Perspective Politice

The Evolution of Serbian Foreign Policy under Vucic: Navigating between the European Union and Russia

Srdan JOVANOVIC — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

This comprehensive analysis delves into the evolution of Serbian foreign policy under the leadership of Aleksandar Vucic, elucidating the nation’s endeavours to navigate the complex interplay of interests and alignments that define its relationships with both the European Union and Russia. The study examines the historical context, Vucic’s rise to power, Serbia’s interactions with the EU and Russia, and the challenges and opportunities associated with the nation’s balancing act. It highlights the pragmatic, adaptive, and strategically autonomous approach to international relations that has characterized Vucic’s foreign policy legacy, while also considering potential trajectories for Serbia’s foreign policy in the post-Vucic era. In conclusion, the study offers recommendations for future research on Serbian foreign policy and international relations, emphasizing the need to explore the various factors that may influence the nation’s future alignment with the EU or Russia, as well as the domestic political dynamics, regional geopolitics, economic imperatives, and security concerns that may impinge upon Serbia’s strategic calculus.

E-government Stages and the Romanian Public Sector – The Pension System Case

Andra CARAUSU — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

E-government has been, for the past 20 years, one of the main fields of study for researchers following transformation in the public administration systems, the most important and visible one after the New Public Management. Since 2001, many papers have tried to establish o list of stages one should follow in order to observe the process a public organization goes through in its journey to digitalizing public services.

This paper will review four of the most important and universally accepted models, from the Layne and Lee (2001) complex model, to the Gartner (Baum & DiMaio, 2000) specific one, in order to decide which one best applies in practice and can actually be used to analyse a public organization and its process towards digitalization, and which ones apply better to the general public system, like the one proposed by Moon (2002).

In order to have a specific example and apply the theoretical models in practice, this paper will be presenting the case of the public pension system in Romania, through its local Houses of Public Pensions and their level of digitalization, when it comes to public services and public interaction with people who benefit from their services.

I will begin by presenting the context in which e-government appeared and why is it so important in the development of any public administration of the 21st century, the main differences between the stage models mentioned above, and the arguments presented for applying one of them in our current study, followed by the methodology used to observe the characteristics of the digitalization process in the Public House of Pension of Brasov city, Romania.

The results of the study will be applied on the stages mentioned above in order to determine which stage are we currently talking about and how well the model can be applied in practice.

Digital Democracy and the Growing Threat of Illiberalism. Opportunities and Limitations as Reflected by the Estonian Case

Eugen GABOR, Marian OANCEA, Vladimir PRIPP — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Currently, the fourth and fifth waves of the industrial revolution are shaping the global political, economic, and social landscape. The development of robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality (VR), doubled by the emerging importance of renewable energy sources, is redefining the relationship between the state and the citizen. In this context, the frequency of arguments that plead for an adaptation of the liberal democratic model to the digital environment is increasing. However, the latest developments in this field are also facilitating the spreading of populist and radical messages. Digital innovation is therefore, in many countries, contemporaneous with a process of democratic backsliding. Our paper represents a preliminary attempt to estimate the potential impact of digitalizing the political and social spheres on the stability of liberal democratic regimes. Answers to the questions put forward are provided by analyzing the digital evolution of politics and society in Estonia. We highlight data linked not only to topics such as online voting, participatory budgeting, or digital skills but also data regarding political participation and democratic resilience. Our conclusions suggest that, although building a genuine digital democracy can have positive effects on the level of political and civic involvement of citizens, in order to annihilate the danger of illiberalism, an improvement in the levels of trust in public institutions is also needed. Trust is a vital factor for blocking disinformation and ensuring that digital tools are not hijacked by populist groups with authoritarian tendencies.

The Environmental Challenge to More Open Borders

Vlad TERTELEAC — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

In this paper, I examine the case for immigration restrictions by formulating and discussing three environmental objections to a justice-based argument for more open borders. The objection from the right to healthy environment claims that increased immigration to developed states will result in overpopulation and states must restrict immigration in order to respect the basic human right to a healthy environment. The objection from global environmental effects claims that restrictions on immigration are justified in order to limit the total output of greenhouse gases emitted by developed states. The objection from the global commons claims that a more open border regime threatens the feasibility of policies that seek to control the growth of population in developing countries. I argue that all three versions of the environmental challenge fail to establish their conclusions and that the case for more open borders cannot be counteracted on these grounds.

Populism, Identity Politics, and the Challenge of Counter Anti-Black and Anti-Muslim Populism: A Comprehensive Analysis

Catalin-Gabriel DONE — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

This paper presents an in-depth investigation into the intricate dynamics between socio-political crises, Black and Muslim social groups, and the escalating support for Populism and populist movements within the context of contemporary France. Our study seeks to unveil the direct and distinct correlations that exist between these minority communities and the surge of Populism while empirically scrutinising the underlying relationships between socioeconomic, cultural, and political integration and the rise of populist sentiments.

The research delves into the complex landscape of Populism, encompassing its various manifestations and identifying how socio-political crises provide fertile ground for populist appeals. By exploring the intricate interplay between these elements, our study contributes to an enhanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of Populism within diverse social contexts. The paper’s theoretical framework is rooted in the theory of Populism, the principles of intersectionality and the analysis of the relationship between world-feelings and populist support. Methodologically, we take a comprehensive approach based on quantitative and data collection methods. Thus, we empirically examine the relationship between socioeconomic, cultural, and political integration and whether the link between these factors is related to Populism and political radicalisation.

The results reveal intricate correlations between integration and the prevalence of populist sentiments, highlighting the role of socioeconomic and cultural factors and political engagement in shaping these dynamics. This article not only contributes to the academic understanding of populism and minority politics but also offers practical implications.

Gender Equality from International Commitments to National Realities – the Case of Romania

Georgiana HOROBEANU, Georgiana ZARCU, Roxana IROD — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

In this paper, we will look over some of the most important and widely spread international commitments in terms of achieving gender equality and empowering women such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Istanbul Convention, with a particular focus pointed towards the issues in implementing these ground-breaking gender equality treaties and initiatives. The paper offers an overview of the way a specific state, Romania, manages to implement these kinds of commitments in general terms, if and how the Romanian Government has succeeded in implementing the legislative packages necessary for the harmonisation of the national legislation with the international commitments taken by the government, what statistic position among European countries does Romania occupy in terms of gender equality and what are the recommendations provided by the United Nations for dealing with Romania’s gender equality issues. Lastly, a more in detail examination of the current framework used to teach gender equality in the national education system will be provided, touching on subjects such as gender balance among education staff, the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural learning objectives set by UNESCO and how they apply to gender to gender issues in the school curriculum for all ages in Romania.

European Populism and the War in Ukraine: Populist Narratives in Support of Vladimir Putin

Vlad BUJDEI-TEBEICA — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

European illiberal populists have not been very shy about their association with the Russian Federation’s Vladimir Putin. Many of them have even hailed the Russian President as a stalwart example against the liberal democratic institutions that define the European Union. However, it’s been almost two years since Russia invaded Ukraine and some of Putin’s previous supporters in Europe have dialled back their stance on Putin. This article seeks to create an overview of populist narratives in European Union member states regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, in order to assess whether European illiberal discourses fluctuate according to external events. The analysis covers 8 European Union member states: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The period of analysis covers the full year since the Russian invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, up until February 2023, and is contrasted to statements and positions held prior to February 2022. The analysis will be based on public statements made by key populist actors and parties from the 8 member states. The working hypothesis is that the populists’ support and admiration for Vladimir Putin varies across the 8 countries. In some, support has been diluted after the start of the invasion due to pre-existing anti-communist sentiment, while in others it hasn’t seen a significant drop.

The Paradox of Climate Change Migration

Robert UDREA — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Temporary or long-term movements, within the country of origin or abroad, voluntary or forced, individual, in the family or in communities, today migrations that have as their primary cause climate change represent an intensely discussed topic in international debates. Whether it is discussed as environmental refugees, climate migrants, or any other related name, the problem of migrants of this type is still too little present and understood in international law and national and global public policies. Europe seems the most protected from climate change of all the world’s continents, which could create climate crises that force its inhabitants to leave their homes in search of better places to live. Europe has stated many better-performing economies than the world’s most vulnerable countries and regions. Paradoxically, the world’s wealthiest areas can deal with climate impacts on migration through adaptation policies and measures. Still, they are the ones that pollute the most and therefore worsen the climate situation. On the other hand, the most vulnerable countries, usually those in Sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia, are the poorest, from where the inhabitants migrate the most, and yet they contribute the least to the emission of greenhouse gases. The issue of migration caused by climate change is discussed through the latest findings, academic, and scientific writings, considering different facets of climate migration that decision-makers need to contemplate and act accordingly.

Assessing Labour Migration Policies From the Incorporation Perspective. The Case of Romania

Bogdan FLORIAN, Oana-Andreea ION, Mircea MOCANU — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Migrants play an important role in shaping today’s EU, both in terms of the labour market, and society as a whole. The analyses of the migration policies, including the labour sector, are generally focused on the control and, respectively, on the security dimension, while a third branch includes the researches on the broader term of incorporation of migrants into the fabric of the host societies. This paper starts from the questions “why does the EU labour market need migrants?” and “what role can migrants play in community development?”, and it argues that using an incorporation approach in public policies concerning migrants could provide a theoretical and actional solution to overcome challenges posed by various other policy and political positions aimed against migrants. An assessment of labour-connected incorporation policies and practices is presented as a study case, using evidence-based policies and practices from Romania. The main findings of the paper indicate that there is a huge gap between stated aims of written strategies, actions being implemented and the perception of intended target groups. The article argues that this deviation is due, at least in the case of Romania, to a weak administrative capacity to manage migrant flows and the challenges they bring to traditional and rigid legal and administrative systems. The gap is also due to poor operationalisation of the concept of incorporation in policy practice, with contradictory simultaneously policy narratives of adaptation, assimilation, inclusion, or integration, and without a clear goal that should shape a national labour migration policy.