The Hate Speech in the Communist Press

Author(s): Alexandra Codău / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

For the press in Romania, the communist period represented an almost perfect homogenization of ideas, an annihilation of all that used to be plural opinions, debates, and genuine communication. Thus, the totalitarian regime determined the sorrowful direction of the press which was actually influenced by the interests and doctrine of state policy. Therefore, the press abdicated from one of its main objectives – to inform correctly and according to reality. The paper deals with the hate speech in the Romanian communist press by arguing that in a totalitarian system, no other power, except the political one, manages to transform the speech so much, as to make it into a tool of persuasion and propaganda. The sample of texts published by Scînteia, the communist state official newspaper, shows that, actually, power was able to influence and even transform the press speech, through hate, which proved to be a more powerful tool in the collective mentality than the political factor itself. The feeling of hate towards the people they used to call “class enemies” was systematically induced in individuals, on a large scale, through adapted, repetitive, and even obssessive speech. Unlike other states of mind and feelings, hate could be insinuated freely at the level of press speech; for fear of loosing something, anything, proletarians constantly found reasons to feed and emphasize hate against capitalists, the middle class, and the imperialists. After more than two decades since the fall of the totalitarian regime, the examination of the hate speech in the communist press represents a an opportunity to study and mostly to understand the past at an identitary level, beyond the historical events.

A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY

Author(s): Albert Ogien / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2016

This paper endorses a pluralist conception of politics, which articulates three proposals : 1) the order of politics is scattered throughout society ; 2) its institutionalization takes place in a multitude of ways which are not confined to those acknowledged by State administrations ; and 3) forms of political action manifest themselves under modes that often go far beyond the usual bounds set by official political. In such a perspective, politics is not conceived of as if it were totally detached from the daily life of the members of a society. It thus contends that in their political dealings citizens make use of an ordinary conception of politics and democracy which endows them with a specific idea of the common good and of the rights a State should guarantee to nationals. This contention is empirically put to test through two case studies of political claim staking: civil disobedience and gatherings (encampments, occupations). The article eventually suggest that democracy should be seen as a method for organizing ordinary social relations on the basis of a principle : respecting the plain autonomy and unconditional equality of any citizen.

WOMEN IN THE SOVIET UNION

Author(s): Lilith Hayaapetian / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

Women born in the 20th century were different from theirgrandmothers. Throughout the world women raised their voices, as they sought toprove to men and to themselves that they deserved equality with men in allaspects of life. The Soviet Union was Women born in the 20th century were different from theirgrandmothers. Throughout the world women raised their voices, as they sought toprove to men and to themselves that they deserved equality with men in allaspects of life. The Soviet Union was one of the first countries in the World toequate men and women in rights and provide the same opportunities for bothsexes. Yet it is to be mentioned that it was not done due to the humane ideals. TheUSSR saw women’s great potential in both production and expansion of thecommunist ideology. The legacy of the Soviet Epoque still lingers in the post-Sovietspace and Eastern Europe and in order to apprehend the essence of the existingproblems, a look back is required. This article tackles the gender issues anddifficulties of Soviet women as well as emphasizes the achievements and failure ofthe Era. In order to write the article, the author analyzed a vast number ofsecondary sources, visual arts of the epoque, used comparative method tocompare the difference in cultures and its implications for women of that specificculture on the Soviet territory as well as statistical data of nowadays, which isclosely tied to the results of the Soviet legacy .

THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION. A NEW FORM OF ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

Author(s): Mihaela Bărbieru / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2015

In this paper, the author, starting from literature, makes a brief analysis of political communication and message transmission during the election campaign via the Internet in general, and through social media in particular. The power of new technologies to mobilize the electorate has been proven in US election campaigns from 2008 when Barak Obama used them with great success, but also in Romania’s presidential campaign in November 2014 when Klaus Iohannis became president as a result of using the social network Facebook. In the short period since it began to be used in political communication, the Internet has managed to transform the way in which politicians, political parties, government organizations, but especially the media and, not least, the citizen acts.

Frozen Conflicts from Caucasus to Republic of Moldova. Is Ukraine Next?

Author(s): Anton-Gabriel Moldovan / Language(s): English Issue: 26/2018

Review of: “Russia’s Border Wars and Frozen Conflicts,” edited by James J. Coyle. Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2018. ISBN 978-3-319-52204-3

THE DIFFICULT TRANSITION TO UKRAINIAN DEMOCRACY FROM INDEPENDENCE UNTIL THE ADOPTION OF ITS CONSTITUTION

Author(s): César García Andrés / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

In 1991, with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the emerging states had to face a major change in all areas, not only political but also economic, social, administrative, etc. Among the main challenges that these countries had to assume was the entry into the democratic field, unknown to them. This had to be done through the implementation of a system that validated the new situation of these countries. One of the key aspects of this transition was the elaboration of a democratic constitution, since, although in the communist regimes there were constitutions, it is necessary to remember that these were simple fictions under the Communist Party. It can be found one of these cases in Ukraine, which, since its declaration of independence on 24 August 1991, had to gradually begin this unprecedented path within its borders. From this moment, a long road began for the resolution of the post-Soviet conflicts inherited from the previous era, until the achievement of a new Constitution for Ukraine on June 28, 1996. It is therefore necessary to analyse in depth how the Ukrainian democratisation process went up to the consolidation of its constitution. An exhaustive interdisciplinary analysis will be carried out of all the problems faced by Ukraine in order to complete this process, which was accomplished out in all the ex-Soviet republics with greater or lesser success.

COMPETITION POLICY AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Author(s): Doina Gavrilov / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

The competition policy gets in the center of international relations in the last decades. One of the main reasons why competition is considered more and more is because of the European common market. We understand that the competition policy is very important in managing the market, but also we are interested to see how much importance it has in assuring social welfare. To see if the competition policy influences social welfare, first of all, we analyze the impact of it on the consumer and its behavior. Then we focus on the consumer behavior influence on the social welfare. After analyzing multiple papers, we get to the conclusion that the competition policy as a cumulus of rules and laws bring advantages to the consumer as a part of the society and that social welfare, understood as happiness and contentment of the society is influenced by the consumer behaviour.

Systèmes d’information des citoyens et ressources éducationnelles dans l’Union Européenne: analyse du nouveau cadre Europass dans la vision de la Décision (UE) 2018/646

Author(s): Anca Parmena Olimid,Daniel Alin Olimid / Language(s): French Issue: 1(HorsSer)/2019

The present article aims to present the new legal provisions concerning the Europass framework proposed under the objectives of the New Skills Agenda for Europe adopted by the Commission on 10 June 2016. The study of the new EUROPASS framework focuses the follwing research objectives: 1) to evidence the transperancy of qualifications and competences; 2) to overview the tools for the documentation; 3) to understand the role of the National Europass Centers and the importance of the Europass portofolio; 4) to comprehend the purpose of the Europass online platform; 5) to understand the institutional framework of the “Learning Opportunities and Qualifications in Europe” portal by providing a common base for information in different educational systems in the European Union; 6) to point the Commission’s tasks and the effective process of implementation at the Member States’ level; 7) to identify the measures for data processing and protection in accordance with the EU legal framework. The methodology of the research considers the policy and legislative analysis of the European common framework, namely the Decision (EU) 2018/646 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018 on a common framework for the provision of better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) and repealing Decision No 2241/2004/EC. The results of the research provide a comprehensive evaluation of the Europass framework and tools and an in-depth analysis of the skills and qualifications, including relevant information, guidance and web-based tools. In conclusion, the research of the Decision (EU) 2018/646 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018 provides the understanding of the content, structure and functionality of the Europass platform by confirming the importance of the accessibility and interoperability of the web-based tools.

"Хибридната война“ в българските медии

Author(s): Ralitsa Kovacheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2019

The article presents the results of an empirical study on the use of the term 'hybrid war' (and its analogs) in Bulgarian media. It is focused on the use of the concept in meanings and contexts different from those implied by the existing definitions. The study covers the first five months of 2019. The publications in Bulgarian online media are selected through the news aggregation and analysis system 'European Media Monitor' (EMM). The results show that, in certain cases, the concept is not only used with different meanings, but some derivative concepts are created by the media such as 'hybrid propaganda' or 'hybrid content'

Relacja z konferencji „Dramatyka kultury i natury: relacje między Polską a Północą”

Author(s): Mateusz Topa / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2018

In search for a realistic perspective on urban safety: The attractiveness concerns caused by mass-immigration

Author(s): Tom Kauko / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

Safety aspects comprise an important determinant of urban location choice. How negative social externalities and their mitigation influences the attractiveness of housing, business, recreational and civic locations in cities concerns both human and property rights. Amidst the ongoing immigrant and refugee crisis this also requires dealing with current hot topics such as immigrant ghettoes and asylum centres. This paper argues that, in the face of practical problems of heightened risk for violent crime including terrorism, solutions ought to be pragmatic rather than ideological. Recognising and managing these problems are vital pre-conditions for keeping urban areas and neighbourhoods liveable. A successful management of this situation could then be used as a strategy for city competition. This in turn would help us return towards a constructive discourse concerning the issues at stake here.

Adalékok a romániai magyar felsőoktatási stratégiához: demográfiai, oktatáspolitikai, nemzetpolitikai kihívások

Author(s): Márton Tonk / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2019

The purpose of this study is to analyse the current problems and challenges of Hungarian language education policy in Romania. A part of the challenges connected to Transylvanian Hungarian higher education are identical to those characteristics that the Romanian, or more generally the entire European system of university education reflects. Therefore, we briefly present some of the consequences and challenges of the so-called “Bologna Process” regarding higher education. Simultaneously, the special features of Transylvanian Hungarian higher education receives the attention of the larger part of our study. It focuses on the Hungarian language university education system, connected to kin-state policy, demographics and minority rights. What does the Transylvanian Hungarian minority and the higher education institutional system offer? The analyses can obviously not ignore the “topos” of the independent, Hungarian language state university and its dilemmas and challenges are also briefly presented in the study.

Can Democracies Tackle Illiberal and “Inward-Looking” Drives?

Author(s): Daniel Dăianu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

There is evidence of mounting illiberal inclinations in the industrialized world, in democratic societies; an “inward-looking” syndrome (rising nationalism) is also taking place. Are they to be linked with temporary drivers in the ‘extraordinary times’ we are living through, or do they have deeper roots? An answer to this question begs an examination of trends in society and economy, of the emergence of new (unconventional) threats, of disruptions and, not least, of failed public policies. The argument that ‘liberal democracy’ is on the wane is misleading to the extent that policies can be corrected, that citizens and elites alike do not lose trust in democratic values. It may also be true that, although democracy has a ‘liberal core’, it can also be driven by ‘illiberal’ components, and that the magnitude of the latter can vary. But for democracy to survive, its liberal core must be preserved.

Gender, Religion and Authority in Digital Media

Author(s): Lövheim Mia,Lundmark Evelina / Language(s): English Issue: 24 (2)/2019

This article discusses how women’s authority to speak about religion is forged in digital media and builds on empirical work focusing on bloggers in a Swedish context and vloggers in a North American context. These studies show how women’s self-performances in digital media are characterized by a communicative intention towards authentic self-expression. We argue that these self-performances also enable a particular form of authority to emerge, that is dependent on an individual’s personal qualities and ability to inhibit and/or perform certain values; relational and co-effected, forged in constant connectivity with audiences. Authenticity is a core characteristic of this form of authority in the sense of a connection between being true to your inner self and acknowledging your dependence on others. Finally, vulnerability is an intrinsic part as, on the one hand, a condition enhanced by the socio-technological affordances of digital media and, on the other, as a possibility to challenge stigma, open up spaces of inclusivity and enacting a different ideal of authority.

Nonverbal components of the populist style of political communication: A study on televised presidential debates in Poland

Author(s): Dorota Piontek,Małgorzata Tadeusz-Ciesielczyk / Language(s): English Issue: 23/2019

While much of the scholarship on populist political communication focuses on its content and a verbal style, less is known about the nonverbal cues accompanying populist messages. This paper aims in filling that gap by providing findings of the study on characteristics of nonverbal communication of two Polish presidential candidates: Bronisław Komorowski and Andrzej Duda, traced during two debates broadcast on television before the second round of the presidential elections in 2015. The results revealed that both candidates employed nonverbal cues such as appearance, eye contact, facial expressions, or gestures that emphasized their references towards the people or negative attitudes towards elites expressed in their verbal messages. The study also proved that the methods used previously in research on nonverbal content on television observational protocols and analysis of facial expressions may be successfully employed in studies on nonverbal components of the populist style of communication.

The Post-Brexit EU as a Global Actor: Reconsidering Security

Author(s): Valentin Naumescu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

The departure of the UK left the EU not only without its second largest economy, but also without one of its two nuclear powers – with a permanent seat in the Security Council – and without an important member state of NATO – a global security provider. For a long time, the EU has tried to brand itself as a global actor from a ‘normative power’ perspective, able to ‘export’ values and norms without having an army of its own. Nonetheless, shortly after the Brexit referendum of 2016, the EU has announced its Global Strategy, while France and Germany launched the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiative in the field of defence, formally adopted by EU in 2017. In the midst of a growing strategic competition for influence, aggravated by the 2020 pandemics of COVID-19, the Great Powers diversify their leverage, resources and instruments. With increasing rifts in its partnership with the US and concerning uncertainties in relation to the UK, against a background characterized by the disintegration of the West as a political concept, having difficult relations with Russia and China, the EU reconsiders the issue of security. This article explores the international context from the perspective of the relations between the global actors, a changing world order and the re-interpretation of the concepts of security and hard power. We shall analyse both the discourses of political leaders on the topic, and the EU decision-making process in the field of security

From Normative to Idiosyncratic - Negotiation and Leadership in the European Union

Author(s): Ana Damaschin,Melania-Gabriela Ciot / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

In the contemporary world, the restructuring of the international system and its effects on European relations is still debated. Today, it is becoming increasingly clear that the international system needs changes; the world order is shaped by major global actors, which are no longer guided by the balance of powers principle, borders’ and governance’s rules. Instead, the psychological factors begin to weigh heavily and become one of the important elements of the basis of the international and European negotiation process. Therefore, the role of leaders could be one of reference in international norms and/ or European arena. The present paper, through its complex content, extensively examines the role of idiosyncrasies in international relations and determines the behaviour of the actors involved in the decision-making process. According to our analysis, we can identify general behavioural patterns and individual decisions that can generate views on the leadership styles and personalities of leaders. It is a contribution to a lesser-known aspect of the field of international relations and European affairs - the role of idiosyncrasies in decision-making process and on European foreign policy, through an essential psychological incursion.

Challenges of Deepening EU Free Trade Agreements with Southern Mediterranean Countries

Author(s): Tamás Szigetvári / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

Over the past decade the European Union concluded dozens of free trade agreements. These agreements are aimed at more than removing barriers to trade in goods; in a much broader context they also regulate other trade-related issues. Their purpose is to enhance the competitiveness of the Europe Union and to provide markets and investment opportunities for European companies. The EU offers so-called Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA) to neighbourhood regions, including the Southern Mediterranean area. The agreements would help the countries concerned to transform their legal system along European patterns so that they would essentially be integrated into the single market and become competitive growing economies. The EU would benefit from the resulting decrease in security risk from the concerned countries. Although in an optimal case DCFTAs indeed have a positive effect on the integration of Southern Mediterranean countries into the global economy, for the time being the risks seem to be greater than the benefits.

Workfare Society in Action – the Hungarian Labour Market and Social Conditions in European Comparison

Author(s): Annamária Artner / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

This paper aims at investigating the achievements of Hungary’s “workbased society”. Based on statistical data, it examines the characteristics of the Hungarian labour market and the development of social indicators over the past decade in comparison with the European Union and the Central and Eastern European member states. As there are improving tendencies during recent years on a regional level, the relatively good employment situation of Hungary cannot be considered as an outlier. While the Hungarian labour market conditions have been improved to some extent, some characteristics, like the level of wages and productivity are rather lagging behind the regional average. Due to policy changes since 2010, the social protection of the most vulnerable declines and, concerning the increase of income inequalities, Hungary is a regional “leader”. The article concludes that in order for such a social welfare regime to help social inclusion and serve social equality, a reconfiguration of the economic, as well as political governance, is needed.

Retoryczne strategie i taktyki wywierania wpływu na wyborców w programach rosyjskich partii politycznych

Author(s): Robert Szymula / Language(s): Polish Issue: XXII/2020

The main aim of politicians’ actions (a struggle for power and retaining it) is connected with forming voters’ convictions, achieved, inter alia, with particular rhetorical strategies. Research demonstrated that in the analyzed material (programs of 11 Russian parties) three rhetorical strategies are employed: the lowering strategy, the elevation strategy and the theatricality strategy, implemented with the help of various tactics. The most frequently used strategy is undoubtedly the theatricality strategy, verbalized through the following tactics: encouraging, cooperating, separating, promising, anticipating and warning.