Neighbourhood Policy vs. Remembrance Policy: Romania and Hungary

In East-Central Europe, the past has always been a determining factor as a framework for interpretation: the social construction of the past often serves (served) current political purposes. It is no wonder that in the countries of the region, often different, sometimes contradictory interpretations of the past have emerged. In today’s European situation, however, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are perhaps most keenly faced by the transformation of Europe, with unclear, chaotic ideas dominating political and intellectual markets instead of previous (accepted) values – in the tension between old and new, Europe’s future is at stake. The question is: what role the states of Central and Eastern Europe play/can play, to what extent they will be able to place the neighbourhood policy alongside (perhaps in front of) the policy of remembrance and seek common answers to Europe’s great dilemmas.

Populism in the 2019 General Elections. Analysis of the speeches by the three right-wing candidates on Twitter

The scientific debate regarding populism has been renewed by the rise of extreme right-wing parties in Western Europe. Spain was an exception to the European situation until Vox stormed onto the scene in the Andalusian regional elections in December 2018. By taking into account the definition of populism from Jaager & Walgrave (2007), Mudde (2007), Hawkins (2010), Charaudeau’s populist discourse analysis (2009), and the idea of “contamination” by Hernández Carr, 2011 and Van Spanje, 2010, this article presents the results of an analysis regarding the discourse of the tweets published by the candidates of the three right-wing national parties during the electoral campaign in Spain prior to the day of the elections on 28 April 2019. The aim of the study is to reveal whether Abascal’s discourse conforms to the parameters of the populist style, and whether there was contamination by Abascal (Vox) of the issues and rhetoric of Pablo Casado (Partido Popular-PP) and Albert Rivera (Ciudadanos-Cs). Firstly, the quantitative analysis shows that Abascal’s political discourse on this social network is in line with the discursive strategies of populism; Secondly, the Vox leader behaves differently from the candidates of the PP and Cs. Finally, the influence of Vox’s discourse on the other two parties with which he competes on the right-wing ideological spectrum is lower than expected.

Specialty: Arresting an elusive ‘right’ in European extradition law

Specialty (a near-universal rule of extradition law whereby a person extradited cannot be prosecuted or punished for matters other than those for which they were extradited) is viewed traditionally as a tool to protect the sovereignty of the extraditing state, rather than as an individual right. A review of international material shows a dispute as to the existence of a rule or principle of specialty in customary international law and emphasises themes such as enforceability and standing of individuals to plead violations. Against that backdrop, the European situation is characterised by the presence of broad specialty rules which are not always implemented in legislation by requesting states, leading to refusal of extradition in some cases. Arguably, combinations of the EU law duty of conforming interpretation and European human rights law principles may offer tools to overcome such situations, approaching protection of specialty ‘rights’ whatever the original doctrinal rationale. If they do not, and international cooperation is further undermined by ineffective specialty protection, EU legislation or the development of soft law standards may be a useful way forward.

Fair and Sustainable Taxation—From a European Horizon

Sustainability has become the key principle for our future, and, in tax policy, sustainability has long been equal to the dominant concept of “taxing for economic growth.” However, the concept lacks an idea on justice, tax justice as well as social justice, which inevitably leads to economic inequality gaps. New literature and empirical studies have contributed to a new awareness on how increasing inequalities can undermine economic growth. Based on the European situation, this Article argues for new perspectives on fair and sustainable taxation. Gender equality is one of these new perspectives. Why is explained in this Article.

Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Refugees

In recent times there has been a large increase in the numbers of people who are refugees1 seeking asylum, safety, and a secure future in countries across the globe. The countries to which they seek to gain access have often placed barriers to their arrival, sometimes overwhelmed by the numbers. People who have become refugees have the same human rights and basic needs as anyone else. Rehabilitative work is limited in most instances, although if properly addressed would afford most people who are refugees the opportunity to integrate into their new countries, and enable them to contribute in a meaningful manner to that country's well-being and development. Displaced peoples have a broad profile, including people with disabilities, some being acquired on their migration journey. Social justice practice includes addressing the needs of refugees, especially the most vulnerable among them. This article will examine these issues, establishing the context of current displacement, with projected numbers for the future; it will describe and discuss the impact of the difficult journeys undertaken by refugees; and propose the key elements for focus by rehabilitation professionals, particular reference to the European situation, especially that of Greece. The article is based on the author's first-hand experiences while working in European refugee camps, including one specifically for those with disabilities. The article will draw upon information, statistics, and other evidence supporting the issues addressed, including Human Rights Watch; Pew Research Center; Aida: Asylum in Europe Database, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the United Nations.

Sport and public policy in Romania. Case study: Timisoara

The inclusion of physical activities in the weekly routine is undoubtedly a necessary condition for a healthy life. In order for sport to become a habit, it is necessary not only to have an adequate and diversified infrastructure, but also to be valued as such in the personal lifestyle. ‪TIn this article we analyse a series of official data regarding the non-practice of sports activities in Romania (EVS 2017), compared to the European situation (EHIS & ESPA 2014), with a focus on the case study of Timisoara. The expectation of the youth form Timisoara youth (2013), The Strategy for the Youth of the Timisoara Municipality (2014-2019) and the attitude toward physical activities from Public Opinion Barometers in Timisoara (2016 and 2019) were analysed comparatively.

BORDER SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL SYSTEM, PERSPECTIVES FOR ITS ESTABLISHMENT AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Effective management of the European Union's external borders is a key priority and a condition for the proper implementation and maintenance of the Schengen area of free movement, which is one of the most important achievements of European integration. One of the cornerstones of effective management of the European Union's external borders is the timely, accurate and complete exchange of information between all the authorities responsible for controlling the European Union's external borders. The establishment of a European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) is an effective tool for such an exchange of information. Within the framework of the EUROSUR project implementation, Latvia has started work on the establishment of the Border Surveillance and Control System, which in the near future will become a basic tool in the development of the Latvian situation image with its further integration into the European situation image. The aim of the study is to study the EUROSUR implementation guidelines at the European Union level, to study the development and implementation of the Border Surveillance and Control System in the State Border Guard, to analyze its functionality and practical application possibilities, to study the existing problems in the Border Surveillance and Control System, and to evaluate.

USSR and Germany in the context of the events of the 1920s-1930s

The article is dedicated to the Soviet-German relations of the 1920s-late 1930s. It explores the key issues that fit into the General context of the European situation of the interwar period. The most important normative acts of those years – the Treaty of Versailles, the Locarno and Rapallo agreements – are studied. The article analyses the core document of Hitlerism – Mein Kampf, its influence on the formation and development of foreign policy doctrines of Nazi Germany. The position of the Soviet Union towards the policy of the Weimar Republic before and after the national socialists rise to power in 1933 is evaluated. In response to the growing revanchist tendencies to solve the problems created by Versailles, the Soviet Union began to search for optimal options in order to create a collective security system in Europe. Special attention is paid to the initial stage of Hitler's aggressive course – the annexation of the Saarland, the militarization of the Rhineland, and the Anschluss of Austria. The appeasement policy of the leading European powers in these matters manifested clearly in the so-called Munich betrayal of September 1938, which opened the way for Hitler to implement his aggressive plans.

Digitális pályatanácsadás: second life, avagy mégsem az?

2020 március közepe óta megváltozott a világunk. A koronavírus járvány miatt a digitális világba menekültünk. A pályaorientációs szolgáltatások kapcsán évtizedek óta beszélünk az e-tanácsadásról, amely, mint ez a cikk bemutatja, messze áll a napi gyakorlattól. Az e-tanácsadás kapcsán a fogalmakat is érdemes pontosítanunk, nem mindegy ugyanis, hogy teletanácsadásról vagy együttműködésen alapuló digitális pályaépítésről beszélünk. A hazai rendszerek, ez utóbbira, összhangban az EU legtöbb tagállamával, még nincsenek felkészülve. Ez a cikk Kettunen (2017) on-line közösségi pályaépítés (co-careering) elméletén keresztül elemzi az információhiányos hazai és európai helyzetet. Our world has changed since the middle of March. Because of the Covid pandemic, we have escaped into the digital world. In career orientation services, we have been talking about e-consultation for decades, which, as presented in this paper, is far from the everyday practice. In terms of e-consultation, it is worth specifying the terminology, as well; namely, it is not the same to speak about tele-consultation or about digital career building based on cooperation. The domestic systems are not yet ready for the latter, similarly to those in most of the EU members. This study analyses the domestic and the European situation of information deficiency via Kettunen’s (2017) online co-careering theory.

Biomonitoring as an Underused Exposure Assessment Tool in Occupational Safety and Health Context—Challenges and Way Forward

Recent advances in analytical chemistry have allowed a greater possibility of using quantitative approaches for measuring human exposure to chemicals. One of these approaches is biomonitoring (BM), which provides unequivocal evidence that both exposure and uptake of a chemical have taken place. BM has been a longstanding practice in occupational health for several reasons. BM integrates exposure from all routes. It can help identify unintentional and unexpected exposures and assess the effectiveness of existing risk-management measures. BM also provides relevant information to support policy development by delivering better evidence of workers’ exposure to chemical substances, even within the framework of the present regulations. Thus, BM can allow for both the evaluation of the impact of regulation and identification of further needs for new or improved regulation. However, despite all these well-recognized advantages, BM is currently an underused exposure assessment tool. This paper provides an overview of the key aspects to be considered when using BM in the context of occupational health interventions. Additionally, this paper describes the potential of BM as an exposure assessment tool, distinguishing the role of BM in exposure assessment and health surveillance and clarifies ethical and communication aspects to guarantee that general data protection regulations are followed. In addition, actions and research needs are identified (particularly with reference to the European situation), which aim to encourage the increased use of BM as an exposure assessment tool.