assistance, widespread corruption remains the most significant problem in BiH and undermines any substantive reforms that would lead to until the establishment of a functional and self-sustaining country. ” Many foreign investors cite a high degree of corruption, which causes enormous moral and material damage to society, as a reason for non-investment or limited capital investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to complicated state structure and political instability. // The reasons for the poor performance of the judiciary in prosecuting corrupt crimes range from the very nature of the phenomenon of corruption, which is shrouded in secrecy due to the interests of participants, making it difficult to detect, to insufficiently good institutional and legal solutions. This paper will address some of these reasons, while special attention will be paid to the substantive aspect of the problem, ie obstacles to the effective prosecution of corruption in BiH, which concern the very definition of corrupt crimes.

Etnicitate şi economie. Perspective de antropologie economică în cercetarea relaţiilor interetnice

Author(s): Csongor Könczei,Mihály Sárkány,Enikö Vincze / Language(s): Romanian

By summing up the literature of social anthropology the article provides a broader perspective on the proposed theme. It is especially important that by translating this study Romanian readers have the chance to get acquainted with a small segment of the scientific activity of the researcher. The study of stigmatized ethnicity, gender inequality and precarious work signed by Enikő Vincze, professor of anthropology and gender studies at Babeş-Bolyai University, is a text based on research into social exclusion, multiple discrimination in an East European context, with a look focused on Roma women. Activist research along with the involvement of the researcher in the work of several civic organizations provides a new insight into the current scientific field.

Schimbări în agricultura rurală într-o localitate din Transilvania

Author(s): Lehel Peti / Language(s): English,Romanian

The article analyzes the changes occurred in a Transylvanian village farming. First part of the paper focuses on the economic and social frameworks and context of the rural farming. The main part of the analysis based on the theoretical concepts of pluriactivity, diversification and food self-provisioning and the conceptualization of the special literature analyzes the economic strategies of a Romanian village, seeking to present a typology based on nature of economic strategies. The author argues that the main strategy is pluriactivity, however the limited forms of diversification are also present in the farming patterns of the village, which mark a shift toward a more specialized, profit-oriented farming. Near this strategies the food self-provisioning is also present, what is more there has appeared new ideologies and meanings regarding to food very well known mostly from the western countries' alternative food networks.

Strategii de subzistenţă într-o localitate de lângă Târnava Mică

Author(s): Lehel Peti / Language(s): English,Romanian

The study attempts to present the economic strategies of a settlement, in which employment in state companies built upon a specific environmental resource (natural gas extraction) as well as the success of an independent enterprise has significantly transformed the livelihood strategies based on agriculture, resulting in a change in lifestyle as well. The studied settlement represents the opposite model of the villages re-peasantised after the regime change, described in the Transylvanian scholarly literature. The study analyses the economic behaviour modes, as well as the changes in the livelihood strategies observed in a settlement along the Kis-Küküllő (Târnava Mică) River, aiming to present the stratification of the rural society based on economic strategies. The author outlines the way in which in this multiethnic (inhabited by Hungarians, Romanians and Romani) small settlement, the bakery which used to function as a cooperative during socialism became a well-established company employing a significant part of the village's population, being present in important segments of the national markets, connecting the previously isolated small settlement with new regional and national networks. He also presents the significance of the natural gas extraction activities from the point of view of livelihood strategies, after which he presents the economic strategies built upon agricultural activities.

Utjecaj plata/nadoknada sudija i tužilaca na efikasnost i kvalitet pravosuđa (unapređenje rada na složenim predmetima)

Author(s): Demirel Delić / Language(s): Bosnian

Uticaj plata sudija i tužilaca u Bosni i Hercegovini na efikasnost i kvalitet pravosuđa se u javnom diskursu rijetko spominje. Zagovornici održanja status quo pozicije ističu argument da je plata sudija i tužilaca za BiH-prilike sasvim zadovoljavajuća i da nije uzrok negativne percepcije građana o radu pravosuđa ili nedostatka efikasnosti i kvaliteta rada. Tihi kritičari tvrde da su primanja sudija i tužilaca nesrazmjerna njihovom radu i značaju za državu. Pri tome se kao najuvjerljiviji objektiviziran dokaz koriste komparativni tabelarni podaci CEPEJ-a . Tu se otprilike završava opšta rasprava.

Podsticaji za unapređenje rada na složenim predmetima: uticaj sistema plata i naknada i ocjenjivanja rada nosilaca pravosudnih funkcija

Author(s): Rusmir Šabeta / Language(s): Bosnian

U analizi se ispituje uticaj sistema plata i naknada, odnosno ocjenjivanja rada nosilaca pravosudnih funkcija na efikasnost i kvalitet rada pravosuđa. Težište je na sudijama i pitanju unapređenja rada na složenim predmetima. Analiziran je postojeće zakonski okvir kako bi se ocijenilo da li je u okviru postojećeg zakonskog okvira moguće koristiti elemente koji bi unaprijedili rad pravosuđa, te da li postojeći sistem uzima u obzir rad na najsloženijim predmetima. Predstavljene su i određene mogućnosti za unapređenje postojećeg okvira. Dodatno, prikazane su razlike između sistema plata sudija i tužilaca na različitim nivoima vlasti u Bosni i Hercegovini. Naznačeni su principi koji su utvrđeni međunarodnim standardima u pogledu plata sudija i tužilaca.Također je analizirano da li postojeći sistem ocjenjivanja rada nosilaca pravosudnih funkcija podstiče rad nosilaca pravosudnih funkcija na najsloženijim predmetima, s težištem na kriterijima za ocjenjivanje rada sudija i mogućnostima za njihovo unapređenje.

Caring for Carers: an Analysis of Informal Care Policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Informal care comprises unpaid care services provided in the private sphere of the home, as part of pre-existing relationships with relatives, spouses, friends or neighbours. Informal care is often the only form of long-term care which many persons in need of care can access at all, and is a significant, and internationally increasingly widespread component of long-term care.ii As the formal long-term care system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is underdeveloped and plagued with many shortcomings, primarily manifested in the form of limited access to services and insufficient allowances for the users, the burden of caring for care-dependent persons has been shifted for the most part into the sphere of informal care. Yet informal carers are completely neglected in long-term care policies and receive no support – whether in the form of services or financial compensation – to make the task of providing care easier or improve the informal carers’ well-being.

Active Labour Market Policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina: From Direct Employment to Strengthening the Employability of Jobseekers

Author(s): Amar Numanović / Language(s): English

Active labour market policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina are mostly orientated towards direct employment and attempts to manage the consequences of the present socioeconomic context, while the potentials of strategic, long-term strengthening of jobseekers’ competitiveness is being neglected. The main goal of this paper is to present international trends in activation policies, which have recently undergone a paradigm shift from employment to strengthening of employability, and to analyse the present state and institutional framework of active employment policies in BiH. Based on the identified shortcomings of the existing design of active measures, several recommendations are given to improve the field of employment policies by strengthening their active dimension and building a long-term approach to labour market improvements.

Poreski klin u Bosni i Hercegovini

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

Poreski klin u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH), prema ocjeni međunarodnih finansijskih institucija, EU i dijela stručne javnosti, prekomjerno je visok, što se, prema njihovom mišljenju, negativno odražava na potražnju za radnom snagom, guši privredni rast i pospješuje rast neformalnog tržišta rada.

Politike zapošljavanja u Bosni i Hercegovini

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

Politike zapošljavanja u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH) često se ocjenjuju kao neefikasne, neadekvatne i neusklađene sa aktuelnim međunarodnim standardima. Neki od ključnih nedostataka postojećih politika i prakse zapošljavanja u BiH su niska kapacitiranost i organizacijska neefikasnost službi za zapošljavanje, niska i loše prioritizirana potrošnja na politike zapošljavanja te nizak kvalitet, opseg i obuhvat mjerama zapošljavanja.

Flexible Labor in an Inflexible Environment - Reforms of Labor Market Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Comparative Perspective

Author(s): Amar Numanović,Mirna Jusić / Language(s): English

The labor market in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) faces serious problems: in 2014, the employment rate was at a very low 31.7%, and the unemployment rate for persons 15 and above was as high as 27.5%. Wartime destruction of industrial infrastructure, loss of business networks due to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, inadequate adaptation to the new business and technological environment, as well as unsuccessful privatization processes in the post-war transition period are some of the factors that have negatively impacted both the creation of new and the maintenance of existing jobs. The consequences of this state of affairs include a low labor force participation and high structural unemployment, migration of the working age cohort to other countries, the unresolved status of workers “lost in transition,” as well as social insecurity and a high poverty rate. Although there is consensus in BiH that the status quo is unsustainable, labor market reforms to date have been slow and partial, lacking a clear vision of the labor market model to be pursued. Recently, labor market reforms have found their way onto the agenda of decision-makers, primarily due to the obligations BiH undertook towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within the standby arrangement, as well as commitments under the “Reform Agenda,” which is “closely aligned with the aims of the EU’s new approach to economic governance in the Western Balkans.” The Agenda has been adopted by entity and state-level governments in the context of acquiring candidate status for membership in the European Union (EU). Reform proposals in this area have also been articulated within the “Compact for Growth and Jobs” (CGJ) initiative of the European Delegation to BiH, as well as the BiH Council of Ministers’ National Economic Reform Programme (NERP) for BiH for 2015. To encourage employment and creation of new jobs, reform proposals primarily focus on increasing the flexibility of working conditions by improving the labor law and changing collective agreements , but also by reducing the tax burden on labor. The proposed reforms are primarily concerned with increasing labor market flexibility, but to a lesser extent pertain to issues of protecting workers and their income security in the event of unemployment, and are only marginally concerned with the issue of employability (e.g. through lifelong learning, active employment measures, etc.), even though these are important aspects of the “flexicurity” policy in the European Union. In other words, the current discourse on policy change in the field largely disregards important elements of the labor market. This begs the question to what extent reform proposals have taken into account the existing institutional environment of the BiH labor market and how the flexibility of working conditions, as the key aspect of reforms, would affect labor market performance in interaction with the institutional environment. Concerning the above, this study rests on the assumption that different reform options should be considered in their wider institutional context. This would mean focusing not only on the impact of labor legislation on labor market performance, but also on the impact that institutions, such as collective bargaining mechanisms, policies, programs and the institutional framework for employment, social insurance policies, minimum wage, labor taxation and making work pay policies, as well as existing configurations of institutions, have on labor market performance. Based on insights into policies and practices in the labor market realm in other European countries, particularly the European Union, this study aims to contribute to an understanding of available reform needs and options, and their possible implications for BiH. In order to assess the state of the labor market and the reform path in BiH, the analysis is situated within a wider conceptual framework that defines the basic terminology, indicates important elements of the labor market and provides an overview of the main discussions and their implications for public policies in this field. A more detailed analysis is performed with respect to employment protection legislation, labor cost and taxation, collective bargaining mechanisms, and employment policies. Comparative experiences from other European countries are taken into account in order to consider possible reform paths, but also to understand the impact of different institutional and other contextual factors on labor market performance. European countries are used as points of comparison, not just because of their similar institutional environments and the European perspective of BiH, but also because current reform proposals heavily rely on EU standards and practices in this domain. In terms of methodology, this is a comparative study that combines multiple methods of data gathering: a review of secondary literature and available statistical indicators, an analysis of the institutional and legal framework in BiH and EU countries, and semi-structured interviews with representatives of organizations and institutions in BiH involved in different aspects of the BiH labor market or in labor market reforms. Given that this research is limited by the dearth of important statistical indicators about the BiH labor market, and also given the fact that it was conducted for the purposes of a study that aims to inform an expert debate in the context of public policy making in this domain in BiH, it is important to note that it does not aim to explain the impact of various contextual factors on the performance of the labor market in BiH. Such analyses would certainly be useful for a better understanding of the BiH labor market, but they fall outside the scope of this study. An overview of conceptual debates in the domain of the labor market and its institutions is given below. This is followed by an overview of BiH labor market dynamics and trends, various BiH labor market institutions in comparative perspective, and concluding remarks.

Koliko su rukovodioci u organima državne uprave zaradili u 2012?

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

Projekat “Koliko su rukovodioci u organima državne uprave zaradili u 2012?” osmišljen je u okviru potprograma Centra za građansko obrazovanje (CGO) Odgovornost i transparentnost vlasti sa ciljem da doprinese podizanju svijesti o odgovornom trošenju novca iz Budžeta Crne Gore. S tim u vezi, specifični cilj ovog projekta bio je utvrđivanje visine novčanih iznosa koji su rukovodioci u organima državne uprave ostvarivali za vrijeme obavljanja svojih dužnosti tokom 2012, kao i bilo kakvih drugih dodatnih nadoknada za isti period a na teret Budžeta Crne Gore. CGO je u periodu od 3. juna do 25. jula 2013, shodno odredbama Zakona o slobodnom pristupu informacijama, prikupio podatke koje se odnose na spisak novčanih naknada najvećeg broja rukovodećih lica koji su svoj radni angažman imali u organima državne uprave tokom 2012, tačnije u ministarstvima, upravama, direkcijama, zavodima i Generalnom sekretarijatu Vlade Crne Gore, ujedno nastojeći da utvrdi cjelokupan obim novčanih naknada koje su ova rukovodeća lica dobijala iz Budžeta Crne Gore tokom obavljanja svojih dužnosti u 2012. Ti podaci su preliminarno objavljeni 26. jula 2013. na konferenciji za medije.

Another angle of the Pension System Reform: How can the private pension system boost financial system development?

Author(s): Dumitru Pintea / Language(s): English

The financial data for 20161 year prove that financial intermediation is impaired by some structural deficiencies, although banks accumulate excess liquidity, these still remain relatively expensive, with low maturity and finally unattractive to the real economy. In these conditions, to recover and develop, the financial system needs modern mechanisms and tools, in particular long-term financial resources that could support long-term investment projects. Moreover, amid relatively short maturity of bank deposits, low interest of companies in capital market and limited access to foreign capital markets, private pension system is still the most viable solution for long-term development of financial resources. // Thus, we find that although the pension system reform has recently intensified, it does not provide any incentives for development of the private pension system, and this study seeks to bring back to the public attention the importance of the private pension system, the gaps hindering its development, and solutions to strengthen social equity and provide a decent life in the post-active period. Also, some long-term liquidity is needed, resources collected through private pensions could also be a starting point for development and modernization of the domestic financial market.

Eficiența și transparența sistemului de sănătate din Republica Moldova

Author(s): Dumitru Budianschi,Dumitru Pintea,Mihail Ciocanu,Silvia Morgoci,Tatiana Savva / Language(s): Romanian

Each country, depending on its historical course, state concept and economic development, has developed its own health system. Despite the fact that health systems are so diverse, they also have a lot in common, because they essentially perform the same functions and have the same goals. Thus, under certain conditions the exchange of experience between countries on solving similar problems or how to respond to common challenges are very useful. For the Republic of Moldova – a state in transition from a society based on state ownership and a centralized economy, the experience of other states on this subject is even more important because it can be used in the process of reforming the health system. // The purpose of this study is to contribute to the openness of the health system by providing an integrative view of the transparency of the health system and highlight the results and the way the system is financed and managed. Thus, the study addresses topics related to the functionality of the system as a whole, and less the specific areas of the health system. The study contains 5 basic chapters, the introduction and a chapter of conclusions and general recommendations. Each core chapter contains in turn a subchapter of specific conclusions and recommendations.

Africa Seeks Global Agency with Mission to Ukraine and Russia

Author(s): Jędrzej Czerep / Language(s): English

On 16-17 June, the governments of Ukraine and Russia hosted high-ranking representatives of seven African countries in Kyiv and Saint Petersburg, respectively, including the presidents of South Africa, Zambia, Senegal, and the Comoros. The declared objective of the mission was to facilitate the circulation of food and fertilisers in order to mitigate the effects of the food crisis in Africa. The participants of the delegation also presented a 10-point peace plan, mostly favourable to Ukraine. However, the initiative had no chance of success. With the Ukrainian side now engaged in a counter-offensive, it rejected calls for “de-escalation” and for the Russian side to return to internationally recognised borders.

Building resilience through participation. Lessons from the civil society in Eastern Europe and the western Balkans

Author(s): Clara BURRY,Ondřej Horký-Hlucháň / Language(s): English

In times of multiple crises that affect the sustainable development agenda, resilience has become a buzzword in the international development community. While civil society has been involved in bottom-up resilience building in the global South for quite some time, it is crucial to define the risks that may compromise the underlying values of civil society organisations (CSOs) such as human rights, inclusion, equality and sustainability. Based on the best practices of CSOs from the Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Union (EU) and the Western Balkans, this policy paper identifies the most efficient ways for the donors to support resilience building. Since resilience building is a long-term process, donors and the European institutions particularly, should commit to long-term resilience-building programmes, mobilise the use of local knowledge and thus contribute to addressing the root causes of poverty, inequality, insecurity and unsustainability.