COGNITIVE WARFARE ATTACKS ON CRITICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Author(s): Catalin Ovidiu Georgescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

War has known continuous advancements; the latest advancement is cognitive warfare, a unique domain of modern warfare which is the art of using technology (especially cybernetic instruments) to modify the cognitive processes of the enemy against him. Critical Information Infrastructures are especially vulnerable to the mostly immaterial attacks of cognitive warfare and are vulnerable to the long-term effects of cognitive warfare. It is an unconventional form of warfare that exploits our prejudices, reflexive thinking, causes distortions in thought, it influences decision-makers and masses, etc. Protecting ourselves from this new threat is essential

Сравнение между режимите на търгове и конкурси в наредбите по чл. 8, ал. 2 от закона за общинска собственост в столицата и големите градове

Author(s): Stefan Radev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The subject of the report is a comparison between tenders and competitions regimes in the regulations under art. 8, para. 2 of municipal property act, issued by the municipal councils of Sofia Municipality, Plovdiv Municipality and Varna Municipality. A number of differences have been brought out in the by-laws regarding the mixed factual composition leading to the emergence of tenancy relationships. Critical comments and suggestions are made that can serve to improve the regulations of other municipalities, especially those with a small administration.

Summary

Author(s): Davorka Vidović,Davor Pauković / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Globalization and Neo-liberalism (Reflections on Croatian Society) is a collection of papers written and presented in Panel Discussion Globalization and Neo-liberalism (Reflections on Croatian Society), organized as a part of Political Science Research Centre (PSRC) Forum. The panel discussion was held on April 19th 2006 in Zagreb. It gathered eminent Croatian scientists from different scientific fields of research (sociology, political sciences, economics, history, law, philosophy…). Multidisciplinary approach ensured fruitful discussion resulting with this book which aims to enlighten many globalization issues from different aspects and points of view.

Summary

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Papers collected in this book are presented in the international scientific conference „Globalization of Politics” that was held on October, 12-13 2007 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The conference was organized by the Political Science Research Centre and Scientific Forum, in cooperation with the University of Dubrovnik. It gathered eminent scientists and experts in the field from Croatia and different European countries that represented a wide variety of different perspectives on the topic.

NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

THE IMPACT OF EUROPEAN REGULATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF EU COUNTRIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Author(s): Adina Dornean,Ada-Iuliana Popescu / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Since the adoption of the European Green Deal in 2020, the European Union constantly tried to improve its environmental protection policy, aiming to develop a climate-neutral economy that will help Europe to become the world’s first ‘climate-neutral’ continent, with net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Indeed, according to 2022 estimates, the EU has successfully reduced its GHG net emissions by 31% since 1990, meeting its 2020 targets without sacrificing its prosperity. The use of renewable energy and the increase of energy efficiency proved to be of paramount importance for cutting down pollution. Even though, so far, progress has been made by Member States, the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050 imposes a faster pace on them. Still, their policies, strategies, programs and measures need to be well-synchronized in content and timing to curb climate change and protect prosperity. To measure the results and to anticipate future efforts require adequate tools. One of these is the environmental performance index (EPI), a complex global environmental indicator based on 40 performance indicators grouped into 11 issue categories, which are tracking progress on three broad policy objectives: environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change.The objective of the paper is to analyze the environmental performance of the European Union (EU) countries, measured according to the environmental performance index (EPI), in order to highlight the impact of the European regulations and how these contributed to better environmental performance, taking into consideration the fact that demanding environmental policy is associated with greater competitiveness and more eco-innovation, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Author(s): Daniela Diac (Hutu),Marinela Carmen Cumpat,Maria Ana Cumpat / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Organizational culture is a complex and important concept in the management of all organizations, with a role in highlighting the values, norms, behaviours, and way of thinking, as well as the interaction between the members of the organization and the fulfilment of the established objectives. The continuous evolution of society determines the progress of each individual organization, both economically and socially. Organizational culture is increasingly present in all economic, social, and cultural branches, improving the way of working, and contributing to the increase of expectations regarding social requirements, the content of work, and the quality of the workplace. In the development of human resources within an organization, organizational culture has an important role, as it can support this aspect, leading to good organization and increasing the efficiency of the organization; the more perfected the human resources will be, the more their efficiency will increase and, thus, the good functioning of the organization in general. This article aims to highlight, through the literature review, the importance of organizational culture within an organization for human resources and, thus, for the organization.

Index

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

A LETTER FROM BEIJING: HOW CHINA HAS EXPERIENCED THE 1999 BOMBING OF FR YUGOSLAVIA

Author(s): Liu Zuokui / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

THE GEOPOLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE 1999 NATO AGGRESSION AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

Author(s): Alexis Troude / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The author deals with the problem of geopolitical motivation of the NATO aggression against the FR Yugoslavia in 1999. In this respect, it is emphasized that behind the military intervention of the Western Alliance are the geoeconomic (mining wealth of Kosovo), transportation, energy and military-strategic interests of the United States and its allies. The author analyzes current and future projects for the construction of transport and energy infrastructure in the Balkans, as well as the geopolitical combinations and rivalries developing around the realization of these projects. The second part deals with the consequences of this intervention reflected in the rise of Islamic radicalism in the region, organized crime in Kosovo and general instability in the Balkans. The author particularly discusses the current situation in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the unstable political circumstances in these areas, as well as the expansion of the EU and NATO in the Balkans.

UNPEGGING THE THIRD SPHERE OF THE WORLD ORDER: INDIA AND YUGOSLAVIA IN THE 1990S

Author(s): Ramachandra Byrappa / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The ripples of NATO’s attack on the Former Republic of Yugoslavia reached India with devastation. It was a tectonic moment of realisation that India has to move out of the comfort zone of false illusions and face the hard realities of the new shifts in international dynamics and alignments. The NATO’s bombing of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia came as the third and a consequential blow to India, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the financial crisis of the early 1990s. These three blows shattered the three-level architecture that India had crafted over the preceding 50 years. My main question is: Was the United States of America and its allies punishing India and Yugoslavia because of their perceived proximity with post-Soviet Russia or was it for reasons of a systemic nature? My major hypothesis is that NATO’s aggression should be put into a systemic context and understood in the longue durée, in terms of structural domination and the control of the world’s resources.

NEW BALANCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: DEVELOPMENT OF BRICS ALLIANCE

Author(s): Aleksandar Jazić / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of a new era in which the future seemed certain. The Western powers won, the Eastern Bloc collapsed and unipolarity was created. The process of globalization started, and it seemed that the supremacy of the West was guaranteed. However, the globalization created new opportunities for old powers and for those in the ascent. In the meantime, a moment of total dominance of one superpower happened in the form of the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was conducted without a decision of the United Nations Security Council. This event has demonstrated all the dangers of a unipolar order in international relations and contempt of international law. New technologies and forms of communications created conditions for new forms of cooperation and alliance between countries. It was used by Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa to establish the BRICS alliance and begin the process of establishing a new balance in international relations. This Alliance is based on economic cooperation, but the issue of security gets more and more relevant in mutual relations. Currently, BRICS accounts for almost onequarter of global GDP, which is a key precondition for strong positioning in international relations. Development of BRICS cooperation is on the way to create a counterweight in today’s world. Thus, international law can regain its strength and be respected as a basic tool for conflict solution. The United Nations could again become the most important place for dialogue and keeping stability in the world.

CONSEQUENCES OF NATO’S KOSOVO WAR ON RUSSIA’S POLICY

Author(s): Aleksandar Saša Gajić / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

NATO’s aggression on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is widely considered as a turning point in Russia-NATO relations. This paper gives comprehensive reconsideration about the consequences of NATO’s military intervention in Kosovo on Russia’s policy in all of its aspects. In its first part, the research is turned to Russia’s political position and diplomatic actions before, during and after the conflict in both bilateral and multilateral formats. The second part of the paper observes legal, political, geopolitical and military lessons that Russia took from NATO’s aggression on Yugoslavia that has influenced its foreign policy, including the positions towards Balkan and Serbia. In conclusion, it is noticeable that Russia remained firm in its principledness that NATO intervention in 1999 was an act of aggression against a sovereign state completely against international law and order, and that Kosovo self-proclaimed independence is totally illegal. Therefore, Moscow continues insisting that political resolution of Serbia’s problem with its southern province must be reached within the sphere of international law, in mutual agreement that will bring along-term feasible solution.

ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF THE 1999 NATO BOMBING – SURVEY

Author(s): Bojan B. Dimitrijević / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This article presents a synthetic survey on the economic, environmental and health effects of the 1999 NATO military aggression. The aim of the article is to remind, once again, of the costs and consequences of the bombing for Serbia’s economy, aenvironment and the health of people. The recent arguments refer to an attempt to quantify the costs of the long-term health effects for people who were exposed to depleted uranium and other hazardous chemicals in Serbia. It could be the starting point for possible compensation payment to sick people and the families of those who died of the NATO Alliance bombing effects. Besides Introduction, Conclusion and Reference List, the article includes parts that refer to the synthetic evaluation of the costs and effects of the military aggression for the economy, environment and the health of people in Serbia and the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Russia

Author(s): Martina Uličná / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Political discourse in Russia is strongly influenced by the country’s authoritarian political system. It is often polarized and divisive, with little room for compromise or cooperation between opposing views. The government’s tight control over the media and political opposition has limited the diversity of voices heard, contributing to a lack of constructive dialogue and a failure to address key policy issues.

Germany

Author(s): Silvia Adamcová / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This article is devoted to the language of the crisis that developed in Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the political leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He was elected on December 8th, 2021 after Angela Merkel (CDU) stepped down after 16 years of being Germany´s leader. This article will focus on how the new federal government reacted to this crisis. Our point of view will be supported by a pragmatic-linguistic analysis of the groundbreaking political and media speeches and statements of Scholz and other important German politicians. The contribution focuses on analyzing and evaluating statements which are presented in the form of selected lexis, multi-word units, and sentences. The introduction to the problem is formed by the characteristics of the current media and their importance and influence on the public. In addition, the current social media problems in Germany, Russia, and Europe are described and the role of Russia in the current use of information warfare and propaganda (Informationskrieg) is discussed. This concerns the manipulation of the Russian, European, and German populations through Russian disinformation regarding the war. It is important to assess the position of such a great power as Germany and its partners because they play a decisive role in all European conflicts.

France

Author(s): Iveta Rizeková / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

On February 8, 2022, Emmanuel Macron flew from Moscow to Kiev to inform the Ukrainian president about the outcome of his conversation with Vladimir Putin. The French president announced that after a long and tense exchange of views, the Russian president promised that Russia would abide by the agreements and not cause escalation. Two weeks later, Russian tanks invaded Ukraine, triggering the most significant conflict in Europe since World War II.

Observations on Contemporary Russia

Author(s): Miroslav Jovanović,Alexey Timofeev,Žarko Petrović / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The economic crisis Russia now experiences is of a dual nature. It experiences a global crisis, and Russia’s own domestic economic crisis, which was catalyzed by the global one. The model of Russia’s economic development, based on extraction of natural resources, was coming to a logical end. Russia’s inability to keep its economy growing fast was just a matter of time. Although the political crisis and the consequent reformatting of Russia’s political system look inevitable, there will, probably, not be a massive social unrest which will lead to it. According to sociologists it takes about a year to convert job losses and the inability to keep up with habitual life styles into an organized political protest. System’s safety margin by this factor goes well beyond 2009, keeping in mind the essential financial reserves to provide certain social guaranties.

EURASIA SECURITY FRAMEWORK

Author(s): Andrei Zagorski,Andrew Monaghan,Srđan Gligorijević,Žarko Petrović / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Two years after Putin’s tough “Munich strategy” was announced, its balance sheet remains extremely ambivalent. Those who believe that the hard ball policy has paid off, point out to the fact that Russia matters again in international politics and that the US and its European allies seek to re-engage Moscow, identify cooperative solutions to the issues of controversy, and ensure Russia’s cooperation on issues of common interest.

Russian Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Culture

Author(s): Miroslav Jovanović,Goran Miloradović / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

When we speak today about both present and past Serbian-Russian relations, we usually give priority to politics. However, the history of mutual relations shows that other connections were equally important, such as cultural, artistic, spiritual, religious and ecclesiastical ties between these two peoples (we could also include scientific connections, but it would require too much specific detail in a general overview such as this).