Eastern Journal of European Studies

Income inequality in post-communist Central and Eastern European countries

Authors: Sara ROSE, Crina VIJU

Abstract: Income inequality has become an important issue in Central and Eastern European countries during their transition process. This study constructs a model incorporating different categories of factors that impact inequality and tests whether the wealth of a country makes a difference in these relationships. This article shows that different income categories of Central and Eastern European transition countries do experience different relationships between income inequality and its contributing factors: economic, demographic, political, and cultural and environmental. The resulting Random Effects models of the best fit incorporate economic and political factors and show differences in magnitude, direction, and in their significance. These findings add to the literature by taking a cross-country and cross-income view on the impact of various factors.

Keywords: Central and Eastern European countries, income inequality, transition economies

Pages: 5-19 | Full text (PDF)

The instability of the European Union? A quantitative approach

Authors: Silviu Petru GRECU, Diana MARGARIT

Abstract: 2012 was the year when the European Union (EU) has received the Nobel Peace Prize, an honored and prestigious distinction. The aim of this article is not to analyze the reason which led the Norwegian Parliament to award it, but its possible influence on the future evolution of the EU. This statement is understood as the starting point of our hypothesis that the EU has developed at such a level that nothing could undermine it. Our research consists in confirming this hypothesis from a quantitative approach that will measure the twenty-seven EU member-states, from 2007 until 2012, and their representation according to six variables (indices). Peace represents the dependent variable, while global partnership, human development, rule of law, civil rights, and democracy play the role of independent variables. Because the fact that determined us to write this paper was the Nobel Prize distinction awarded to the EU, the main point of our research is peace and its correlation with the other five elements. The results prove that the most relevant connection is found between peace and human development, even though the other ones are not to be neglected either. The interpretation of the results therefore focuses on peace and human development, democracy and civil rights from a theoretical point of view. In the end, peace in the EU is the result of twenty-seven members' efforts and its efficiency is real only to those states that are under its umbrella.

Keywords: European Union, Nobel Peace Prize, peace, human development, democracy

Pages: 21-37 | Full text (PDF)

Potential and challenges for the Black Sea regional cooperation

Authors: Galya VLADOVA, Jorg KNIELING

Abstract: Since the early nineties, the Black Sea region has witnessed fundamental geopolitical changes and significant shifts in its regional context and dynamics. In an attempt to react to the altered circumstances after the collapse of the Soviet Union and to address an increasing number of common challenges, the Black Sea states have jointed efforts in various regional cooperation activities. Throughout the years, the Black Sea cooperation has evolved with different speed and success, reflecting the difficult regional circumstances and attracting increasing external involvement. Today, more than twenty years after the first cooperation activities have been launched, the Black Sea cooperation is still shadowed by persisting historical rivalries, unrecognized territorial entities, 'frozen conflicts' and security threats. As a result, despite the many pressing problems of regional character, the cooperation efforts are currently showing rather limited outcomes. Seen against this background, the current paper presents a study of the main challenges and the existing potential for further development of the Black Sea regional cooperation.

Keywords: regional cooperation, Black Sea area, sector-based approach, variable geometries

Pages: 39-66 | Full text (PDF)

Territorial cohesion and regional development in the context of EU integration - the case of Macedonia

Authors: Slavica ROCHESKA, Marjan ANGELESKI, Marijana MILEVSKA, Olivera KOSTOSKA

Abstract: The strategic orientation and candidate status for accession to the European Union clearly point toward the country's European perspective. In this context, strengthening the territorial cohesion and balanced regional development become crucial for convergence with the EU integration process. Hence, this paper aims at a) disclosing the regional disparities of the country; b) identifying the state of situation in the field of territorial cooperation; c) perceiving potentials for the efficient use of the territorial resource. Secondary data of the last five years, the Official Journal and the Bureau for balanced regional development are used in order to assess the changes in disparity between the eight planning regions in Macedonia while implementing the new policy for balanced regional development. We provide testing for the correlation between the changes in development indices for the two consecutive periods and funds allocated for regional projects during the five-year policy implementation phase.

Keywords: territorial cohesion, regional development, EU integration

Pages: 67-77  | Full text (PDF)

Mortgage lending and house prices in Albania - a co-integrated analysis based on VECM

Author: Erjona REBI

Abstract: The general view that the banks' lending plays a crucial role in the real estate market was again confirmed during the recent financial crisis. During the pre-crisis period, house prices in Albania increased rapidly, supported also by a fast expansion of mortgage lending. This study aims to empirically analyse the relation between housing prices and banks' financing in the long run, referring to a VECM model. The estimated results confirm the important role of mortgage to house prices. Meanwhile, the relation between house prices and interest rates resulted statistically insignificant. Unlike the previous literature, exchange rate has been included as an endogenous variable. Results show positive correlation and statistical significance between house prices and exchange rate. Finally, this paper is expected to contribute to the literature as there are very few studies that elaborate on the macroeconomic factors' influence on the housing prices in Albania.

Keywords: housing price, bank financing, VECM, country experience Albania

Pages: 79-98 | Full text (PDF)

Education and labour market outcomes in Romania

Author: Laura DIACONU MAXIM

Abstract: Education plays a central role in preparing individuals to enter the labour market, by offering them the opportunity to improve and increase their amount of knowledge, skills and abilities. Considering this aspect, the purpose of our study is to identify and analyse the relationship that exists between the educational stock, as a measure of the quality, quantity and availability of human resources, and the labour markets' outcomes in Romania. In order to reach this goal, we have conducted an analysis of the secondary data offered by the specialized literature. These secondary sources included various statistical yearbooks and reports, as well as different scientific researches. The results of our study show that, in Romania, the level of education is positively linked not only to the employment rate but also to the income level.

Keywords: education, labour market, employment rate, income level

Pages: 99-112 | Full text (PDF)

The EU-UN cooperation for maintaining international peace and security

Author: Anna YAMCHUK

Abstract: The prevention of conflicts and keeping peace appear to be not an easy task. Violent conflicts still break out while some situations remain quite fragile, threatening to create serious regional problems. The United Nations uses a wide range of actions in order to ease tensions and insure the peaceful settlement of crises. Regional organizations cannot be left aside of these processes as well, since in the modern world of interdependence, responsibilities are shared. The European Union has been actively engaged in conducting peace operations since 2003. Naturally, these actions require cooperation with the UN. The peace process in the 21st century requires a thoughtful approach, financial means and significant human resources in order to be successful. The EU and the UN can benefit from joining efforts since working together might ease some difficulties in keeping peace that otherwise an organization has to face by standing alone.

Keywords: peace operations, crisis management, military operations, Security and Defence Policy

Pages: 113-129 | Full text (PDF)

The Eastern Partnership as an expression of the European Neighbourhood Policy: reinforcing the European normative power with the Eastern partners

Author: Giorgiana MARTÍNEZGARNELO Y CALVO

Abstract: This study reflects the normative power of the European Union, with an emphasis on the European Neighbourhood Policy, specifically on the Eastern Partnership. It takes into consideration that the leadership of this policy is the Commission, but it is affected by the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. Relevant changes have focused on Georgia and Moldova, highlighting the thematic platforms which have become fundamentals of approach to the acquis communautaire of the European Union. It also emphasizes some advances in sense, as the Parliamentary Assemblies Programmes focuses on energy and even beyond it, on free trade areas. It is also known that the Budget is not supported by every Member State of the EU, however agreements continue between the EU and the EP

Keywords:  Eastern Partnership, European Union, European Neighbourhood Policy, European Commission

Pages: 131-143 | Full text (PDF)

Culture, politics, and identity. An analysis of the European Idea Review 1919 - 1928

Author: Aura Carmen SLATE

Abstract: Incipient forms of the Europeanist movement could be traced back in the Romanian history of the 20th century. The present study focuses on the European Idea Review, one of the most important publications of the interwar period. After closely examining the Review, commencing with the year 1919, and completing with the issues of 1928 as the last ones of its release, I concluded that four were extremely intriguing and captivating, and comprised the most debated themes that evolved in the Review. These themes relate to the post-war Europe, the Romanian culture and politics, the challenges in terms of the new international system architecture, the European unity project. I reached the conclusion that the Review had an informative and formative role in the Romanian society, and was a well-praised and popular initiative of a remarkable, culturally prodigious personality of European descent, Constantin Rădulescu-Motru.

Keywords: European Idea, culture, politics, Europeanist movement, interwar Romania

Pages: 145-171 | Full text (PDF)

BOOK REVIEW:

The European Neighbourhood Policy in perspective: context, implementation and impact / Edited by Richard G. Whitman, Stefan Wolff, Palgrave studies in European Union Politics

Author: Nadiia BUREIKO

Pages: 173-177 | Full text (PDF)