Development of citizen participation in Central and Eastern Europe after the EU enlargement and economic crises

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Guasti
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Member States ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The main focus of this article is the role of organized civil society in facilitating citizen engagement in Central and East European new EU member states after the EU accession and the recent economic crises. Using international comparative methodologies and data this article analyses democratic processes in the new member states focussing on the changes in strengths and weaknesses of citizen engagement. It shows the ways in which the post-enlargement process, especially the economic crisis affected the ability of CEE citizens — both directly, and via civil society organisations and trade unions — to be active participants of the multilevel governance processes. It finds that one of the key remaining gaps of the democratization process remains the relative weakness of state—citizens relationship. The impact of the economic crisis on the CEE countries was significant, in particular in regard to financial viability of organised civil society. However, economic crisis also acted as an important mobilization factor, and in all countries under study, civic participation, enabled by civil society and trade unions increased. New initiatives — in particular those tackling corruption and party campaign finance, saw NGOs focussing their advocacy efforts towards the government as well as actively mobilizing and engaging citizens. Across the CEE region, we are seeing gradual social learning, internalization of new norms and emergence of new identities — active citizens engaged with (and if necessary in opposition to) the state — directly (public mobilization and protests) and via organized civil society.

18. The Europeanization of National Economies?

2020 ◽  
pp. 422-451
Author(s):  
Vivien A. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Post War ◽  
National Economies ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

This chapter examines the impact of Europeanization upon the national economies of European Union member states. It considers how successful the EU has been in promoting its goal of building a single European economy out of the diverse national economies of its member states; how much convergence has occurred among EU member states, and how much divergence remains; and what impact the economic crisis beginning in 2008 has had on the EU and its member states. To answer these questions, the chapter traces the development of Europe’s national economies from the post-war period until today. It also analyses the impact of globalization and Europeanization on post-war varieties of capitalism before concluding with reflections on future patterns of political economic development in the EU in light of the economic crisis.

scholarly journals Formation of the EU Development Index

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
Vladislavs Vesperis
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Human Development Index ◽  
Economic Change ◽  
Financial Economic ◽  
Member States ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Abstract In the context of the global financial-economic crisis it becomes important to find a stronger base for assessment of the socio-economic development and, in particular, search for better indicators. Therefore, the hypothesis is set that it is necessary to develop the EU Development Index, which will provide better assessment of an on-going socio-economic change. The objective of the article is to describe the EU Development Index calculation results and compare them with the Human Development Index values for each Member state of the EU. Ranking list of the EU Member States according to the Human Development Index values did not change substantially, suggesting that the Human Development Index inadequately responds to key socioenvironmental changes that occurred during the global financial economic crisis. At the same time, a number of countries show a sharp decline of the EU development index values, reflecting the impact of global economic crisis, while some countries with a high level of public debt and low confidence of the financial markets have remained in their positions by the both indexes in the year 2009. However, these countries most probably will be forced to make the considerable fiscal discipline measures, which inevitably will have an impact on GDP and income indicators in these countries, therefore their rankings in the coming years will deteriorate. Completely impartial assessment will be possible when countries with high debt levels will have balanced their budgets and economic growth will be based mostly on their own income and production instead of external cash flows and investment entering the country. It can be concluded that EU Development Index allows, in a more equitable fashion, to assess disparities of the EU Member States by development level and more rapidly reflect the rapid socio-economic change.

scholarly journals REAL CONVERGENCE AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION WITH FOCUS ON THE NEW MEMBER STATES

2019 ◽  
pp. 215-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ovidiu Stoica ◽  
Angela Roman ◽  
Delia-Elena Diaconaşu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Real Convergence ◽  
Convergence Process ◽  
Global Economic Crisis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu

Our paper aims to analyse the dynamics of real economic convergence and the impact of several macroeconomic and institutional factors on this process, within the EU countries for the period 1995-2018. Employing cross-sectional and panel data techniques, this paper examines both the level and dynamics of absolute and conditional convergence within the EU28 countries and identifies key drivers of economic growth within the EU28 and subsequent groups (the EU15 versus New EU Member States group), by taking into consideration the impact of the recent global economic crisis. We find that the real convergence process is quite uneven and unstable over the 1995-2018 period. Our results confirm the negative effects of the recent global economic crisis on per capita GDP growth, suggesting a weakening of the convergence process at the EU28 level, especially at the level of New EU Member States. In addition, we find that investment, the openness of the economy and the quality of the institutional framework represent the main drivers of real convergence within the EU countries.

BETWEEN BERLUSCONI AND MONTI: TRADE UNIONS AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IN ITALY

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (04) ◽  
pp. 1450031 ◽  
Author(s):  
SERAFINO NEGRELLI ◽  
ANDREA SIGNORETTI
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
The Government ◽  
Changing Role ◽  
New Phase ◽  
The Eu

The recent labor reforms implemented in Italy by the so-called "technocratic" Monti Government have challenged the traditional role of trade unions. On one side, the reforms in the pension and labor market have been approved without real consultation or bargaining with social parties, under the pressures from the financial and economic crisis and the austerity demanded by the EU central authorities. On the other side, the Government is urging trade unions to contribute to stimulating labor productivity in order to produce more growth and escape from such a long period of recession. The main aim of this article is to analyze the changing role of trade unions and then the real opportunities to open a new phase of social concertation, also taking into account the historical background of Italian industrial relations.

17. The Europeanization of National Economies?

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien A. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Post War ◽  
National Economies ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Union Member States ◽  
The Eu

This chapter examines the impact of Europeanization upon the national economies of European Union member states. It considers how successful the EU has been in promoting its goal of building a single European economy out of the diverse national economies of its member states; how much convergence has occurred among EU member states, and how much divergence remains; and what impact the economic crisis beginning in 2008 has had on the EU and its member states. To answer these questions, the chapter traces the development of Europe’s national economies from the post-war period until today. It also analyses the impact of globalization and Europeanization on post-war varieties of capitalism before concluding with reflections on future patterns of political economic development in the EU in light of the economic crisis.

Study of spatial uniformity of sustainable development of the European Union before, during and after the economic crisis

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-248
Author(s):  
Iwona Bąk ◽  
Katarzyna Cheba
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Vector Calculus ◽  
Spatial Uniformity ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The purpose of the paper is study of spatial uniformity in the field of sustainable development of European Union and geographical regions of Europe analyzed by the prism of EU countries located in this regions before, during and after the economic crisis from 2007–2008. Material and methods The analysis of similarities and differences between the EU Member States countries or in the case of geographic regions of Europe has been based on sustainable development indicators published by Eurostat. To the final set of diagnostic features, the 22 indicators have been selected. To study the spatial differentiation of sustainable development the taxonomic measure of development based on median vector Weber as well vector calculus were used. The impact of the economic crisis is particularly obvious in the Southern and Eastern European Union countries. The position of the Southern countries, that failed to cope with the world economic and financial crisis, deteriorated and they fell into the group at the lowest level of development. The results obtained in this study can be used in subsequent years to examine the direction of changes in sustainable development levels observed both from the point of view of the EU Member States and geographical regions.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF MINIMUM WAGE ON THE LABOUR MARKET OF LITHUANIA

Ekonomika ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vita Karpuškienė
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Minimum Wage ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Recently, Lithuanian trade unions have announced the requirement for the government to raise the minimum wage by more than 10 percent, e.g. from 800 to 900 Lt. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible consequences of the implementation of such a requirement. Minimum wage (MW) macroeconomics in theoretical aspects and the practical evidence of it consequences in the EU countries are analyzed in the first part of the article. The second part provides an assessment of the impact of the 100 Lt raise in MW on the Lithuanian labor market. This assessment is carried out using econometric techniques.

Modernisation of Higher Education – Willful Action or Wishful Thinking? The Case of Bulgaria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Elena Blagoeva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The impact of the last global economic crisis (2008) on the European economy put a strain on higher education (HE), yet it also pushed the sector towards intensive reforms and improvements. This paper focuses on the “Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014-2020”. With a case study methodology, we explore the strategic endeavours of the Bulgarian government to comply with the European directions and to secure sustainable growth for the HE sector. Our research question is ‘How capable is the Bulgarian HE Strategy to overcome the economic and systemic restraints of Bulgarian higher education?’. Because the development of strategies for HE within the EU is highly contextual, a single qualitative case study was chosen as the research approach. HE institutions are not ivory towers, but subjects to a variety of external and internal forces. Within the EU, this is obviated by the fact that Universities obtain their funds from institutions such as governments, students and their families, donors, as well as EU-level programmes. Therefore, to explore how these pressures interact to affect strategic action on national level, the case method is well suited as it enabled us to study the phenomena thoroughly and deeply. The paper suggests the actions proposed within the Strategy have the potential to overcome the delay, the regional isolation and the negative impact of the economic crisis on the country. Nevertheless, the key elements on which the success or failure of this Strategy hinges are the control mechanisms and the approach to implementation. Shortcomings in these two aspects of strategic actions in HE seem to mark the difference between gaining long-term benefits and merely saving face in front of international institutions.

THE FAILURE TO SIGN THE UKRAINE-EU ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013)

2019 ◽  
pp. 30-45
Author(s):  
V. I. Denysenko
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Russian President ◽  
The Government ◽  
Vladimir Putin ◽  
The Eu

The failure to sign the Association Agreement with the EU in autumn 2013 has been investigated. The role of the Russian factor, which became decisive in the foreign policy reversal of the Yanukovych regime, has been revealed. The importance of Viktor Yanukovych’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, 2013, in the dramatic change of Ukraine’s international vector has been emphasized. On the basis of diplomats’ memoirs, the assumption about intimidation of the Ukrainian President by the Russian side has been substantiated. The timeline of the preparation of the 2013 Vilnius Summit, the position of EU structures and the attempts of the fourth President of Ukraine to win time to trade with the Russians have been reproduced. The thesis about the Donetsk clan’s attempts to prepare public opinion for a 180 degree turn in late October - early November 2013 has been presented. For this purpose, demonstration meetings were organized with representatives of Ukrainian business and trade unions, who called for revision of plans for European integration on their own initiative. The main role in manipulating public opinion rested on the government of Mykola Azarov and the Verkhovna Rada, which had a majority coalition led by the Party of Regions. Instead, Viktor Yanukovych continued his European integration rhetoric and reiterated to Western partners his own willingness to sign the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. On November 21, the real position of the ruling elite was made available to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. According to it, the process of preparation for the signing of the Association Agreement was suspended, the proposal was made for the trilateral Ukraine-EU-Russia negotiations, and the ministries were tasked with developing measures to maintain economic ties with the CIS countries. The decision was rejected by European partners and led to Yanukovych’s attempts to find other ways to thwart the signing of the Agreement. It has been proved that this role was played by Yanukovych’s requirements for financial assistance from the EU amounting to about 160 billion euros, which aimed to prevent the signing of the Association Agreement. Key words: Viktor Yanukovych, association of Ukraine with the EU, эYulia Tymoshenko, European integration, Pat Cox, Alexander Kwasniewski, Vladimir Putin.

Die europäische Agrarpolitik vor dem Hintergrund der Osterweiterung

2003 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reimar von Alvensleben ◽  
Bernhard Brümmer ◽  
Ulrich Koester ◽  
Klaus Frohberg
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
World Market ◽  
Market Mechanism ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Member States ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractReimar von Alvensleben asks in his article whether the “Agrarwende” in Germany could be a model for Europe. He argues that the new agricultural policy (the so-called “Agrarwende”), which has been proclaimed and implemented after the German BSE crisis 2000/2001, adds new problems to the already existing problems of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The strategy of improving international competitiveness of German agriculture by promoting the niche markets for organic food, animal-friendly produced food and regional food is unrealistic and thus neglecting the problem of improving the competitiveness of 85−90% of German agriculture. The criterion of ecological efficiency (How to achieve ecological goals at lowest costs?) is totally neglected in agricultural environmental policy. The strategy of implementing environmental and animal welfare standards by the market mechanism will not lead to reasonable results because of perception distortions of the consumers. As a consequence of distorted perception of food risks by politicians, cost of risk prevention are too high and/or safety and health standards in other less spectaculous areas are too low. For these reasons he concludes that the “Agrarwende” in Germany cannot be regarded as a model for Europe, especially not for Eastern Europe.Bernhard Brümmer and Ulrich Koester write in their paper that the Eastern Enlargement of the EU will have significant implications for governance of the CAP. The evolution of the CAP has led to a permanent increase in the intensity of regulation, although the rate of external protection has declined. Past experience - mainly revealed by the European Court of Auditors - has evidenced many irregularities and even fraud as a by-product of the CAP. Governance problems are due to badly designed policies, which demand control of even individual farms and give the member countries, administrative regions (which are supposed to implement the policies on the local scale) and the individual farms themselves incentives to breach the rules. In their view governance problems will certainly increase in the enlarged EU. The new member countries have a weaker administrative capacity and are subject to more corruption than the present EU countries. Adequate policy reaction should lead to fundamental changes of the CAP.Klaus Frohberg argues that in its Mid Term Review the EU-commission proposes a change in the most important instruments of the CAP. Direct payments and intervention prices belong to this group. In his paper the impact of these changes is discussed. Direct payments shall become decoupled from production and be summarised into a single payment to farmers. In addition, the right of these transfers shall be made tradable independent of a simultaneous exchange of land. With regard to the intervention prices they shall be reduced as to approach world market levels. Assuming that the Member States will confirm the proposals the CAP is expected to improve considerably. Allocation and transfer efficiency will increase, consumer welfare will go slightly up, taxpayers will be little if at all affected and the EU can defend its position in the negotiations of the ongoing WTO round. These advantages accrue to the current as well as to the new Member States. In spite of the improvements the CAP still needs to be enhanced in some areas such as the market organisation of sugar and milk.

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