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141. The Three Seas Initiative as a new model of regional cooperation in Central Europe: A Polish perspective

Author:
Łukasz Lewkowicz
Publication Date:
10-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
The Three Seas Initiative (TSI) is a new Polish-Croatian initiative of regional cooperation in Central Europe, launched in 2016. The goal of TSI was from the beginning cooperation in the areas of: energy, logistics and transport as well as digital cooperation. The aim of the article was to present the conditions of cooperation under TSI, to evaluate the activities of the TSI investment fund, the CEEplus stock index and selected projects implemented under the TSI. Opportunities and challenges currently facing TSI are presented, including the new EU budget, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the region's economy and the influence of external actors. TSI became part of the tradition of Polish political activity in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. From 2018, the Initiative moved from the concept phase to the implementation phase. The concrete “success story” will determine the effectiveness of TSI cooperation.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Poland, Croatia, and Central Europe

142. Poland’s Cultural Relations with Middle-Eastern Arab Countries

Author:
Jacek Knopek and Zbigniew Danielewicz
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The article takes up the subject of Poland’s cultural relations with some Middle Eastern Arab countries, i.e. with Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Palestine in particular. It has been done in historical perspective, analyzing development of the connections, the determinants influencing the course of changes, and political events and processes that have been strengthening or weakening the ties. Despite the long geographical distance between Poland and the Middle East, the cultural ties have turned out to be astonishingly rich, which was so partly due to the idiosyncrasy of their history - abound with wars and full of dramatic transformations. The three-part text begins with a historic overview of the relations that have gained a momentum during the World War II and in the post-war decades. Part two concerns the relations on official diplomatic level, usually ending up in initialed agreements and exchanging official visits. And the last part scrutinizes the spontaneous grassroots links forged between groups, individuals and non-political institutions. In this case the links embrace the field of academia, education, high culture and private lives of individuals and families.
Topic:
Diplomacy, International Cooperation, Religion, Culture, and Local
Political Geography:
Europe, Middle East, and Poland

143. Model Changes of Polish Public Administration and Processes of Political and Structural Transformation

Author:
Agnieszka Lipska-Sondecka
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The model transformations of Polish public administration after 1989 were the result of the necessary and inevitable consequence of events related to erosion and the collapse of the „real socialism” system. Its internal decomposition, as a result of social reality inadequacy, created a situation in which it was possible to undertake deep systemic reforms in Poland. Democratization of the government system in Poland was an extremely complex process generating numerous problems and showing the scale of adversity in all spheres of social life. All political and structural changes in Poland after 1989 were also possible due to propitious external, international conditions. Especially the collapse of the USSR brought certain possibilities for Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe to regain full sovereignty, which was later expressed in membership in NATO, the Council of Europe, and then European Union accession. As a result of the systemic and political transformation process, the administration has become an extremely important cell in the democratic legal order and the entity responsible for the implementation of a significant part of public tasks at the local, supra-local and regional levels.
Topic:
Infrastructure, Governance, Social Services, Models, and Public Service
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

144. Changes in the Party System in the Context of Deconsolidation of Democracy in Poland

Author:
Waldemar Wojtasik
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The party system and the parties within it were ones of the relevant elements of system transformation in Poland. We can identify several significant determinants of the process with regard to this area. The first of them is formal standards and their influence on the course of political competition. The second is the functions attributed to political parties in the political and party system. The third one is connected with the significance of social structure’s specificity and its influence on voting behaviors. The fourth determinant is the models of competition at the cabinet level. The paper presents these four determinants of development of political parties and the party system in Poland in the perspective of democratization processes.
Topic:
Democracy, Voting, Participation, and Party System
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

145. Directions of Poland’s Energy Security Policy in the Natural Gas Sector

Author:
Malgorzata Kamola-Cieslik
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
Poland has insufficient natural gas resources to satisfy its needs. That is why it has been dependent on the imports of that raw material. One of the challenges facing the Polish government is limiting Poland’s dependency on Russian gas. The objective of the paper is to present the directions of the Polish government’s energy security policy in terms of natural gas in the years of 2015-2018. Particular attention was paid to the assumptions and the implementation of the government’s gas policy in terms of the situation in the European Union gas market. An attempt was made to answer the question: To what extent have the assumptions of policy of the government of the Law and Justice party regarding Poland’s gas security been realized? In an attempt to answer the question so formulated, the following methods were used in the study: a decision-making method, formal-legal method, statistical and comparative methods. On the grounds of the conducted research, it needs to be concluded that after 2015, as a result of the government’s policy, the imports of natural gas from the east to Poland were reduced with a simultaneous diversification of the direction from which this raw material was delivered. The resignation from the deliveries of Russian gas to Poland after 2022 will be possible thanks to putting Baltic Pipe gas pipeline into operation and raising the flow capacity of Świnoujście LNG terminal. The implementation of these investments will have a positive impact on the improvement of Poland’s gas security. Failure to launch the investments and an increase of gas consumption in Poland will make it necessary to conclude a short-term Polish-Russian agreement for imports of that fuel to Poland.
Topic:
Security, Energy Policy, International Cooperation, Natural Resources, European Union, and Gas
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

146. Religious Determinants of Socio-Political Openness of Young Silesians in Poland

Author:
Agnieszka Turska-Kawa
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The aim of the presented study was to diagnose the role of religious engagement in the social attitudes of young Silesians, operationalized on the continuum of closeness vs. openness in three areas: (1) community engagement, (2) approval for religion’s interference in the public space, and (3) accepting Catholic Church hierarchs’ views on problems such as euthanasia, artificial contraception, homosexual relationships and in vitro fertilization. The group defined in the presented study is young (age: 16-19) Silesians from Śląskie (Silesian) Province, for whom religion is one of the fundamental values and is regarded by scholars as the core of their identity (N=567). The results of the study confirm that religious engagement is a significant predictor of a closed social attitude in two out of three areas proposed in the model. Higher religious engagement promotes the desire to incorporate the approved religious principles into the secular space. Religious engagement is also a significant predictor of acceptance of Catholic Church hierarchs’ views on underlined problems. The analysis did not show any significant relationships between religious engagement in community engagement of young Silesians.
Topic:
Religion, Minorities, Community, and Equality
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

147. Memory and Politics of Memory in Terms of the Memes Theory. With Reference to an Example of the Idea of Polish Heroism

Author:
Anna Ratke-Majewska
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The purpose of the article is to verify the hypothesis that the idea of Polish heroism constitutes an effectively duplicating and spreading meme, and stories of the past constructed in the framework of Polish politics of memory will be effective precisely when they refer to memes duplicated most often in the community. The article proves therefore that the Polish state politics of memory should be shaped on the basis of memes that replicate the most in Polish society, because only then does it have a chance to achieve its goals. What is more, this principle can also be applied to other countries that pursue a politics of memory. It was possible to obtain answers to the research questions raised in the text (in order to verify the hypotheses) due to the use of mutually complementary research methods: analysis of narrative structures and content analysis. The article presents the results of the author’s own research with comments and conclusions.
Topic:
Politics, Memory, Community, and Heroism
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

148. Political Process, Crisis and Legitimacy in Poland

Author:
Hector Calleros
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
The paper examines the conflict over the control of the integration of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal (CT) that evolved into a constitutional crisis in October 2015 - and has extended for more than two years. It identifies issues that help understand how the Polish Democracy does not impede the erosion of constitutional democracy as the conflict has undermined the CT and the function of judicial review (JR). The article examines issues of legitimacy that emerge from the crisis; it also examines the extent to which the institutional settings condition the operation of the JR function; in particular, it looks at the role of executive actors (the Government and the President), and the role of the political/parliamentary party in bridging the separation of powers.
Topic:
Politics, Democracy, Constitution, Legitimacy, and Justice
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

149. Generationally Diversified Labor Groups in Contemporary Labor Market. A Chance or a Threat for Organizations?

Author:
Rafal Muster
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
Demographic changes connected with aging of Polish society shall determine the situation in the labor market to an ever-growing extent. The increase of average lifespan in combination with limited options of early retirement and smaller supply of employees shall lead to higher percentage of personnel aged 60 and more inside organizations. All these factors signify that more and more frequently contemporary companies shall function with personnel characterized by a truly large age gap. Undoubtedly, age of employees significantly influences their attitude to work, system of values, loyalty toward both the co-workers and the employer, as well their professional ambitions. In spite of these major differences, individuals from various generations will be forced to cooperate in the same teams. This article presents partial results of empiric studies dealing with the issue of generational diversification of human resources conducted in local labor market of the city of Ruda Śląska, both among the employees and employers. Opinions of employees and employers concerning the quality of mutual cooperation of individuals characterized by large age differences have been analyzed and simultaneously potential opportunities for mutual learning of employees belonging to different age groups have been presented.
Topic:
Civil Society, Demographics, Labor Issues, and Labor Market
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland

150. Possibility of Implementing the Concept of the Intermarium in the Context of Militant Democracy in Poland During and After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Author:
Kamila Rezmer-Płotka
Publication Date:
01-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Polish Political Science Yearbook
Institution:
Polish Political Science Association (PPSA)
Abstract:
Intermarium is one of the most important Polish geopolitical concepts. This article considers it within the category of militant democracy. It allows to explore the process of militant democracy, that is, introducing restrictions by legal means. Most restrictions have recently been introduced due to a coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, the article undertakes to examine the potential for implementation of the concept of the Intermarium during the pandemic and shortly after its end. The study uses a qualitative analysis of sources. Indicators relevant to the study of the process of militant democracy were distinguished based on the body of literature. Results: The traditional concept of the Intermarium erodes due to natural causes. Currently, Poland is more inclined to the concept of the Three Seas. In addition, in the face of the analysis that was carried out, it seems that in a pandemic situation we are observing the end of the paradigm of liberal democracy in this case.
Topic:
Military Affairs, Democracy, Public Health, Pandemic, COVID-19, and Health Crisis
Political Geography:
Europe and Poland