Around the Bloc: Armenian Voters Back Power Shift
Constitutional amendments give parliament new powers, but opposition sees it as a play to extend the standing president’s mandate.
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Constitutional amendments give parliament new powers, but opposition sees it as a play to extend the standing president’s mandate.
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The main aim of this article is to present the legal and organisational aspects of the functioning and management of the property of Kielce poviat (poviat – the second tier administrative unit). In addition to an extensive review of the literature, the paper also presents an analysis of the method of owning and sharing the poviat real property and shows the distribution of the resources of Kielce poviat considering the current legal status of plots divided into municipalities. The authors of the article have also analysed the structure of income from assets owned by the poviat. The study covers the period from 2011 to 2014. In the paper the method of static analysis and the analysis of sources are used.
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Municipal housing is highly capital-intensive and therefore the majority of local government units (LGUs) in Poland cannot afford to provide council housing fast enough to shorten the waiting lists. Strengthening and development of municipal or affor
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This paper analyses the causes of Ryszard Grobelny’s defeat in the elections for the office of President of Poznań. It attempts to answer several questions: 1. how did Jacek Jaśkowiak manage to generate such an enormous support over such a short time? 2. what errors did Ryszard Grobelny commit that, after sixteen years, Poznanians largely rejected their longstanding president?, and 3. can some moments of the campaign be considered decisive for its final outcome, and what were the main errors Ryszard Grobelny committed in this campaign? A significant part of the study is devoted to an analysis of the results of the exit poll conducted for WTK (Wielkopolska Cable TV).
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The purpose of the paper is to present the legitimization process of the democratic system at the level of individual citizens – their attitudes and behavior – in the context of the transformations that are occurring in more advanced democracies than Poland. The starting point is provided by the theory of J. J. Linz, who points to the dependence between the stability of the system and legitimization. Next, numerous studies are discussed concerning the symptoms of system legitimization on the individual level in Poland and Western European countries. A hypothesis of the dependence between the transformation of political activities (including increasing unconventional activities) and the degree of legitimization of the system is also tested.
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A politician’s image is a specific kind of image shaped in the minds of voters which brings certain associations, thereby generating attitudes and having an impact on electoral preferences. The importance of personality traits and politicians’ images as perceived by voters is increasing. Empirical studies into politicians’ personalities continue to be among the most effective tools to examine the foundations for the personalization of politics also at a local level. These tools are to measure the personality traits of politicians as perceived by citizens. This paper attempts to systematize concepts, and introduces advanced empirical research.
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Nationalists are dead set against a border rectification agreement with Montenegro, and heightened cooperation with Serbia.
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Tension between Moscow and Kyiv rises to highest level since a shaky cease-fire took hold in eastern Ukraine last winter.
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The paper attempts to describe the issues related to the phenomenon of social housing in Poland. The projects launched in the years 2007 -2013 by Cracow Municipality have been used to illustrate that problem. In the studied period, the housing resources of Cracow Municipality were constantly shrinking. It should be said that the technical condition of those resources was also deteriorating. The paper highlights the objectives set for the management of the housing stock of Cracow Municipality as stipulated by the Great Financial Forecast for Cracow Municipality till 2033,which was set to fend off the negative tendencies which emerged within that period.
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The property tax reform in Poland and transformation from area based property tax towards ad valorem model has long been discussed in the literature. One of the major topics, but still relatively understudied is tax burden for households in major metropolitan areas. In this context the main purpose of this article is to demonstrate the impact of property tax reform on housing costs in Poland – both in terms of overall affordability and structure. Paper is based on literature review and empirical research based on case study method (simulation based on two housing cooperatives located in Krakow).
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The article presents a rebuttal to the belief that the crisis in the humanities is due to a lack of jobs for graduates of the humanities. The main argument is that the crisis affects the whole university and is associated with its place in relation to the state and the market. The author argues for the need to rethink the relationship between the university and society.
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The analysis of Ukraine’s dysfunction and dependence, both in national and international dimension, presents a clear picture that the dilemma of whether we are faced with a consolidation of a truly liberal democracy or its non-liberal (hybrid) variety, is still valid. Debates in political sciences are dominated by the view that independent Ukraine ought to be considered a specific case of the so-called “hybrid state”. Such countries are characterized by stagnation, corruption, and a dominant position of elites, who offer few benefits to the state and have little public support. In addition, the following are clearly visible in Ukraine: little representation of public interests by state institutions; little political involvement of the society and little social activity in between elections; no respect for regulations of the state under the rule of the law; little public legitimization in elections; little public trust in state institutions/the institution of the state; inadequate operation of the state in general. Therefore, the fact that transformation processes which have been emerging in Ukraine, ought not be considered linear, should be acknowledged. Consequently, describing the character of these processes in view of their complexity and multidimensionality seems more relevant.
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The aim of this article is to examine the current tendency of recruitment in the civil service of Georgia, in light of the wave of dismissals after the 2012 parliamentary elections, and to highlight common problems that are characteristic for competitions in state organizations. Based on data collected during research, this article claims that drawbacks of the current recruitment practices in the Georgian civil service demonstrate that this aspect of human resources management carries signs of “team or leader affiliation and loyalty” approach. This tendency, which relies less on the assessment of applicants’ competency and motivation, seriously hinders the development of the public administration system in Georgia.
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Municipality size affects various factors in the life of municipality. The current research in relation to municipality size is mostly focused on the performance of competences, financial situation, possibilities of development and quality of services. Futhermore in the condition of Slovak republic is no definition what is a small municipality and what is an ideal municipality size hasn´t been defined yet. The article dealt with the analysis of the typology of small municipalities, whether it was possible to determine the categorization of municipalities and define criterions of small municipality. The paper primarily focused on two groups of municipalities: municipalities up to 500 inhabitants and municipalities from 501 to 1,000 inhabitants. Defining criteria were chosen: infrastructure and electoral behaviour (in communal elections 2010 and 2014 in Nitra region). The present study is based on analysis of the infrastructure in municipalities in Nitra region and on the results in communal election in 2010 and 2014. There is a comparison of electoral results according to municipality size. The first part of research showed the infrastructure was relevant dividing criterion for chosen groups of municipalities. In the municipalities to 500 inhabitants was infrastructure at very low level. The second part focused on the results of communal elections based on categorization of municipalities according Act no. 396/1990. Analysis showed that electoral behaviour is not specific for small municipalities to 500 inhabitants. Electoral behaviour couldn´t be considered as a differential criterion between different sizes of municipalities.
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This article is devoted to problematic aspects of the interaction and activity coordination of territorial customs bodies of the State Fiscal Service (SFS) of Ukraine, with local state administrations and local self-government bodies.The article provides the author's definition of «interaction», which is «a pre-determined and agreed procedure of departmental, interdepartmental and supra-departmental relationships between the subjects of public law, which is carried out in certain areas of their activities and within their competence as regards the implementation of the tasks assigned to them in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine». In addition, the author draws legal parallels between the concepts of «interaction», «assistance» and «coordination» in the field of state customs affairs. In this connection it is proved that the interaction in the sphere of state customs business is the principle of Ukrainian SFS customs houses activities and their means of contact with other state bodies and those of local self-government for the purpose of the Ukrainian SFS customs interaction with other state authorities and local self-governments in the sphere of state customs business and the implementation of certain concerted actions aimed at a particular result. At the same time, coordination as measures of administrative-legal nature determining the ways to regulating the resolution of the issue of interoperability between the public law bodies in the field of state customs affairs is the function of the Ukrainian SFS customs, other state bodies and those of local self-government, which aims at creation of such a model of relations between the actors, which enables implementing the agreed objectives with the least expenditure of time and money.Based on the analysis of the current legislation of Ukraine on state customs affairs, the author discloses the main aspects of the Ukrainian SFS territorial customs bodies’ activities promotion, and coordination and interaction of the Ukrainian SFS territorial customs bodies with local state administrations and local self-government authorities.It is also established herein that the interaction acts as an integrating factor, through which abilities of the Ukrainian SFS territorial customs bodies, other bodies of state power and those of local self-government are conditionally joined in some coherent system based on a common objective, and therefore it is necessary to clearly define the concept of «interaction» in the sphere of state customs affairs securing it in the provisions of the Customs Code of Ukraine and clearly outlining the forms of such cooperation.The author focuses on the fact that despite the importance of interaction between the Ukrainian SFS customs houses and local state administrations and local self-government bodies in the sphere of state customs business, which activates the solution of a whole range of issues, namely arranging for the frontier, interregional and international cooperation, ensuring the rule of law and public order, fighting against corruption and organized crime, etc., an adequate legal regulating mechanism for such interaction has not yet been established. Besides, the issue of forms of the Ukrainian SFS customs interaction as the territorial bodies of SFS of Ukraine with other executive power bodies and the ones of local self-government is addressed.Based on the results of the study the author notes that the interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices and local state administrations with local self-government bodies is an inherent quality, link and component of the Ukrainian SFS Customs offices functioning organization, which aims to improve the state customs service implementation standards by the Ukrainian SFS customs houses and to ensure the said implementation efficiency. However, in the course of interaction of the Ukrainian SFS customs with local state administrations and local self-government bodies each of the mentioned organizations specializes in solving their specific tasks in accordance with their subject expertise, and forms a clear organizational system. The complementarity of such kind helps to improve the state customs affairs conductance quality and is realized through the coordination of performance of the Ukrainian SFS customs offices, local state administrations and local self-government bodies as the interaction subjects through normative, informational and analytical provision for the interaction and concretization of the activities of each subject within the planned activities.
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The considerations in this paper focus on the selected problems of investing in the Polish road infrastructure. The author focuses on the analysis of the decisions made in the sphere of some organisational, technical and economic solutions accompanying those investments. They referred, among other things, to the importance of the private sector in the road construction through the formula of Public and Private Partnership, the use of EU funds in financing road investments, the use of new types of road surfaces and road safety.
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This paper addresses the issue of municipal real estate management, focusing on the disadvantages of management in the Polish public sector. The paper is based on the literature review, an analysis of the Polish Supreme Audit Office reports and on the results of a survey conducted among municipalities belonging to Krakow Metropolitan Area. The article is organised as follows. Firstly, the author provides a general overview of the main weaknesses of the municipal real estate management. Then, the paper presents an empirical analysis based on the survey research. Finally, the paper closes with a discussion of some methodological issues and recommendations for further study.
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The article is the continuation of the Author's previous studies on the reinforcement of Krakow economic functions. The main object of the research is one of the oldest leading functions of the city, namely science. The aim of the article is the analysis of the transformations of the land use in the area occupied by this sector of economy both in 1983 and in 2012, carried out on the example of the oldest part of Krakow, the former cadastral district - Śródmieście. As a result of the conducted research, field research in particular, an increase in the area occupied by science and higher education in this part of the city was noted, from 3.27% in 1983 to 4.03% in 2012. The research also showed the growth of the area occupied by other sectors of economy, also considered in the past as leading in the development of Krakow, namely culture and tourism, and a decrease in the areas used by industry, the function particularly developed in the period of the centrally planned economy.
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Although Republic of Moldova has a roman-Germanic legal system judicial precedent is included among the sources of law, even if the doctrine still disputes this aspect. There are actually domains where judicial precedent’s use as a source of law is doubtless, while there are others where the opposite happens.
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The main characters in this book are Ann Oakley, and her father, Richard Titmuss, two distinguished British sociologists who, each in their own way, has played an important role in the history of social sciences in the 20th century.
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