DOCSLIB.ORG

CEE Covid-19 & Political Overview 30 June 2021

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Regional Update CEE Covid-19 & Political Overview 31 MAY – 30 JUNE 2021 Table of Contents CROATIA ................................................................................................................................ 3 CZECHIA ................................................................................................................................ 5 HUNGARY .............................................................................................................................. 8 POLAND ............................................................................................................................... 10 ROMANIA ............................................................................................................................. 12 SLOVAKIA ............................................................................................................................. 15 2 CROATIA (prepared by CEC's Croatian partner - Vlahovic Group) COVID-19: • The number of active COVID cases dropped by 85% within the past 30 days (from 2,726 to 418), while dozens of delta variant cases have been recorded. Since the last week, entire Croatia is marked in green on the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) map. Ahead of the European Council, the PM stated that Croatia advocates freedom of movement as a fundamental value of the EU to be re-established because it allows a normal life, normal circulation of both people and capital and trade and, ultimately, tourism. The health minister sent an open letter inviting all citizens to get vaccinated, adding that it is very unlikely that Croatia will reach the target of 55% of the vaccinated population by the end of June. Business and economy: • Labor Minister Aladrovic pointed out that there are 50,000 more employees now in Croatia than last year, which was achieved by the Government’s economic intervention on a scale never seen before, where the Gov’t had spent approx. HRK 11.5 billion on job preservation measures due to the COVID pandemic. • The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) has launched a public auction for 5G frequencies. It is expected that licenses will be allocated by the end of August, and revenue is expected to be at least EUR 40 million. • Sberbank CEO Herman Gref announced that Sberbank would sell its share in Croatian conglomerate Fortenova Group within two years. He said the Russian bank's goal is to increase the value and exit from the company that employs 50,000 people and is probably the biggest employer in the region, without losses. Sberbank was the biggest creditor of Croatia's now- defunct conglomerate Agrokor with €1.1 billion and now holds 44% in Fortenova Group, which was formed in April 2019 following a settlement reached by Agrokor's creditors. Politics and legislation: • After the last European Council meeting in Brussels, PM Plenkovic said that Croatia expects the European Commission to approve the National Recovery and Resilience Plan in July. He also pointed out that Croatia meets all the criteria from the Action Plan for the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II and has the ambition to become a euro area member at the beginning of 2023. At the beginning of June, the European Commission called for the Schengen Border Area to be expanded to include Croatia and Bulgaria and Romania. “I am firmly confident that both goals of deeper integration will begin in 2022 with Croatia joining the Schengen Area, and then followed by the Eurozone", said PM Plenkovic. • Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Goran Grlic Radman participated in the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya, where he underscored the great importance of transatlantic partnership for Croatia. „Transatlantism is based on our common values, which are the foundation of global security and stability. We must adapt to the new multipolar power relations and oppose authoritative trends around the world," the Minister said, stressing the importance and necessity of coordinated action in multilateral forums and institutions because they are crucial for setting 3 global standards and maintaining peace and international order. He then reminded that Croatia is committed to multilateralism and the renewal of transatlantic relations, and as a co-founder of the Three Seas Initiative, which focuses on strengthening Central European cooperation to contribute to European energy, digital and transport cohesion. 4 CZECHIA (prepared by the CEC Government Relations office in Prague) COVID-19: • According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, the pandemic situation in Czechia continues to improve and Covid-related hospitalizations are declining. • 55.7% of the adult population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine. 31.9% of the adult population is fully vaccinated. • The State Health Institute stated that the delta variant is already spreading communally in the country. • Among the regions of the Czech Republic, Prague is currently the region with the highest incidence of the covid-19 disease in absolute numbers. In the Prague region, there has been a halt in the decline of new cases on covid-19. On the other hand, in some other regions, covid- 19 has practically disappeared. • As of Saturday 26 June, another package of loosening restrictions began to take effect: o There can be one person per 10 m2 in an establishment (shops, services, museums and galleries). o The condition that a service can be provided to one customer at a time is removed. Similarly, the obligation to keep records of customers is no longer required. o The capacity of visitors to the pools and spas increases from 50 to 75%. o Live music is now allowed in pubs, restaurants and nightclubs; however, dancing is still forbidden. o The maximum number of visitors at outdoor cultural events has increased to 5,000. o Indoor events can have 2,000 visitors, and the capacity can be filled to a maximum of 75% instead of the previous 50%. • Although there was speculation about replacing respirators with face masks, the expected change did not happen. • Starting 25 June, people can apply for a vaccination appointment as soon as their two-week isolation period ends following a positive covid-19 test result. The Ministry of Health has lifted the previous 90-day period after recovering from covid-19, preventing people from registering for a vaccination. • CZK 50 million (EUR 2 million) to boost the vaccination campaign to be approved by the Czech government at a meeting on 28 June. Business and economy: • Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed the Czech Republic's AA- credit rating. The outlook for the rating is stable, as it was in January, which means that Fitch does not intend to change it in the foreseeable future. • The Czech Statistical Office stated that confidence in the Czech economy rose again in June, by 4.3 points month-on-month to 104 points. Industrial enterprises evaluate their economic situation very well throughout this year's second quarter. Moreover, in June, the number of enterprises reporting a recovery in demand increased compared with previous months, which contributed significantly to higher expectations of the pace of growth in production activity in the summer months. 5 • On Wednesday, 23 June, the Czech National Bank (CNB) raised the base interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 0.5%. According to its governor, Jiri Rusnok, the CNB's monetary policy has thus entered the phase of interest rate increases. In addition, it can be expected that rate hikes will continue in the second half of this year. Commercial banks expect loans, especially mortgages, to become more expensive. The rise in interest rates will influence the strengthening of the Czech Crown (currency), higher repayments, tighter credit conditions, growth in savings, and reduced corporate investments. • On 21 June, the company Elektrarna Dukovany II from the CEZ Group sent a safety questionnaire. It started a safety assessment of three candidates to construct a new nuclear unit at the Dukovany power plant. It has approached the French company EdF, the American Westinghouse and the South Korean company KHNP. As expected, the safety questionnaire was not sent to the Russian company Rosatom and the Chinese company CGN, which the Czech government decided not to invite to the upcoming tender due to safety concerns. Politics and legislation: • After a tornado struck and devastated several villages in southern Moravia on Thursday, 24 June, there has been great solidarity towards the citizens affected by the tornado. Among the volunteers were also some political party leaders such as Marian Jurecka (Christian Democrats) and Vit Rakusan (Mayors). Furthermore, Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) and other members of the Czech government also visited the site and spoke with residents of the affected villages. President Zeman addressed the nation a few days later on television. However, he was criticised for his slow and weak response. • On June 9, the European Parliament condemned the conflict of interest of Czech PM Andrej Babis in a resolution with a clear majority. The legally non-binding resolution, which calls on the European Union and Czech authorities to take a stronger approach to subsidies for the Agrofert holding, was supported by 505 MEPs, 30 MEPs opposed, and 155 abstained. In the adopted resolution, MEPs insisted that Andrej Babis should completely give up ownership of Agrofert or not serve as a high-ranking politician. Agrofert tried to convince several MEPs by sending direct messages to MEPs’ social media accounts.
Recommended publications
  • Assumptions of Law and Justice Party Foreign Policy

    Assumptions of Law and Justice Party Foreign Policy

    Warsaw, May 2016 Change in Poland, but what change? Assumptions of Law and Justice party foreign policy Adam Balcer – WiseEuropa Institute Piotr Buras – European Council on Foreign Relations Grzegorz Gromadzki – Stefan Batory Foundation Eugeniusz Smolar – Centre for International Relations The deep reform of the state announced by Law and Justice party (PiS) and its unquestioned leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, and presented as the “Good Change”, to a great extent also influences foreign, especially European, policy. Though PiS’s political project has been usually analysed in terms of its relation to the post 1989, so called 3rd Republic institutional-political model and the results of the socio-economic transformation of the last 25 years, there is no doubt that in its alternative concept for Poland, the perception of the world, Europe and Poland’s place in it, plays a vital role. The “Good Change” concept implies the most far-reaching reorientation in foreign policy in the last quarter of a century, which, at the level of policy declarations made by representatives of the government circles and their intellectual supporters implies the abandonment of a number of key assumptions that shaped not only policy but also the imagination of the Polish political elite and broad society as a whole after 1989. The generally accepted strategic aim after 1989 was to avoid the “twilight zone” of uncertainty and to anchor Poland permanently in the western security system – i.e. NATO, and European political, legal and economic structures, in other words the European Union. “Europeanisation” was the doctrine of Stefan Batory Foundation Polish transformation after 1989.
  • ELECTRONIC WEEK 2020 Brochure

    ELECTRONIC WEEK 2020 Brochure

    Electronic industry week in Central and South Eastern Europe The autumn convention of the electronics packaging community Education, Training, Research, Development, Technology 19 - 23 October 2020 - a Cyberspace event - I ELECTRONIC WEEK 2020 Brochure THE ELECTRONIC WEEK OF ELECTRONICS PACKAGING COMMUNITY 2020 Programme Brochure Welcome to ELECTRONIC WEEK ............................................................................ 1 Program at a Glance ............................................................................................ 11 Opening ceremony for the Electronic Industry Week Central and South Eastern Europe ...................................................................... 15 TIEplus Virtual Prototype Workshop ................................................................... 15 TIEplus - A Virtual Prototyping Student Contest focused on Printed Circuit Board Design, Dr. Catalin Negrea ................................................. 16 TIE History ........................................................................................................... 18 TIE Certificate for recognition by the industry of students competence in PCB design .................................................................................. 21 Awarding the "Industrial certification" at TIE – What does it really mean?, Cristian GORDAN, Mihai BURGHEAUA ........................................... 22 TIE Industrial Advisor Committee Recommended PCB designers from 2010-2019 ...........................................................................
  • Poland's 2019 Parliamentary Election

    Poland's 2019 Parliamentary Election

    — SPECIAL REPORT — 11/05/2019 POLAND’S 2019 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION Tomasz Grzegorz Grosse Warsaw Institute POLAND’S 2019 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION Held on October 13, 2019, Poland’s general election is first and foremost a success of democracy, as exemplified by crowds rushing to polling stations and a massive rise in voter turnout. Those that claimed victory were the govern- ment groups that attracted a considerable electorate, winning in more constitu- encies across the country they ruled for the past four years. Opposition parties have earned a majority in the Senate, the upper house of the Polish parliament. A fierce political clash turned into deep chasms throughout the country, and Poland’s political stage reveals polarization between voters that lend support to the incumbent government and those that question the authorities by manifest- ing either left-liberal or far-right sentiments. Election results Poland’s parliamentary election in 2019 attrac- try’s 100-seat Senate, the upper house of the ted the attention of Polish voters both at home parliament, it is the Sejm where the incum- and abroad while drawing media interest all bents have earned a majority of five that has over the world. At stake were the next four a pivotal role in enacting legislation and years in power for Poland’s ruling coalition forming the country’s government2. United Right, led by the Law and Justice party (PiS)1. The ruling coalition won the election, The electoral success of the United Right taking 235 seats in Poland’s 460-seat Sejm, the consisted in mobilizing its supporters to a lower house of the parliament.
  • Quarterly Report for First Quarter of 2021

    Quarterly Report for First Quarter of 2021

    Квартални извештај за први квартал 2021. године QUARTERLY REPORT FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2021 1 NIS Group The Quarterly Report for First Quarter of 2021 presents a factual overview of NIS Group’s activities, development and performance in first three months of 2020. The Report covers and presents data for NIS Group, comprising NIS j.s.c. Novi Sad and its subsidiaries. If the data pertain only to certain individual subsidiaries or only NIS j.s.c. Novi Sad, it is so noted in the Report. The terms: ‘NIS j.s.c. Novi Sad’ and ‘the Company’ denote the parent company NIS j.s.c. Novi Sad, whereas the terms ‘NIS’ and ‘NIS Group’ pertain to NIS j.s.c. Novi Sad with its subsidiaries. The Quarterly Report for first quarter of 2021 is compiled in Serbian, English and Russian. In case of any discrepancy, the Serbian version shall be given precedence. The Quarterly Report for First Quarter of 2021 is also available online on the corporate website. For any additional information on NIS Group, visit the corporate website www.nis.eu. 2 Quarterly Report For First Quarter Of 2021 Contents Contents .........................................................................................................................................3 Foreword ........................................................................................................................................4 Business report ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Highlights ........................................................................................................................................6
  • Poland Political Briefing: Presidential Elections - Results and Consequences Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska

    Poland Political Briefing: Presidential Elections - Results and Consequences Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska

    ISSN: 2560-1601 Vol. 31, No. 1 (PL) July 2020 Poland political briefing: Presidential elections - results and consequences Joanna Ciesielska-Klikowska 1052 Budapest Petőfi Sándor utca 11. +36 1 5858 690 Kiadó: Kína-KKE Intézet Nonprofit Kft. [email protected] Szerkesztésért felelős személy: CHen Xin Kiadásért felelős személy: Huang Ping china-cee.eu 2017/01 Presidential elections - results and consequences On July 12, 2020, the second round of presidential elections ended in Poland. After months of unusually difficult campaign, the winner was the incumbent President Andrzej Duda from the ruling party Law and Justice. However, his victory over the opposition candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski from Civic Platform is small. What was the campaign like and what consequences would Duda's second term of office bring for Poland? Preparations for elections The presidential election in Poland was set for June 28, 2020. This final date was ordered however very late - as a result of the situation related to the COVID-19 epidemic, there was no voting in the elections planned for May 10, 2020 (the date of which was set by the Marshal of SeJm in February). Two days before the voting scheduled for that date the National Electoral Commission issued a resolution in which it argued that: “the inability to vote for candidates due to the pandemic is tantamount to a situation of no candidates”. This questionable interpretation of the situation made it possible to re-announce the election date by the SeJm Marshal. And at the same time, gave the right to take part in these new elections by the candidates who were registered in the elections ordered on May 10, but without a second duty of collecting the 100,000 signatures of support required by the Electoral Code.
  • Poland at a Crossroads? Analysing the 2019 Parliamentary Election

    Poland at a Crossroads? Analysing the 2019 Parliamentary Election

    UCL SSEES Press Briefing Poland at a crossroads? Analysing the 2019 parliamentary election Press briefing 15 October 2019 BACKGROUND TRIUMPH OF THE RULING PARTY On 13 October 2019, Polish voters went to Professor Aleks Szczerbiak (University of the polls to re-elect the 460-member Sejm Sussex) (the lower house of pArliAment) And the 100- member SenAte (the upper house). KEY POINT PiS Achieved this remarkable electoral success As they were the sole pArty The ruling nAtionAlist-conservative LAw And not only campAigning about, but Also with a Justice (PiS)-led coAlition retAined its majority record of delivering on, the sociAl needs thAt in the lower house, winning 235 seAts, but, many Poles care most About. with 48 seAts, lost its majority in the SenAte. It wAs the PiS-led coAlition’s second electoral 1. PiS wAs Able to score A victory despite victory After gAining An Absolute majority in Accusations About undermining Polish both houses in 2015. democracy put forwArd by both domestic And externAl Actors. The main opposition bloc, the Civic CoAlition, came second with 134 And 43 seAts in the 2. PiS populArity wAs predicated on its lower And upper houses, respectively. The success in fulfilling its generous Left coAlition Also gAve A strong enough welfAre pledges while in office. Also, performance to enter pArliAment. the pArty “redistributed prestige” by providing A sense of importAnce to the Voter turnout wAs A record 61.7% – the sociAl groups previously highest of the post-1989 pArliAmentAry condescended to by the governments elections in PolAnd. led by liberal urbAn elites.
  • Bilancio D'esercizio Finest S.P.A

    Bilancio D'esercizio Finest S.P.A

    2019 BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO FINEST S.P.A. Società Finanziaria di Promozione della Cooperazione Economica con i Paesi dell’Est Europeo – FINEST S.p.A. Via dei Molini, 4 – 33170 PORDENONE – [email protected] Capitale sociale Euro 137.176.770,15 i.v. - Codice fiscale e P.IVA 01234190930 Registro Imprese di Pordenone Società soggetta all’attività di direzione e coordinamento di FRIULIA S.p.A. – Finanziaria Regionale Friuli Venezia Giulia – Via Locchi, 19 – 34123 TRIESTE BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO 2019 BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO 2019 BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO 2019 COMPAGINE AZIONARIA AL 31/12/2019 FINANZIARIA REGIONALE FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA – SOCIETÀ PER AZIONI – FRIULIA S.P.A. REGIONE VENETO VENETO SVILUPPO S.P.A. SOCIETÀ ITALIANA PER LE IMPRESE ALL’ESTERO – SIMEST S.P.A. PROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI TRENTO BANCO BPM SOCIETÀ PER AZIONI INTESA SANPAOLO S.P.A. CASSA CENTRALE BANCA – CREDITO COOPERATIVO DEL NORD EST S.P.A. BANCA SELLA S.P.A. BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO 2019 ORGANI DI GESTIONE E CONTROLLO CONSIGLIO DI AMMINISTRAZIONE Alessandro Minon Presidente Paola Tombolato Vicepresidente Daniela Casale Consigliere Nicola Polato Consigliere Alessandra Ramani Consigliere Federica Segan Consigliere Paolo Urbani Consigliere COLLEGIO SINDACALE Daniela Kisling Presidente Rossella Cianciola Sindaco Pietro Furlan Sindaco Diego Spazzali Sindaco Supplente Elena Cussigh Sindaco Supplente DIRETTORE Eros Goi Nominato con delibera del Consiglio d’Amministrazione del 23.02.2012 SOCIETA’ DI REVISIONE PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS S.P.A. IN BREVE PWC BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO 2019 RELAZIONE SULLA GESTIONE – INDICE RELAZIONE SULLA GESTIONE.................................................................................................................Pag. 8 LA MISSIONE DI FINEST S.P.A. 2019 SECONDO SEMESTRE: IL CONTESTO ECONOMICO INVESTIMENTI ANALISI DEL PORTAFOGLIO STORICO LE ATTIVITÀ AD ELEVATA COMPONENTE SISTEMICA ATTIVITÀ DI MARKETING, PROMOZIONE E SVILUPPO DEL MERCATO MODALITA’ DI GESTIONE DEI RISCHI RAPPORTI CON LA CONTROLLANTE FRIULIA S.P.A.
  • CULTURAL HERITAGE HORIZONTAL: Social and Educational Value of European Cultural Heritage, Its Contribution to Job Creation, Economic Growth and Social Cohesion

    CULTURAL HERITAGE HORIZONTAL: Social and Educational Value of European Cultural Heritage, Its Contribution to Job Creation, Economic Growth and Social Cohesion

    Κατάλογος Εγκεκριμένων Σχεδίων Βασικήσ Δρασήσ 2 Σχολική Εκπαίδευση 2019 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ∆ΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΑΙ∆ΕΙΑΣ, ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ Κατάλογος Εγκεκριμένων Σχεδίων Βασικήσ Δρασήσ 2 Σχολική Εκπαίδευση 2019 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ∆ΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΑΙ∆ΕΙΑΣ, ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ∆ΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΑΙ∆ΕΙΑΣ, ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ © Ίδρυμα Κρατικών Υποτροφιών Ημερομηνία Έκδοσης: Οκτώβριος 2020 Επιμέλεια Έκδοσης: Εθνική Μονάδα Erasmus+ Η υποστήριξη της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για την παραγωγή της παρούσας έκδοσης δεν συνιστά αποδοχή του περιεχομένου, το οποίο αντανακλά τις απόψεις μόνον των δημιουργών και η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή δεν φέρει ουδεμία ευθύνη για οποιαδήποτε χρήση των πληροφοριών που εμπεριέχονται σε αυτή. ΙSBN: 978-618-83417-9-1 ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ 1. Το Πρόγραμμα Εrasmus+ ................................................................................................07 2. Βασική Δράση 2 / ΚΑ2: Συνεργασία για την καινοτομία και την ανταλλαγή καλών πρακτικών - Στρατηγικές Συμπράξεις ......................................................................07 2.1. Συμπράξεις ανταλλαγών μεταξύ σχολείων (ΚΑ229) ...................................................... 08 2.2. Προτεραιότητες των Στρατηγικών Συμπράξεων στον τομέα της Σχολικής Εκπαίδευσης ....... 09 2.3. Δραστηριότητες που υποστηρίζονται στο πλαίσιο μιας Στρατηγικής Σύμπραξης ................... 10 3. Εύρεση Εταίρων / Τρόποι Δικτύωσης ................................................................................. 11 α. SCHOOL EDUCATION GATEWAY ..............................................................................
  • Bucharest City Report

    Bucharest City Report

    Romania | Q1 2021 Bucharest City Report Romania | Q1 2021 Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic The vaccination campaign against COVID-19 Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the National started in Romania on December 27th, 2020. Institute of Statistics reported for February As of May 5th, 2021, almost 3.5 mil. people 2020 a low 3.9% unemployment rate in the received at least the first of two vaccine country, which increased during the pandemic doses. to 5.7% by February 2021. This was followed by a slight decrease to 5.5% during March After a spike of 7,800 average daily new 2021, accounting for 464,000 unemployed COVID-19 cases in November 2020, the people. figure dropped to an average of 3,400 per day by April 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the economy. For 2020 the GDP 3,449,831 1,060,895 was initially estimated to fall by -4.4%. people who received at least COVID-19 cases reported as However, the official figures were later the first dose of a COVID-19 of May 5th 2021 vaccine , as of May 5th 2021 revised to -3.9%. GDP growth is expected to resume in 2021, with a 4.3% increase, according to the official prognosis. However, the International Monetary Fund is even more optimistic, expecting a 6% GDP growth rate €228.5 bn. 464,000 for Romania this year.​ 2021 GDP Total unemployed The EU Commission’s Winter 2021 Economic February 2021 forecast March 2021 Forecast estimated for Romania a GDP contraction of -5.0% in 2020, followed by a 3.8% recovery in 2021, revised from 3.3% in Source: National Institute of Statistics; National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis; National information platform on vaccination against the Autumn Forecast.
  • Society Register

    Society Register

    ISSN 2544-5502 SOCIETY REGISTER 4 (4) 2020 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan ISSN 2544-5502 SOCIETY REGISTER 4 (4) 2020 Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan SOCIETY REGISTER 2020 / Vol. 4, No. 4 ISSN: 2544-5502 | DOI: 10.14746/sr EDITORIAL TEAM: Mariusz Baranowski (Editor-in-Chief), Marcos A. Bote (Social Policy Editor), Piotr Cichocki (Quantitative Research Editor), Sławomir Czapnik (Political Science Editor), Piotr Jabkowski (Statistics Editor), Mark D. Juszczak (International Relations), Agnieszka Kanas (Stratification and Inequality Editor), Magdalena Lemańczyk (Anthropology Editor), Urszula Markowska-Manista (Educational Sciences Editor), Bartosz Mika (Sociology of Work Editor), Kamalini Mukherjee (English language Editor), Krzysztof Nowak-Posadzy (Philoso- phy Editor), Anna Odrowąż-Coates (Deputy Editor-in-Chief), Aneta Piektut (Migration Editor). POLISH EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Agnieszka Gromkowska-Melosik, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland); Kazimierz Krzysztofek, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland); Roman Leppert, Kazimierz Wielki University (Poland); Renata Nowakowska-Siuta, ChAT (Poland); Inetta Nowosad, University of Zielona Góra (Poland); Ewa Przybylska, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland); Piotr Sałustowicz, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland); Bogusław Śliwerski, University of Lodz (Poland); Aldona Żurek, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland). INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Tony Blackshaw, Sheffield Hallam University (United King- dom); Theodore Chadjipadelis, Aristotle University Thessaloniki (Greece); Kathleen J. Farkas, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (US); Sribas Goswami, Serampore College, University of Calcutta (India); Bozena Hautaniemi, Stockholm University (Sweden); Kamel Lahmar, University of Sétif 2 (Algeria); Georg Kam- phausen, University of Bayreuth (Germany); Nina Michalikova, University of Central Oklahoma (US); Jaroslaw Richard Romaniuk, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (US); E.
  • SARS-Cov-2 Diagnosis: a Single-Centre Experience

    SARS-Cov-2 Diagnosis: a Single-Centre Experience

    JOURNAL of MEDICINE and LIFE JML | ORIGINAL ARTICLE SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis: a single-centre experience Ion Maruntelu 1, 2, Andreea Mirela Caragea 1, 2, Maria Tizu 1, 2, Ileana Constantinescu 1, 2 * Author Affiliations: * Corresponding Author: 1. Department of Immunology and Immunology of Transplant, Ileana Constantinescu, Professor, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania Centre of Immunogenetics and Virology, 2. Centre of Immunogenetics and Virology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 258 Fundeni Avenue, Bucharest, Romania Bucharest, 022328, Romania. Phone: +40744341984 E-mail: [email protected] DOI 10.25122/jml-2021-0064 Dates ABSTRACT Received: 18 February 2021 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic Accepted: 27 March 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020. In Romania, there have been 983,217 confirmed cases and 24,386 deaths. We aim to show our experience at the Fundeni Clinical Institute in the diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in both patients and health care personnel. Swab samples were collected for extraction of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA from 29380 patients and health care personnel. We have combined three real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) assays for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2. Also, the presence of IgG against SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein was analyzed in 1068 patients and clinical staff using the chemiluminescence method. Other 50 people were screened post-vaccination for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies against the spike (S) protein, using the chemi- luminescence method as well.
  • The 2015 Elections to the Senate of the Republic of Poland

    The 2015 Elections to the Senate of the Republic of Poland

    Polish Political Science Yearbook vol. 45 (2016), pp. 205–218 DOI: 10.15804/ppsy2016016 PL ISSN 0208-7375 Krystyna Leszczyńska Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (Poland) The 2015 Elections to the Senate of the Republic of Poland Abstract: The discussion about justification for the very existence of Senate, as it was the case in previous years, also took place prior to the 2015 parliamentary elections. Postulates for the second chamber of parliament to be abolished are the inseparable element of election campaigns in Poland. Announcements of total abolishment or change of: form, competencies or number and the election prin- ciples for members of Senate, although they found their expression in the 2015 election programs of some of the political parties, but they were never applied after elections. The single member Senate constituencies secured seats almost ex- clusively for candidates supported by one of the two strongest political parties, that is the Law and Justice (PiS) and the Civic Platform (PO). Even if in the result of 25 October 2015 elections four independent candidates were elected for senators, three of them used support of political parties, using a rule well proven four years earlier: there is not senator without a political party protector. The 40% support for PiS which turned into 61% of seats indicates that the election system for Senate leads to overrepresentation of election winners. Keywords: Senate; election campaign; single member constituencies; deformation of election result; overrepresentation of the winning party Introduction The analysis of the 2015 Senate election campaign aims at verification of two hy- potheses. First of the assumes that the announcements of abolishment or change of Senate’s character are solely an element of pre-election strategy and in those catego- ries we may perceive the votes that negate the justification for its very existence.