Archive 4/2009

Abstract

Democratisation in the Czech Republic is viewed from the perspective of two decades after the fall of Communism. The assessment of how this has developed is based on applying the concept of democratic consolidation and in particular the “partial regimes” approach in the literature on that subject. Discussion proceeds along a three-dimensional comparative analysis: the historical, which looks back at previous successful cases of democratic consolidation in post-war Europe, two decades after their transitions began, as well as the Czechoslovak First Republic; the cross-national, which relates the Czech Republic’s progress to other post-Communist new democracies; and the diachronic, which focuses on the evolution of the Czech Republic during its twenty year existence. It is concluded that the Czech Republic has evolved in familiar ways true to the model of liberal democracy. Nevertheless, Czech democracy is not yet fully consolidated, especially with the absence of broad participation in the system for reasons related to both elite attitudes and behaviour and also public mentalities.

Key words

Czech democratisation; democratic consolidation; EU political conditions

Abstract

The study analyzes the Open Method of Coordination phenomenon, which has over the last decade become a prominent representative of the “soft-law” approach to EU law-making and integration in general, with respect to its Europeanizing potential. It therefore seeks to answer the question whether it this method of governance can be considered a new (and more efficient) tool for the Europeanization of EU policies, i.e. if it contributes to convergence of their content as well as in discourses and general governance, or whether its potential is instead limited, with no capacity to produce real change when not accompanied by the “hard” tools of European governance. The methodology of the analysis lies in applying the general concepts of Europeanization to the operation of both – the theoretical framework of the method as well as the outcomes of its actual application. Regarding the theoretical concept, the article does not doubt its potential to become the engine of Europeanization for particular policies – especially those regarded as politically sensitive. However, it fails when it comes to the method’s actual application. The text identifies the major cause of this failure, which mainly rests on the inability to alter the institutional configuration of those respective policies and to effectively “depolitize” their content.

Key words

Open Method of Coordination, Europeanization, European social policy, European Employment Strategy, European governance, Goodness of fit concept, European politics

Abstract

On 1st May 2004 the Czech Republic became part of the EU development cooperation system. The Czech Republic pledged to adopt and apply EC primary legislation in the field of development cooperation as of the date of its entry, without exceptions or transitional periods. The country also adopted EC secondary legislation that regulates the financing and provision of development cooperation. The article analyses the possibilities of Czech non-governmental development organizations’ (NGDOs) participation in EU development cooperation. It explores the two main forms of participation: the formulation and the implementation of EU development cooperation.

Key words

Czech Republic, European Union, development, non-governmental organizations, foreign development cooperation, theory of multi-level governance

Abstract

The aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of China’s energy security policy on Sino-American relations. The first chapters analyze the latest developments in China’s energy consumption, including some projections into the future. Next, the paper defines the main actors of Chinese energy security policy, considers its nature, and explores China’s specific strategies to increase its energy security at the regional and global level. Finally, it determines the nature of current and future Sino-American relations from the perspective of growing Chinese energy dependency. Finally, the article recommends the most appropriate strategies to manage the Chinese energy growth and strengthen the stability of the global energy system. The paper reflects general patterns of energy security, as defined by the main theorists in the field, as well as the most important views on the future development of Sino-American relations. It is based on the main presumption that due to the interdependence of the global energy market, Chinese demand for energy recourses shouldn’t be handled by the politics of containment, but by China’s incorporation into the community of energy consumers.

Key words

energy security, Sino-American relations, strategic approach and “go-out” strategy, interdependency, stability of global energy system

Abstract

Major policy issues rarely respect the borders of legally defined policy sectors or the competencies of single governmental departments. Policy sectors are neither completely segmented nor indifferent to decisions taken in other policy fields. The main aim of this study is to analyze the relations between forestry and nature preservation using the advocacy coalition framework (ACF). The ACF is used to analyze how coalitions advocate or pursue their beliefs in the formulation process of strategic documents (strategies) in the policy fields of nature conservation and forestry. The advocacy coalition framework presents one approach to the analysis of relevant actors’ behavior and their interaction mechanisms in relation to the integration and coordination of relevant policies for the Slovak forestry sector.

Key words

advocacy coalition framework, advocacy coalitions, inter-sectoral integration, inter-sectoral coordination, forestry, nature conversation

Abstract

Alexander Brenneis. 2009. Das Parlamentarische System in Slowenien und Österreich im Vergleich, Graz: Leykam, 207 pages.

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Simon Hix. 2008. What's Wrong with the EU and How to Fix it, Cambridge: Polity Press, 228 pages.

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Abstract

Brno, 9/ 14/ 2009

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