scholarly journals Expert Ministers in New Democracies: Delegation, Communist Legacies, or Technocratic Populism?

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-602
Author(s):  
Elena Semenova
Keyword(s):  
Survival Analysis ◽  
New Democracies ◽  
Institutional Choice ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Conditional Risk ◽  
Political Experience ◽  
Competing Hypotheses ◽  
Eastern European Countries

This article examines the appointments and survival of expert ministers (i.e., ministers with educational and professional expertise in the portfolio to which they are appointed) in new democracies. Using a novel data set on 11 Central and Eastern European countries from 1990 until 2012, I test competing hypotheses derived from delegation theory, communist legacies approach, technocratic populism studies, and semi-presidentialism literature. The first study shows that experts without political experience (technocrats) have specific cabinet appointment patterns distinguishing them from party politicians and politically experienced experts. For example, technocrats have high chances of being appointed during an economic downturn. The conditional risk set survival analysis has revealed that compared to their politically experienced colleagues, technocrats have higher chances of remaining in their positions if there was a change in the PM’s candidacy. Moreover, they have long careers independently of the continuity of the PM’s party in government and the PM’s partisan status. Strikingly, patterns of portfolio specialization from the communist period remained in place after the regime change (e.g., expert ministers holding the portfolios of finance and economy). However, holding these specific portfolios does not decrease the minister’s risk of being dismissed. These findings have ramifications for issues surrounding cabinet formation, institutional choice, and populism in new democracies.

scholarly journals Presidential power effects on government and ministerial durability: evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Elena Semenova ◽  
Keith Dowding
Keyword(s):  
Survival Data ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Institutional Choice ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Chief Executives ◽  
Prime Ministers ◽  
Institutional Rules ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Choice Policy

Abstract In this article, we examine the variation in the institutional powers granted to president to terminate cabinets (by dismissing prime ministers), and appointing ministers to show how variations affect both cabinet durability (and the mode of cabinet termination) and ministerial durability (i.e., the overall time a minister remains in cabinet). Using the most extensive survival data set on ministers in 14 Central and Eastern European countries available to date alongside data on government survival, our Cox regression models demonstrate that the institutional rules granting extensive powers to the presidents are powerful determinants of ministerial durability. We show that the effect of presidential powers reduces cabinet durability but increases ministerial durability. These results demonstrate that the specific powers given to chief executives are essential for issues surrounding implications for ministerial and cabinet durability, institutional choice, policy stability, and governmental accountability.

scholarly journals BANK CONCENTRATION AND NON-PERFORMING LOANS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atilla Çifter
Keyword(s):  
Least Square ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Additional Control ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Generalised Method Of Moments ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Bank Concentration

This paper examines the effect of bank concentration on the non-performing loans (NPLs) for ten Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The short-run effect of bank concentration is tested with the generalised method of moments system and the instrumental variable approaches, and the long-run effect is tested with the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) approach. The empirical analysis shows that the bank concentration is an insignificant factor on the NPLs, either in the short or in the long-run of the panel data set. On the other hand, individual FMOLS results reveal that the bank concentration reduces the NPLs in Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia, and increases the NPLs in Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia in the long-run. According to this evidence, the bank concentration does not reduce the credit risk for all of the CEE countries. Therefore, bank concentration may not affect systemic stability in the CEE countries. These findings are also robust in controlling several factors, including additional control variables. As a result, the relationship between the bank concentration and the NPLs, in regards to the CEE countries, is ambiguous.

scholarly journals Exchange Rate Behaviour of East European Transitional Economies

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. F. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Rate ◽  
Exchange Rates ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Transitional Economies ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Data Set ◽  
East European ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Eastern European Countries

Eastern European countries, which are candidates for accord into the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) and the eventual move towards Euro, fi nd exchange rate management a tedious challenge. This paper examines the underlying factors that move exchange rates and helps us to contribute towards streamlining policies and strategies in moving these countries forward. The new findings on exchange rate determinants for this group of transitional economies are based on parity factors as well as non-parity factor effects. The evidence that emerges from this paper is that non-parity factors including economic growth rate, current account and capital flows are significantly correlated with exchange rates. The results are robust whichever data set is used, high-frequency and low-frequency data sets.  

scholarly journals The evaluation of output convergence in several Central and Eastern European countries

Ekonomika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-51
Author(s):  
Simionescu M.
Keyword(s):  
Unit Root ◽  
Unit Root Test ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Small Data ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Central Eastern Europe ◽  
Augmented Dickey Fuller ◽  
Eastern European Countries

The main objective of this study is to check the convergence in output for six countries from Central-Eastern Europe that are also members of the European Union. A slow convergence was obtained only for Greece during 2003–2012, for the rest of the countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Romania) the divergence being observed. The regression coefficients were estimated using bootstrap simulations in order to solve the problem of a small data set. However, the graphical representations suggested a convergence for Bulgaria and Romania, the assumption proved also by the application of the Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test. There is no evidence of the convergence of each country towards Greece, this country having a specific evolution of its GDP with higher values than the rest of the countries.

Pragmatic Language Performance of Children Adopted Internationally

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 501-514
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich ◽  
Hisako Matsuo
Keyword(s):  
Social Communication ◽  
False Belief ◽  
Pragmatic Language ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Emotion Identification ◽  
False Belief Understanding ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Pragmatic Communication ◽  
Eastern European Countries

Purpose Pragmatic language is important for social communication across all settings. Children adopted internationally (CAI) may be at risk of poorer pragmatic language because of adverse early care, delayed adopted language development, and less ability to inhibit. The purpose of this study was to compare pragmatic language performance of CAI from Asian and Eastern European countries with a nonadopted group of children who were of the same age and from similar socioeconomic backgrounds as well as explore the relationship among emotion identification, false belief understanding, and inhibition variables with pragmatic language performance. Method Using a quasi-experimental design, 35 four-year-old CAI (20 Asian, 15 Eastern European) and 33 children who were not adopted were included in this study. The children's pragmatic language, general language, and social communication (emotion identification of facial expressions, false belief understanding, inhibition) were measured. Comparisons by region of origin and adoption experience were completed. We conducted split-half correlation analyses and entered significant correlation variables into simple and backward regression models. Results Pragmatic language performance differed by adoption experience. The adopted and nonadopted groups demonstrated different correlation patterns. Language performance explained most of the pragmatic language variance. Discussion Because CAI perform less well than their nonadopted peers on pragmatic communication measures and different variables are related to their pragmatic performance, speech-language pathologists may need to adapt assessment and intervention practices for this population.

European Integration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann P. Arnason
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
History Of ◽  
External Conditions ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Totalitarian Regimes ◽  
The Eu

Different understandings of European integration, its background and present problems are represented in this book, but they share an emphasis on historical processes, geopolitical dynamics and regional diversity. The introduction surveys approaches to the question of European continuities and discontinuities, before going on to an overview of chapters. The following three contributions deal with long-term perspectives, including the question of Europe as a civilisational entity, the civilisational crisis of the twentieth century, marked by wars and totalitarian regimes, and a comparison of the European Union with the Habsburg Empire, with particular emphasis on similar crisis symptoms. The next three chapters discuss various aspects and contexts of the present crisis. Reflections on the Brexit controversy throw light on a longer history of intra-Union rivalry, enduring disputes and changing external conditions. An analysis of efforts to strengthen the EU’s legal and constitutional framework, and of resistances to them, highlights the unfinished agenda of integration. A closer look at the much-disputed Islamic presence in Europe suggests that an interdependent radicalization of Islamism and the European extreme right is a major factor in current political developments. Three concluding chapters adopt specific regional perspectives. Central and Eastern European countries, especially Poland, are following a path that leads to conflicts with dominant orientations of the EU, but this also raises questions about Europe’s future. The record of Scandinavian policies in relation to Europe exemplifies more general problems faced by peripheral regions. Finally, growing dissonances and divergences within the EU may strengthen the case for Eurasian perspectives.

Knowledge about basic life support in European students

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (21) ◽  
pp. 833-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
József Marton ◽  
Attila Pandúr ◽  
Emese Pék ◽  
Krisztina Deutsch ◽  
Bálint Bánfai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basic Life Support ◽  
Life Support ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
European Students ◽  
Western European ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
European Youth

Introduction: Better knowledge and skills of basic life support can save millions of lives each year in Europe. Aim: The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge about basic life support in European students. Method: From 13 European countries 1527 volunteer participated in the survey. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic questions and knowledge regarding basic life support. The maximum possible score was 18. Results: Those participants who had basic life support training earned 11.91 points, while those who had not participated in lifesaving education had 9.6 points (p<0.001). Participants from former socialist Eastern European countries reached 10.13 points, while Western Europeans had average 10.85 points (p<0.001). The best results were detected among the Swedish students, and the worst among the Belgians. Conclusions: Based on the results, there are significant differences in the knowledge about basic life support between students from different European countries. Western European youth, and those who were trained had better performance. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(21), 833–837.

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