Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe

Author(s): Ola Çami,Arjan Dyrmishi,Rositsa Dzhekova,Donika Emini,Anton Kojouharov,Marko Milošević,Predrag Petrović,Mentor Vrajolli / Language(s): English

For the current volume Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe the authors present eight case studies that explore the impact that private security has on security, human rights and the democratic order in four Southeast European countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia. Since regulation should not only limit the negative impact but also foster the positive contribution that private security can make, the authors specifically looked at how challenges posed by PSCs could be avoided and how opportunities can be seized. Broadly, the case studies cover four governance challenges: the development of the private security market, particularly in relation to the state’s retreat from its monopoly on security provision (Part 1); the role of private security in the protection of critical infrastructure (Part 2); the state as a client of private security companies and the impact of public procurement processes on the private security market (Part 3); and the success and failure of different policies aimed at improving the professionalism of private security personnel (Part 4). Previous research by the authors demonstrated that these policy issues are important for each of the four target countries. However, it is worth noting that other pressing policy questions regarding private security exist in these countries, and the authors’ choice does not indicate that the topics discussed are necessarily more pertinent or urgent than others.

CSD Policy Brief No. 65: The Wind that Blows from the East: Russian Influence in Central and Eastern Europe

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

The topic of Russia’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has grown in significance after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis in 2013. The US and EU policy and research communities have scrambled to explain the potential scenarios, tools, and impacts of the Russian influence, as well as propose possible solutions to minimizing its negative effects on European unity. This policy brief, which summarizes the key findings from the joint study of the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Kremlin Playbook: Understanding Russian Influence in Central and Eastern Europe, presents a model for understanding the impact of Russia’s economic influence in Central and Eastern Europe in five case study countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Serbia, and Slovakia), and its relationship to the region’s general decline in governance standards. The study estimates that on average, Russia’s economic footprint in five of the most targeted by the Kremlin CEE countries has ranged from about 11 percent of the economy (in the cases of Hungary and Slovakia) to an astonishing 22 percent in Bulgaria. After 2008 the Russian leadership has aggressively deployed its resource-based resurgent economic power in combination with old time security networks and skillful use of traditional soft power appeal to exploit and further strategic vulnerabilities across the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Russia has also cultivated an opaque network of patronage across the region that it uses to influence and direct decision-making. This web resembles a network-flow model, which we describe as an “unvirtuous circle” of Russian influence leading to “state capture.”

CSD Policy Brief No. 66: Динамика на конвенционалната престъпност 2015 – 2016 г.

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

Crime rates in 2015 continue their downward trend with a decrease of 0.4% compared to 2014 levels. It must be noted, however, that the level of reporting crime to the authorities falls compared to officially registered numbers by the MoI in 2015. This means that latent crime is on the rise, which signifies a drop in public confidence in the MoI. One of the main reason for this discrepancy are the so-called police filters, which lead to diverging levels of officially recorded conventional crimes and crimes reported by the citizenry. These are some of the results of the National Crime Survey for 2015, presented in the current publication.

CSD Policy Brief No. 63: Extortion racketeering: the vulnerability assessment approach

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

Extortion racketeering has long been pointed out as the defining activity of organised crime. It has also been identified as one of the most effective tools used by organised crime in the accumulation of financial resources and the penetration of the legal economy. Although in recent years this crime has not been among the top listed organised crime threats in the strategic EU policy documents, it still remains ever present in European countries. The seriousness of the phenomenon has been recognised at the EU level and the crime has been listed in a number of EU legal acts in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

Foreign Policy and National Security in the Context of Bulgaria`s Accession to the European Union

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

The text includes the conference proceedings of the event held on 29 June 1995.

ПОЛИТИКА И ПРИВАТИЗАЦИЯ. Трансформацията на собствеността в България през призмата на политическите борби

Author(s): Boyan V. Gyuzelev / Language(s): Bulgarian

Undoubtedly, the process of ownership transformation is central to economic reform. Without it, Bulgaria can not become a functioning market economy. Privatization (or restitution) is therefore a political process. Its successful outcome guarantees the future and stability of democracy in the country.Privatization, however, has become one of the fields of opposition between the political forces. The course of ownership transformation has been delayed, which has created the danger of it becoming an endless and fruitless discussion, giving fruit to political struggles, but leading to a deepening of the economic crisis.The fact that privatization, land re-establishment and restitution had to start in an unstable political environment, accompanied by economic recession and lack of interest on the part of foreign investors, created a dangerous tendency to defame them.In the context of a strong political confrontation, the interests of political forces are moving ahead with economic arguments. In such a situation of chaos and instability in institutions, state and municipal bureaucracies are more likely to hamper privatization rather than cooperate because they have no interest in losing the monopoly on property.

Скритата икономика в България (изследване на бизнес-сектора), Декември 2002 г.

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

Between November 25 and December 16, 2002, Vitosha Research conducted a national representative survey of the business sector on "Hidden Economy in Bulgaria". The survey was attended by 530 companies across the country.

CSD Policy Brief No. 08: Конкурентоспособност на българската икономика 2006

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

Bulgaria’s position in the world oldest and most comprehensive annual report on the competitiveness the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2006 of IMD (International Institute for Management Development) was presented several days before the European Commission report on Bulgaria’s readiness for accession. With the partnership of the Center for the Study of Democracy this year Bulgaria was included for the first time in the report, issued since 1989. The report ranks and analyzes how 61 selected economies creates and sustain the competitiveness of their enterprises. It stands out among reputed international ratings with the predominance of more reliable statistical data over the qualitative (survey) data. The rating uses 312 indicators covering a broad spectrum of competitiveness, classified in four major groups: economic performance, business efficiency, infrastructure and government efficiency. The policy brief makes an overview of the report's main findings and recommendations with focus on the Bulgarian economic performance.

CSD Policy Brief No. 26: Организирана престъпност и корупция: национални характеристики и политики в страните членки на ЕС

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

The European Commission (EC) contracted the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) to analyse the links between organised crime and corruption. The main objectives of the study were to identify: • causes and factors that engender corruption by organised crime (including white-collar criminals); • the scope and the impact of that corruption on society and institutions; • organised crime’s main corruption schemes, the areas or risks they create, and the related differences amongst European Union (EU) Member States (MS); • best practices in prevention and countering corruption linked to organized crime; framework for a future assessment of trends in the link between organized crime and corruption, as well as corresponding counter measures.

CSD Policy Brief No. 41: Динамика на конвенционалната престъпност 2012 – 2013 г.

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

In 2012 there was a sharp increase in both the number of victims and the number of crimes compared to 2011. These trends take place in the context of a 10-year drop in crime rates. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) statistics of registered crimes in 2012 showed the opposite trend - a 6% drop from 114,781 in 2011 to 107,828 registered crimes in 2012. This difference is explained by the rising level of unregistered crimes that are not part of the official statistics. Victims of crime in South Central and South Eastern regions of the country are least likely to report crimes to the police. These areas are also characterized by high levels of crime victimisation.

CSD Policy Brief No. 63: VALUTARE LA VULNERABILITÀ ALL’ESTORSIONE ORGANIZZATA IN DETERMINATI SETTORI ECONOMICI E COMUNITÀ DI MIGRANTI

Author(s): / Language(s): Italian

Extortion racketeering has long been pointed out as the defining activity of organised crime. It has also been identified as one of the most effective tools used by organised crime in the accumulation of financial resources and the penetration of the legal economy. Although in recent years this crime has not been among the top listed organised crime threats in the strategic EU policy documents, it still remains ever present in European countries. The seriousness of the phenomenon has been recognised at the EU level and the crime has been listed in a number of EU legal acts in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

CSD Policy Brief No. 64: Скритата икономика в България: 2015 – 2016 г.

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

In Bulgaria the high level of hidden economy undermines the economic development of the country and requires serious and persistent political attention. The unprecedented growth in the field of digitization of economic activities, the convergence between some of them, and the emergence of brand new services creates an opportunity for achieving a desirable environment, which may reduce the hidden cash flows and boost the economic development of the country. Comprehensive reforms focused on the functioning of the market mechanisms and administrative effectiveness are needed in order to promote the process of economic convergence within the European Union and limit the harmful effects of the hidden economy in Bulgaria.

СТАРИ И НОВИ ПАМЕТНИЦИ ВЪ ДОБРУДЖА. Художествено-етнографиченъ етюдъ

Author(s): Ivan Enchev-Vidyu / Language(s): Bulgarian,French,German

Published as issue Nr. 6 of ИЗДАНИЕ НА НАРОДОСПОМАГАТЕЛНИЯ ФОНДЪ "ДОБРУДЖА" - БИБЛИОТЕКА "ДОБРУДЖА". Original publisher: ПЕЧАТНИЦА НА С.М. СТАЙКОВЪ, Sofia, 1918

Михаил Такев

Author(s): Angel Iordanov / Language(s): Bulgarian

Published between 1930 and 1934 as No 6 of the series "Политическа библиотека". It presents a biography of Mihail Takev (1864-1920), a Bulgarian major and politician, one of the leaders of the Democratic Party in Bulgaria.

CAS Newsletter 2020/2021

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

Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of the publisher

CAS Newsletter 2021/2022

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

Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of the publisher.

The International Conference "Education in the Perspective of Values" 2022 - BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

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

This volume includes the summaries of the articles presented at Conference Education in the Perspective of Values, 2022. Within the conference, an important space was allocated to the presentation of research that brought new data on topics of general pedagogy, psychology of Education, didactics, including the design and implementation of didactic activities carried out online. The research presented this year represented scientific fields such as: educational sciences, psychology, theology, philology, philosophy, history, sociology, engineering, music and mathematics, as well as a number of interdisciplinary fields.

The International Conference "Education in the Perspective of Values" 2023 - BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

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

This volume includes the summaries of the articles presented at Conference Education in the Perspective of Values, 2023. Within the conference, an important space was allocated to the presentation of research that brought new data on topics of general pedagogy, psychology of Education, didactics, including the design and implementation of didactic activities carried out online. The research presented this year represented scientific fields such as: educational sciences, psychology, theology, philology, philosophy, history, sociology, engineering, computer science, arts, music and mathematics, as well as a number of interdisciplinary fields.

TODAY AND TOMORROW: SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLICE SERVICES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS

Author(s): Marko Živković / Language(s): English

Police services in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) are not substantially active on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube) and are not sufficiently exploiting the advantages of online communication such as: flexibility (accessible 24/7), relevance (provides a place for real-life policing examples and the exchange of experiences), and community building (the police can develop a supportive, stimulating community that is held by participants in high regard). There is a significant possibility for police services to use social media in the WB for strong community engagement and partnership with the aim of providing a crime-free and safe environment for citizens. Internet penetration in the region is 68.1% and there are 12.5 million internet users1 as well as more than 8.5 million Facebook2 account holders. The average Facebook consumer has more than 200 ‘friends’3 , which indicates a high potential for the community engagement and sharing of information. The research analysed the level of police presence in the social media platforms during the period from 1 January to 31 July 2017. It shows that five out of seven police services in the WB that are subject to this analysis use at least one social medium as a communication tool. Four out of seven are present on Facebook and YouTube, while three have Twitter and Instagram accounts. Only the Albanian police are present on all four social networks. The Kosovo Police makes use of three networks, while the rest use two out of four. Montenegrin police and the MoI of the Federation of BiH, however, are not present on any social networks. Police services in the region predominantly use social media to share basic information, and for promotion. Efforts to engage citizens are lacking. The nature of these social networks, as two-way communication tools, is not recognised by police forces of the region. The police in Albania are mostly active on Facebook, with more than 30,000 page-likes. Twitter and YouTube are used considerably less, Instagram not at all. Facebook is used primarily as a communication tool for sharing service information of the Albanian police, mostly through video posts. There is no interaction with the citizens. The language is formal and bureaucratic. The MoI of the Federation of BiH is not actively using social media, while the MoI of the Republic of Srpska has a YouTube account and an official Facebook page with 18,123 page-likes. It is not however present on Twitter. Facebook is primarily a communication tool used for sharing service information, mostly by way of posting photographs. Citizens’ engagement is low, but still better when compared to the practice in Albania and Kosovo. The Kosovo police have Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, but no Instagram. Facebook is their main online communication tool, with 34,345 page-likes. However, the Kosovo police are not regularly active on Facebook and mostly share links that lead to service information. Interaction with citizens is very low. Original Twitter content is not produced and a low level of activity on YouTube has been noted. The MoI of Macedonia is active predominantly on YouTube, with more than 5,000 subscribers and almost 9.5 million views, which is the best result in the region. Its activity on Instagram is modest. The Facebook page was created in August 2017. There is no Twitter account. The Minister of Interior is not very active on Twitter, and tweets are not strictly related to policing. The MoI of Montenegro is not present on any of the social networks. The police in Serbia are active mainly on Instagram and YouTube.4 Tweeting ceased in February 2010. Instagram is used in accordance with the rules of this social network, with the primary goal to promote the activities of the police and the Minister. The YouTube account of the Serbian MoI had more than 9 million views and boasts 6,483 subscribers, which is the record in the region. Communication in the 21st century has been tremendously changed by new technologies. Social media now provide a completely new communication approach, with different potential and substance. Regardless of whether or not the police want to be present on social media, police issues are being discussed online. Due to this fact, if the police do not use social media many related information can be subjected to spinning and misuse, with no possibility of reacting through the same communication channel. Even though the facts regarding internet and social media users in the WB indicate that conditions for police use of social media do exist, law enforcement agencies of the region are not sufficiently active on social networks. There is significant room for improvement of social media usage by police in the WB to increase effectiveness by engaging citizens, and to build trust in the police by presenting the human side through community policing. Social networks are not just another traditional media channel; they allow greater connectivity and interaction between the web users and encourage contributions and feedback from anyone who is a member of any virtual community

EKONOMSKI FAKTORI I UTICAJ NA POLOŽAJ NACIONALNIH MANJINA U LOKALNIM ZAJEDNICAMA - PRIMERI MAĐARSKE, HRVATSKE, RUMUNSKE I BUGARSKE NACIONALNE MANJINE

Author(s): Jelena Perković,Darko Baštovanović / Language(s): Serbian