Search

Begin New Search Political Geography Slovakia

21. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

Author:
Boris Divinský
Publication Date:
06-2010
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
The goal of the contribution is to familiarize the reader with the quantitative and qualitative developments in the field of migration in the Slovak Republic that took place from its incorporation into the European Union back in 2004. The text of the present paper is based on research outcomes of the project 'Migration in the Slovak Republic After its Accession to the EU (2004–2008) – An Analysis of Migration Trends and Attitudes of the Public to the Migration Issues and Integration of Foreigners' carried out by the International Organization for Migration in the Slovak Republic. However, these findings were updated by data related to 2009, thanks to which a somehow wider view of the development trajectories, fundamental attributes and key issues in the area of migration since Slovakia's accession to the Union was gained.
Topic:
International Organization
Political Geography:
Europe and Slovakia

22. ENERGY (STILL) MATTERS

Author:
Karel Hirman
Publication Date:
03-2010
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
Energy, energy security and the threat of climate change have been the central issues of international politics in recent years. This was also noticed at the last meeting of the International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries being held in October 2009 at its headquarters in Paris. The ministers of 28 member states (including Slovakia) together with the European Commission agreed that the world is facing unprecedented economic, environmental and security threats and that all of them are, more-or-less, related to energy. Their solution aims at creating a safer, cleaner and more sustainable energy future. In other words, it is inevitable to switch into a low-carbon energy and economy. The events of recent years suggest that the global economy finds itself at the beginning of the end of the 'oil era'. One assumes that traditional fossil fuels, particularly oil, gas and coal, will be, for at least two decades, the basic raw materials for global energy, i.e. for our global civilization. It is also clear, however, that the increase in consumption of the fossil fuels, due to the increase in living standards in the countries of Asia, Latin America or Africa, is limited not only by the size of their reserves, but also by the impact on the environment and geopolitical-security risks arising from their location and transportation routes.
Topic:
Security
Political Geography:
Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Slovakia

23. Table of Contents Full Issue

Author:
Nora Beňáková
Publication Date:
09-2010
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
International Issues: Slovak Foreign Policy Affairs
Institution:
Slovak Foreign Policy Association
Abstract:
Slovakia started its ODA program based on her international commitments and membership in international organizations grouping the donor community. It was enlisted into the community of the most developed countries and donors in 2000 by entering the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and by paying mostly voluntary contributions to international organizations providing humanitarian aid and running the scholarship programs. The fact that Slovakia is one of the countries providing assistance was confirmed in 2008 by the decision of the World Bank who definitely reclassified Slovakia from the countries that receive assistance to the countries that provide it. It should also become evident in the increase of amount and quality of development assistance provided. However, this calls for a change in thinking from the side of politicians, media and public.
Topic:
International Organization
Political Geography:
Slovakia

24. Is the euro really a 'teuro'? Effects of introducing the euro on prices of everyday non-tradables in Slovakia

Author:
Miroslav Beblavý
Publication Date:
11-2010
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
This paper looks at the Slovak experience with euro adoption from the point of view of perceived versus actual inflation and with a focus on a specific set of non-tradable prices. It examines whether Slovak consumers experienced or perceived (or both) an unusual price jump at the time of euro adoption and the possible explanations for such a phenomenon.
Topic:
Economics and Monetary Policy
Political Geography:
Slovakia

25. Economic Survey of Slovak Republic, 2007

Publication Date:
04-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
Following major economic reforms, the Slovak economy has grown strongly in recent years, driven by rapid productivity growth, but still has far to go to catch up to the per capita income levels in the advanced European countries. The incoming government has made achieving a more equal distribution of income a priority insofar as this can be done without damaging long-term growth prospects. There is considerable scope both to strengthen growth prospects and to reduce income inequality by raising employment rates, improving education outcomes (including by reducing the impact of socio-economic background), and by removing barriers to product-market competition. The new government has also reiterated its commitment to Slovakia's entry into the euro area in January 2009 and has taken steps to make it probable that Slovakia will satisfy the Maastricht criteria for entry on a sustainable basis. Policies may need to be adapted to support macroeconomic stability in the currency union.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Slovakia

26. Relics of Cold War: Defence Transformation in the Czech Republic

Author:
Miroslav Tuma
Publication Date:
09-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Abstract:
On 28 October 1918, the newly created Czechoslovak Republic—incorporating the historic Czech lands (Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia) and Slovakia— declared its independence after three centuries under Austrian and then Austro- Hungarian rule. This First Republic, initially led by its popular first president, Tomá G. Masaryk, lasted until the resignation of his successor, Edvard Bene, in October 1938. This followed an agreement between France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom forcing Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. From March 1939 until the end of World War II Czechoslovakia was split into the German Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia and the nominally independent Slovakian State, which was also under de facto German control. Czechoslovakia regained its independence in 1945. The Communist Party took over government in 1948 and in 1955 Czechoslovakia signed the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (the Warsaw Treaty) along with Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union and, from 1956, the German Democratic Republic. A period of hardline communist rule followed. Attempts at democratic transformation in 1968, the so-called Prague Spring, were ended by a Soviet-led invasion by the forces of fellow Warsaw Treaty Organization members in August 1968, after which the leading reformists were replaced with orthodox Communists. Czechoslovakia's Communist regime relinquished its monopoly on power in November 1989 following more than a week of popular demonstrations, a series of events known as the Velvet Revolution. A former dissident, Václav Havel, was elected president of the renamed Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. On 1 January 1993, the federation was peacefully dissolved and the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic (Slovakia) became independent democratic states. In 1999 the Czech Republic joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and in 2004 it joined the European Union.
Topic:
NATO and Cold War
Political Geography:
United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, and Slovakia

27. The Aspect of Culture in the Social Inclusion of Ethnic Minorities Evaluation of the Impact of Inclusion Policies under the Open Method of Co-ordination in the European Union: Assessing the Cultural Policies of Six Member States Final Report Slovakia

Author:
Michal Vašeèka
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The report of the Slovak team is divided into three parts. The first one describes social inclusion policies of Roma in Slovakia in general. The second evaluates inclusion policies of the National Action Plans on social inclusion by analyzing focus groups with experts, and the third one brings analysis of particular inclusion policies. The paper finally brings also rather theoretical input whether Roma have where to integrate and describes structural problems of social inclusion policies.
Topic:
Ethnic Conflict and Human Rights
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe and Slovakia

28. The power of norms in the transposition of EU directives

Author:
Antoaneta Dimitrova and Mark Rhinard
Publication Date:
11-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Research Papers Archive
Abstract:
Transposition research provides an excellent opportunity to bring new data to bear on two of the most dominant theoretical approaches to European Union studies: rational choice institutionalism and sociological institutionalism. Yet the goal of comparable testing is hampered by the underspecified nature of the sociological perspective. This paper takes some steps towards identifying and operationalising a sociological explanation of the transposition of EU directives. Examining an array of alternatives, we single out an approach that focuses on the transmission of norms as a way to explain transposition delay and content changes, and on persuasion to help explain norm change over time. To probe the validity of our explanation, we apply it to a case study of the transposition of two anti-discrimination directives from 2000 in Slovakia. In short, our paper aims to move forward the search for a testable sociological framework in EU studies, while offering an operational approach to studying the process of transposing EU directives.
Topic:
International Relations, Development, and Government
Political Geography:
Europe and Slovakia

29. Economic Survey of Slovak Republic, 2004

Publication Date:
02-2004
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Abstract:
Slovakia is engaged in an ambitious reform process which has a potential to quicken productivity growth, increase the employment rate and accelerate the catching-up to the per capita income levels of more advanced OECD countries. Short-term outcomes may be demanding socially and politically, but stimulus to growth and job-creation should help overcome the hardship. Policymakers should fully enforce the new framework for creating and doing business and support it with the full force of law. Human capital enrichment for new entrants through education reform is critical, while intensified re-training for the long-term unemployed is also indispensable, including for the Roma population. Demand for labour will be stimulated by the planned reductions in employment costs in the low end of the market, as well as by the fundamental tax reforms raising the return to enterprise creation and development. Further cuts in social contributions, which remain among the highest among OECD countries, should be a priority. The reform of the public spending system, which is already well engaged, should facilitate such additional cuts and help promote a smaller and more effective government. Continuing efforts of fiscal consolidation will improve the macroeconomic policy mix and help maintain supportive monetary conditions in the face of currency appreciation pres- sures from EU accession, and will help meet the Maastricht nominal convergence rules on a sustainable basis prior to euro area participation. The nominal flexibility of wages and prices should be conserved in order to preserve the competitiveness of the economy, notably of the domestic manufacturing and service firms. By sticking to this multi-pronged policy agenda, Slovakia would make its growth process more balanced and more job-rich and would accelerate further its already successful catching-up process.
Topic:
Agriculture, Economics, Environment, Human Rights, International Organization, and Political Economy
Political Geography:
Slovakia

30. The New Slovak Language Law: Internal or External Politics?

Author:
Farimah Daftary and Kinga Gál
Publication Date:
09-2000
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
In Central and Eastern Europe, where language is the central defining element of the ethnic group, language policy becomes the cornerstone of constructing the identity of new states. In the multiethnic state or plural democratic state, policies aimed at promoting the language of the titular nation become the primary means of validating the moral worth of one ethnic group over the others. The example of independent Slovakia illustrates the political importance of language in Central and Eastern Europe and the virulence of the conflicts which arise between majorities and minorities over language issues. The continuous disputes between the Slovak leadership and the Hungarian minority over minority issues in general, and language-related issues specifically, have shown how sensitive language demands are during the early phases of state-building. In Slovakia, where the emphasis was on the ethnic rather than the civic dimension of nationhood, language policy served a twofold purpose: by giving the Slovak language a dominant position in the state, it sought to foster Slovak ethnic identity as the identity of the Slovak nation-state; and it was at the same time a method for promoting the assimilation of non-ethnic Slovak citizens. In reality, anti-minority policies in Slovakia (or policies perceived as such) fell within a broader set of anti-opposition policies as the State attempted to extend control and establish moral monopoly over not only language but also the fields of culture, education, economy, etc.
Topic:
Development, Government, and Politics
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe and Slovakia