DOCSLIB.ORG

RETHINKING the PRESIDENCY Challenges And

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
RETHINKING the PRESIDENCY Challenges And Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures Edited by Blanka Říchová Radosław Kubicki Aaron Walter Conference Proceedings, International Scientific Conference 2nd December 2014 Trnava City Hall Trnava, Slovakia Trnava 2015 RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures Conference Proceedings from International Scientific Conference “Presidential Powers and their Transformation in the Political Systems”, 2nd December 2014, Trnava City Hall, Trnava, Slovakia Editors-in-chief: prof. PhDr. Blanka Říchová, CSc. Radosław Kubicki, Ph.D. Aaron Walter, Ph.D. Managing editors: PhDr. Marek Hrušovský PhDr. Pavol Juhás Cover: PhDr. Viera Žúborová, Ph.D. Reviewers: dr hab. prof. UPH Arkadiusz Indraszczyk doc. Mgr. Peter Juza, PhD., CSc. doc. JUDr. Jana Reschová, CSc. dr hab. Andrzej Florian Dubicki All the submitted papers were individually reviewed in an anonymous double blind peer review process on the basis of which the editor decided about their publication in the conference proceedings. The authors are responsible for technical content and linguistic correctness. © Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia, 2015. ISBN 9 SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE BOARD prof. PhDr. Blanka Říchová, CSc. Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic prof. zw. dr hab. Ryszard M. Czarny University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia prof. PhDr. Marcela Gbúrová, CSc. Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia prof. Dr. Valeriu Mosneaga, DrSc. University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia prof. Jean-Michel De Waele Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium prof. Šarūnas Liekis Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania prof. zw. dr hab. Jerzy Jaskiernia The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland prof UG, dr hab. Arkadiusz Modrzejewski University of Gdansk, Poland doc. PhDr. Michel Perottino, Ph.D. Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic CONTENTS PRESIDENTS – INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN POLITICS p. 9 Blanka Říchová MY IMPORTANT KEY EVENTS p. 15 Aleksander Kwaśniewski PRESIDENCY OF ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI IN POLAND (1995-2005): COMPETENCE, DECISION-MAKING, ANDPOLITICALTHOUGHT p. 19 Arkadiusz Modrzejewski PRESIDENTIAL POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC ACCORDED BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT p. 33 Ladislav Orosz JUDICIAL CONTROL OVER PRESIDENTIAL ACTS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC p. 51 Zdeněk Koudelka THE PRESIDENTIAL MODEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND – CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS AND POLITICAL PRACTICE p. 79 Jerzy Jaskiernia THE SLOVAK PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT: A COMPLEX HISTORICAL ARRANGEMENT p. 99 Peter Horváth THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC: A SYMPTOM OF PARLIAMENTARY REGIME PROBLEMS p. 117 Miloš Brunclík THE PRESIDENTIAL MODEL IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND p. 135 Łukasz Pikuła – Hubert Kaczmarczyk ALWAYS THE SAME, BUT CONSTANTLY CHANGING: A COMPARISON OF THE POSITION AND THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT IN FRANCE SINCE 1958 p. 145 Michel Perottino DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM – CHALLENGES FOR PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES p. 157 Jakub Potulski IS THERE AN AMERICANISATION OF POLITICAL CAMPAINGS IN SLOVAKIA? PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2014 p. 167 Viera Žúborová DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC – THE CZECH EXPERIENCE p. 187 Pavel Šaradín RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures PRESIDENTS – INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN POLITICS The position of president was one of the institutions with which in the countries of Central Europe, there was no particular problems during the initial years of transformation. It was counted on that this institution would be a natural part of the newly constructed institutional conditions of a functioning democracy and that it would– should the experiences from history allow – build on the status of this institution from the years prior to the enforcement of socialism. In some cases, such as in Czechoslovakia, it was the tradition and the possibility to look up to the historically first democratic leadership model created after the collapse of the Austro- Hungarian Empire that played a crucial role. The first president, T. G. Masaryk evoked the image that all the following elected presidents in a democracy or more precisely a democratising environment must have; above all morally strong values and as a result of that, individuals that are highly valued and respected, and individuals that almost all the people of the country can identify with regardless of the newly established constitutional rights (any critical views of the acts of the president were after 1989 considered rather incorrect sometimes even heretical). Hence during the first years of the transition the president appeared not only as an important moral authority but also as a significant constitutional institution whose competences and influence apply exclusively or preferentially to the constitutional text. The rules of the game, the political space that is so difficult to defy and get hold of, in which all politicians move, that plays a fundamental role also for the evaluation of political impact and for determination of the possibilities and limits of the factual influence of a particular individual in various political systems. But the president is also an important and significant political actor bound not only by the formal rules of the constitution. As it has been frequently documented over the last quarter of a century by the changes in the political environments of Central European countries, presidents have managed to strengthen their influence not through compliance of the rules but rather through their interpretation (quite often based on the saying „whatever is not expressly forbidden, is allowed“). In the conference proceedings of the international conference called Presidential Powers and their Transformation in Political Systems that took place in December 2014 at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava one of the key issues 9 RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures of presidential powers is its constitutional roots. It can be documented by Ladislav Orosz and Zdeněk Koudelka analysing the legal control of presidential acts in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic which are complemented by the detailed analysis of the Polish situation in the years 1995-2005 carried out by Arkadiusz Modrzejewski. The interpretation of set constitutional rules as a base to strengthen and draw attention to presidential influence on the current situation, aspiration to increase their presence in the political arena (in some cases almost at all times) against other politicians in the political environment, where instead of bipartisanship, partisanship occurs have showed significant trends of the transformation of the Central European political systems after the formal disposal of the socialistic model of leadership – a prime example of this can be the Czech political environment after the election of Miloš Zeman in the first direct presidential elections in 2013 as documented by Pavel Šaradín in his contribution. The Czech Republic is not an exception. Practically all Central European countries have had to more or less gradually cope with the fact that rather than the constitutional framework defining the competences of presidents it was for the new “holders of the post” their personal abilities to increase their presence in the system, use various ways in order to draw attention to their own influence and their political ambitions despite the fact that these were not always carried out in a constitutional way. It cannot be stated that the French Fifth Republic model would be a direct inspiration for new Central European politicians claiming participation in democratic leadership including ambitious personalities applying for presidential office. As the analysis carried out by Michel Perottino shows it is the French system which as a comparative example exploits the flexibility of the constitutional model. Regardless, it is obvious that the tendencies to strengthen the role of the executive body in the new Central European democracies proved to be significant (this fact is documented by the detailed analysis of the position of the Polish president by Jerzy Jaskiernia). This was also mostly connected with the introduction of direct presidential elections as documented by Miloš Brunclík, Peter Horváth or Viera Žúborová and Pavel Šaradín. While political studies’ analyses the praxis of presidential systems (naturally the American system) or the so called Semi-presidential models of leadership such as the French Fifth Republic model for the classification of the political leadership of the presidents, the issue of character of the presidential leadership in the parliamentary system has not yet been sufficiently explored. Hence the aim of this composition of analyses 10 RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures devoted to the topic of presidential leadership in the parliamentary system in Central European nations. The result of case studies dedicated to Slovak (text by Peter Horváth and Viera Žúborová), Polish (the already mentioned analysis by Jerzy Jaskiernia and Arkadiusz Modrzejewski) as well as the Czech political scene (the contribution by Miloš Brunclík) illustrates, the extent to which the political speeches of the presidents and their active interventions into politics can influence other constitutional and political actors and the impact (quite often morally problematic) they have on the society as
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Aleksander Kwasniewski
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313361199 Aleksander Kwaśniewski - political thought Chapter · December 2015 CITATIONS READS 0 52 1 author: Arkadiusz Modrzejewski University of Gdansk 17 PUBLICATIONS 11 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Arkadiusz Modrzejewski on 05 February 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures Edited by Blanka Říchová Radosław Kubicki Aaron Walter Conference Proceedings, International Scientific Conference 2nd December 2014 Trnava City Hall Trnava, Slovakia Trnava 2015 RETHINKING THE PRESIDENCY: Challenges and Failures Conference Proceedings from International Scientific Conference “Presidential Powers and their Transformation in the Political Systems ”, 2nd December 2014, Trnava City Hall, Trnava, Slovakia Editors-in-chief: prof. PhDr. Blanka Říchová, CSc. Radosław Kubicki, Ph.D. Aaron Walter, Ph.D. Managing editors: PhDr. Marek Hrušovský PhDr. Pavol Juhás Cover: PhDr. Viera Žúborová, Ph.D. Reviewers: dr hab. prof. UPH Arkadiusz Indraszczyk doc. Mgr. Peter Juza, PhD., CSc. doc. JUDr. Jana Reschová, CSc. dr hab. Andrzej Florian Dubicki All the submitted papers were individually reviewed in an anonymous double blind peer review process on the basis of which the editor decided about their publication in the conference proceedings. The authors are responsible for technical content and linguistic correctness. © Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia, 2015. ISBN 9 SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE BOARD prof. PhDr. Blanka Říchová, CSc. Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic prof. zw. dr hab.
    [Show full text]
  • PUBLICZNE Strony-Tytulowe-ENG.Qxp 2020 18/03/21 01:04 Page 1
    POLITYKI-PUBLICZNE_strony-tytulowe-ENG.qxp_2020 18/03/21 01:04 Page 1 PUBLIC POLICIES POLITYKI-PUBLICZNE_strony-tytulowe-ENG.qxp_2020 18/03/21 01:04 Page 2 SOCIAL DICTIONARIES Series edited by Wit Pasierbek and Bogdan Szlachta PUBLIC POLICIES Edited by Artur Wołek Other volumes: RELIGIOUS PEDAGOGY, Edited by Zbigniew Marek and Anna Walulik POLITYKI-PUBLICZNE_strony-tytulowe-ENG.qxp_2020 18/03/21 01:04 Page 3 SOCIAL DICTIONARIES PUBLIC POLICIES EDITED BY Artur Wołek IGNATIANUM UNIVERSITY PRESS KRAKOW 2021 © Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow, 2021 Publication financed within the “DIALOG” programme of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for the years 2019-2021 Reviewers dr hab. Piotr Broda-Wysocki; dr Michał Dulak; dr hab. Maciej Drzonek; dr hab. Michał Federowicz; dr hab. Kaja Gadowska, prof. UJ; dr hab. Bożena Gierat-Bieroń; prof. dr hab. Jolanta Itrich-Drabarek; dr Hubert Kotarski; dr hab. Rafał Prostak, prof. UEK; prof. dr hab. Paweł Ruszkowski; mgr Paweł Śliwowski; dr Michał Zabdyr-Jamróz; dr Radosław Zyzik Translated into English by Ewa Pałka Proofreading Michael Timberlake Editing and proofreading Anna Grochowska-Piróg Cover design Studio Photo Design – Lesław Sławiński Layout and typesetting Jacek Zaryczny ISBN 978-83-7614-496-2 Ignatianum University Press ul. Kopernika 26 • 31–501 Krakow, PL tel. +48 12 39 99 620 [email protected] http://wydawnictwo.ignatianum.edu.pl Printing and binding Kowalcze Małgorzata Zakład Poligraficzny “SINDRUK” Contents Foreword 7 Introduction 9 Artur Wołek Politics, public policy, and the public policy sciences: in search of an identity 11 AleksAnder surdej Rationality of public policies: fundamentals and constraints 27 rAfAł MAtyjA Decision making in public policies 43 MArcin Zawicki Public policy implementation 65 seWeryn krupnik Evaluating public policies 89 norbert lAurisZ Social policy 105 MAciej frącZek Labour market policy 129 MAciej jAkuboWski Educational policy 149 6 CONTENTS jAcek klich Health policy: key determinants and challenges 171 Paweł MusiAłek Energy policy 187 kAZiMierZ M.
    [Show full text]
  • LETTER to G20, IMF, WORLD BANK, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS and NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS
    LETTER TO G20, IMF, WORLD BANK, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS and NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS We write to call for urgent action to address the global education emergency triggered by Covid-19. With over 1 billion children still out of school because of the lockdown, there is now a real and present danger that the public health crisis will create a COVID generation who lose out on schooling and whose opportunities are permanently damaged. While the more fortunate have had access to alternatives, the world’s poorest children have been locked out of learning, denied internet access, and with the loss of free school meals - once a lifeline for 300 million boys and girls – hunger has grown. An immediate concern, as we bring the lockdown to an end, is the fate of an estimated 30 million children who according to UNESCO may never return to school. For these, the world’s least advantaged children, education is often the only escape from poverty - a route that is in danger of closing. Many of these children are adolescent girls for whom being in school is the best defence against forced marriage and the best hope for a life of expanded opportunity. Many more are young children who risk being forced into exploitative and dangerous labour. And because education is linked to progress in virtually every area of human development – from child survival to maternal health, gender equality, job creation and inclusive economic growth – the education emergency will undermine the prospects for achieving all our 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and potentially set back progress on gender equity by years.
    [Show full text]
  • By Anders Hellner Illustration Ragni Svensson
    40 essay feature interview reviews 41 NATURAL GAS MAKES RUSSIA STRONGER BY ANDERS HELLNER ILLUSTRATION RAGNI SVENSSON or nearly 45 years, the Baltic was a divided Russia has not been particularly helpful. For the EU, sea. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were which has so many member states with “difficult” incorporated into the Soviet Union. Poland backgrounds in the area, the development of a stra- and East Germany were nominally inde- tegy and program for the Baltic Sea has long held high pendent states, but were essentially governed from priority. This is particularly the case when it comes to Moscow. Finland had throughout its history enjoyed issues of energy and the environment. limited freedom of action, especially when it came to foreign and security policies. This bit of modern his- tory, which ended less than twenty years ago, still in- In June 2009, the EU Commission presented a fluences cooperation and integration within the Baltic proposal for a strategy and action plan for the entire Sea area. region — in accordance with a decision to produce The former Baltic Soviet republics were soon in- such a strategy, which the EU Parliament had reached tegrated into the European Union and the Western in 2006. Immediately thereafter, the European defense alliance NATO. The U.S. and Western Europe Council gave the Commission the task of formulating accomplished this in an almost coup-like manner. It what was, for the EU, a unique proposal. The EU had was a question of acting while Russia was in a weake- never before developed strategies applying to specific ned state.
    [Show full text]
  • Bożena Dziemidok-Olszewska1 the Specificity of The
    Przegląd Prawa Konstytucyjnego -----ISSN 2082-1212----- DOI 10.15804/ppk.2020.06.08 -----No. 6 (58)/2020----- Bożena Dziemidok-Olszewska1 The Specificity of the Constitutionalization Process of Systemic Changes in Poland During the Period of Transformations Keywords: Poland, constitutionalization, constitution, systemic changes Słowa kluczowe: Polska, konstytucjonalizacja, konstytucja, zmiany ustrojowe Abstract The aim of the article is to indicate the prevalent features of the Polish process of con- stitutional and systemic changes in Poland in 1989–1997. It was assumed that the Pol- ish process of constitutionalization was characterized by a number of specific features which were interrelated and dependent on each another. The aim of the paper is to rec- ognize the phased character of the changes as the first feature of the political transfor- mation process in Poland, whereas compromise should be regarded as its basic attribute. Other specific features (presented in the subsequent parts of the article) include: evolu- tionary, temporary, and pragmatic nature of the process. Streszczenie Specyfika procesu konstytucjonalizacji zmian ustrojowych w Polsce w okresie transformacji Celem artykułu jest wskazanie głównych, dominujących cech polskiego procesu zmian konstytucyjno-ustrojowych w Polsce w latach 1989–1997. Przyjęto założenie, że polski 1 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2944-5073, Professor, Department of Political Systems and Human Rights, Institute of Political Sciences and Administration, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. E-mail: bozena. [email protected]. 116 PRZEGLĄD PRAWA KONSTYTUCYJNEGO 2020/6 proces konstytucjonalizacji posiadał szereg cech specyficznych, które były ze sobą po- wiązane i od siebie zależne. Hipotezą artykułu jest uznanie etapowości zmian za pierw- szą, a kompromisu za podstawową cechę procesu transformacji ustrojowej w Polsce.
    [Show full text]
  • Biographies of Speakers and Moderators
    INTERNATIONAL IDEA Supporting democracy worldwide Biographies of Speakers and Moderators 20 November 2019 Rue Belliard 101, 1040 Brussels www.idea.int @Int_IDEA InternationalIDEA November 20, 2019 The State of Democracy in East-Central Europe Opening Session Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General, International IDEA Dr. Casas-Zamora is the Secretary-General of International IDEA and Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue. He was member of Costa Rica’s Presidential Commission for State Reform and managing director at Analitica Consultores. Previously, he was Costa Rica’s Second Vice President and Minister of National Planning; Secretary for Political A airs at the Organization of American States; Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and National Coordinator of the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report. Dr. Casas-Zamora has taught in multiple higher education institutions. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford. His doctoral thesis, on Political Fi- nance and State Subsidies for Parties in Costa Rica and Uruguay, won the 2004 Jean Blondel PhD Prize of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Mr. Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions Mr. Karl-Heinz Lambertz was elected as President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in July 2017 a er serving as First Vice-President. He is also President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. His interest in politics came early in his career having served as President of the German-speaking Youth Council. He then became Member of Parliament of the Ger- man-speaking Community in 1981.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Learning, Fast and Slow: Market-Oriented Reforms of Czech and Polish Healthcare Policy, 1989-2009
    Policy Learning, Fast and Slow: Market-Oriented Reforms of Czech and Polish Healthcare Policy, 1989-2009 Tamara Popić Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of Political and Social Sciences of the European University Institute Florence, 24 November 2014 (defence) European University Institute Department of Political and Social Sciences Policy Learning, Fast and Slow: Market-Oriented Reforms of Czech and Polish Healthcare Policy, 1989-2009 Tamara Popić Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of Political and Social Sciences of the European University Institute Examining Board Prof Sven Steinmo, EUI (Supervisor) Prof László Bruszt, EUI Prof Ana Marta Guillén Rodríguez, University of Oviedo Prof Ellen Immergut, Humboldt University Berlin © Popić, 2014 No part of this thesis may be copied, reproduced or transmitted without prior permission of the author Abstract What determines the pace of policy innovation and change? Why, in other words, do policy makers in some countries innovate faster than in others? This thesis challenges conventional explanations, according to which policy change occurs in response to class conflict, partisan preferences, power of professional groups, or institutional and policy legacies. The thesis instead argues that different paths of policy change can be best explained by the different learning processes by which policy makers develop ideas for new policies in reaction to old policies. The thesis draws upon both ideational and institutional streams of literature on policy change, and develops its argument that policy change, understood as a learning process, is a result of interactions between three different, yet interdependent factors – ideas, interests and institutions.
    [Show full text]
  • Druk Nr 4430 RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ IV Kadencja
    SEJM Druk nr 4430 RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ IV kadencja S P R A W O Z D AN I E KOMISJI ŚLEDCZEJ DO ZBADANIA ZARZUTU NIEPRAWIDŁOWOŚCI W NADZORZE MINISTERSTWA SKARBU PAŃSTWA NAD PRZEDSTAWICIELAMI SKARBU PAŃSTWA W SPÓŁCE PKN ORLEN S.A. ORAZ ZARZUTU WYKORZYSTANIA SŁUŻB SPECJALNYCH (D. UOP) DO NIELEGALNYCH NACISKÓW NA ORGANA WYMIARU SPRAWIEDLIWOŚCI W CELU UZYSKANIA POSTANOWIEŃ SŁUŻĄCYCH DO WYWIERANIA PRESJI NA CZŁONKÓW ZARZĄDU PKN ORLEN S.A. Sejm na 76 posiedzeniu w dniu 28 maja 2004 r. – na podstawie art. 111 Konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz art. 1 i 2 ustawy z dnia 21 stycznia 1999 r. o sejmowej komisji śledczej – powołał Komisję Śledczą do zbadania zarzutu nieprawidłowości w nadzorze Ministerstwa Skarbu Państwa nad przedstawicielami Skarbu Państwa w spółce PKN Orlen S.A. oraz zarzutu wykorzystania służb specjalnych (d. UOP) do nielegalnych nacisków na organa wymiaru sprawiedliwości w celu uzyskania postanowień służących do wywierania presji na członków Zarządu PKN Orlen S.A., która po zakończeniu pracy na 97 posiedzeniu w dniu 19 września 2005 r. w n o s i celem rozpatrzenia przez Sejm załączonego sprawozdania. Komisja – zgodnie z art. 19 b ustawy o sejmowej komisji śledczej – przedstawia zdania odrębne: 1) Posła Andrzeja Aumillera, 2) Posła Bogdana Bujaka, 3) Posła Antoniego Macierewicza, 4) Posła Zbigniewa Witaszka. Warszawa, dnia 19 września 2005 r. Przewodniczący Komisji i sprawozdawca /-/ Andrzej Aumiller Stanowisko Komisji Śledczej S T A N O W I S K O SEJMOWEJ KOMISJI ŚLEDCZEJ DO ZBADANIA ZARZUTU NIEPRAWIDŁOWOŚCI W NADZORZE MINISTERSTWA SKARBU PAŃSTWA NAD PRZEDSTAWICIELAMI SKARBU PAŃSTWA W SPÓŁCE PKN ORLEN S.A. ORAZ ZARZUTU WYKORZYSTANIA SŁUŻB SPECJALNYCH (d.
    [Show full text]
  • International Conference Crimes of the Communist Regimes, Prague, 24–25 February 2010
    International conference Crimes of the Communist Regimes an assessment by historians and legal experts proceedings Th e conference took place at the Main Hall of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (24–25 February 2010), and at the Offi ce of the Government of the Czech Republic (26 February 2010) Th e publication of this book was kindly supported by the European Commission Representation in the Czech Republic. Th e European Commission Representation in the Czech Republic bears no responsibility for the content of the publication. © Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, 2011 ISBN 978-80-87211-51-9 Th e conference was hosted by Jiří Liška, Vice-chairman of the Senate, Parliament of the Czech Republic and the Offi ce of the Government of the Czech Republic and organized by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes together with partner institutions from the working group on the Platform of European Memory and Conscience under the kind patronage of Jan Fischer Prime minister of the Czech Republic Miroslava Němcová First deputy chairwoman of the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic Heidi Hautala (Finland) Chairwoman of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the European Parliament Göran Lindblad (Sweden) President of the Political Aff airs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and chairman of the Swedish delegation to PACE Sandra Kalniete (Latvia) former dissident, Member of the European Parliament Tunne Kelam (Estonia) former dissident, Member of the European Parliament
    [Show full text]
  • Slomczynski Continuity Do PDF:Slom1czpop.Qxd.Qxd
    CHAPTER 21. ROBERT M. KUNOVICH RELIGION AND STATE: AN EXAMINATION OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CATHOLIC CHURCH The separation of church and state is a contentious issue at the forefront of national politics in many countries, including Poland. Poland provides an interesting case for examining attitudes toward the separation of church and state because of the Catholic Church’s prominent role in the preservation of the Polish nation through many difficult periods, such as partition, as well as its more recent involvement in national politics over issues including abortion and religious education. Many have argued that the Catholic Church has over- stepped its bounds to further its own ideology in the face of eroding popular support. Despite this, there are still many individuals who favor an expanded role for the Polish Catholic Church. In this chapter, I examine people’s beliefs about the influence of the Catholic Church on politics. Recent scholarship on religious nationalism provides the framework for the chapter. My goal is to identify individual characteristics associated with a desire for the greater influ- ence of the Catholic Church on political decisions of the Polish state. Theoretical Background Polish national identity is intimately linked with Roman Catholicism. Byrnes (1996) attributes this linkage to, among other factors, the role of the Catholic Church in protecting Polish national identity over the past 200 years amid partition, occupation, and domination (see also Eberts 1998; Juergensmeyer 1994: 135–137; Schanda 2003). Some Polish nationalists even “idealize 376 ROBERT M. KUNOVICH Poland as the Christ among nations, crucified and buried” (Modras 1996: 170; see also Byrnes 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • The European Council — 50 Years of Summit Meetings (December 2011)
    The European Council — 50 years of summit meetings (December 2011) Caption: This brochure, produced by the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, looks back at the history of the European Council from the first summit in Paris in 1961 to the transformation of the Council into an institution by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009. It also includes a full list of all the meetings of the European Council. Source: General Secretariat of the Council, The European Council – 50 years of summit meetings. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2012. 23 p. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/librairie/PDF/QC3111406ENC.pdf. Copyright: (c) European Union URL: http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_european_council_50_years_of_summit_meetings_dece mber_2011-en-2d6c1430-1baf-4879-ada8-89065f8f009a.html Last updated: 25/11/2015 1/29 EUROPEAN COUNCIL EN The European Council 50 years of summit meetings GENERAL SECRETARIAT COUNCIL THE OF ARCHIVE SERIES ARCHIVE DECEMBER 2011 2/29 Notice h is brochure is produced by the General Secretariat of the Council; it is for information purposes only. For any information on the European Council and the Council, you can consult the following websites: http://www.european-council.europa.eu http://www.consilium.europa.eu or contact the Public Information Department of the General Secretariat of the Council at the following address: Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 1048 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË Tel. +32 22815650 Fax +32 22814977 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/infopublic More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure, Multiplexity, and Centrality in a Corruption Network: the Czech Rath Affair
    Trends Organ Crim https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-018-9334-y Structure, multiplexity, and centrality in a corruption network: the Czech Rath affair Tomáš Diviák1,2,3 & Jan Kornelis Dijkstra1 & Tom A. B. Snijders 1,4 # The Author(s) 2018, corrected publication May/2018 Abstract The present study is an analysis of a Czech political corruption network known as the Rath affair reconstructed with publicly available data. We argue that for the study of criminal networks it is fruitful to follow a multiplex approach, i.e., to distinguish several interdependent network dimensions and study how they are interrelated. Relational elements in corruption are identified, and we propose three dimensions that are essential for under- standing the Rath network: pre-existing ties (e.g., marriage or co-membership of the same party), resource transfer (e.g., bribing), and collaboration (e.g., communication). The aim of the study was threefold. We aimed to examine if the network exhibits the core/periphery structure, to investigate the multiplex structure of the network by assessing the overlap of the main dimensions of the network, and to determine the central and multiplex actors while considering the differentiation of centrality according to the three network dimensions. The core/periphery model appears to have a perfect fit to the aggregated network, leading to a four-block adjacency matrix. Studying the frequency of ties in these blocks shows that collaboration ties are present in all the blocks, while resource transfer ties are mainly located between the core and periphery, and pre-existing ties are rare generally. We also identify central actors, none of which are strategically positioned, occupying more visible positions instead.
    [Show full text]