The import of used cars to Poland after EU accession

Author(s): Bartłomiej Kołsut / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

The purpose of the article is to identify the volume and spatial structure of imports of used cars to Poland during the first 15 years of membership in the European Union, using data from the Central Register of Vehicles. The article attempts to answer three key research questions: (1) What was the volume of imports of used cars to Poland in the period 2004-2018 against the background of the volume of imports into other selected countries and in relation to the level of sales of new cars? (2) From where (which countries) to where (which regions of Poland) were used cars imported? (3) How does the import of used cars affect the age structure of passenger cars in Poland? The conclusions of the study are as follows. In the period 2004-2018, nearly 12 million used cars were imported to Poland, which makes Poland the world leader in this field. The changes in the volume of imports were mainly influenced by the economic slowdown and lowering of consumers' income levels, vehicle scrapping programs in Western Europe (which reduced the supply of older cars in these countries) and the value of the zloty against the euro. Most cars were imported from Germany, and the main gateways for imported cars were the so-called "car crescent”, located mainly in the Wielkopolska region. The average age of imported cars varied from around 8.5 to around 11 years and increased the average age of cars in Poland.

Новата организационно-управленска структура на ,,Международен панаир“ АД – Пловдив, за периода 1997 – 2001 година

Author(s): Yordanka Krivoshieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

The research aims to show the adaptation of “International Fair” JSC, Plovdiv to the changes in the national economy related to the integration of Bulgaria into the European Union. The new organizational and management structure of the company contributes to this. Based on newly received documents in the State Archives – Plovdiv, a period of its recent history is being studied for the first time. With the help of the descriptive and systematic method, the essence of the new organization and management, as well as the results achieved with it, have been revealed. The comparative method was applied in the comparison with foreign fair practices. The most important conclusion that emerges from the discussed topic is that the Plovdiv International Fair manages to adapt to the market specifics, to the rapidly changing economic situation in the country. It maintains its leading position in the country’s trade relations.

Европа в търсене на своя път след Втората световна война, или впечатления за новата монография на доц. д-р Борис Стоянов

Author(s): Lubomir Krustev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE AGRARIAN REFORM FROM 1945 IN FORMER IALOMITA COUNTY

Author(s): Paul Maximilian Anghel / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 26/2021

The agrarian reform of 1945, one of the first redistributive measures adopted by the new government led by Petru Groza, was a major political instrument to undermine the agrarian elites and expand the support base of the communists among the rural population. It was therefore a "revolutionary" reform, with a populist and even ethno-nationalist character, aimed at social rather than economic ends. This reform would prove illusory and ephemeral for the poor peasantry, being succeeded within a few years by the socialization policy of agriculture. Thus, from a political and programmatic point of view, the reform achieved its goal, leading to the abolition of large and medium-sized rural properties. This paper includes a case study on the implementation the agrarian reform of 1945 in the former Ialomița County, from the perspective of the administrative factors involved in the process. The analysis addresses the normative, institutional and administrative framework, as well as at the particularities in the process of applying the reform in the former Ialomița County, as revealed by the archive sources.

Bulgarophobia in public discourse in the Republic of North Macedonia in the year 2021.

Author(s): Georgi Stankov / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2022

The study examines a very pronounced social phenomenon in the Republic of North Macedonia – Bulgarophobia and hate speech towards Bulgarians and Bulgaria. The main characteristics of Bulgarophobiain the context of contemporary Macedonian ethnocentrism and the process through which they were formed and manifested in the Republic of North Macedonia have been researched. Specific cases of Bulgarophobia in 2021 are presented and discussed.

Съгласително писмо на мутафчийския еснаф в Търново от 6 ноември 1872 година

Author(s): Svetla Atanasova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2023

The consent letter of Goat’s Hair Processing Guild in Tarnovo dated back in November 6, 1872 is a contract (agreement) between the members of the governing body, attached with their signatures, seals and fingerprints for compliance with certain clauses, as an integral part of the statute (law) and the rules of the corporate organization. The analysis of the preserved manuscript texts in Bulgarian answers a number of questions related to the social status and property status of the representatives of the guild of Goat’s hair processing, the level of education and literacy, the membership and the participation of master craftsmen from nearby settlements in the association. In a comparative analysis with other documents from an earlier and/or later historical period, a repetition of the names of some of the Tarnovo craft’s men (mutafchii) – participants in the board of directors, is noticeable. They are represented in various incarnations as benefactors, wealthy merchants or members of the municipal council. The graphic prints of the personal and official seals on the document, their technical parameters and artistic analysis cast new light on the biographies of their holders before 1872.The collected historical information about the activities of the goat’s-hair rugs makers’ guild in Tarnovo in 1872 – extracted from the document, is systematized and analyzed in separate annexes. These include facsimiles, a list of members of the governing body and a catalogue of the official and personal seals.

Десет години парично многообразие в Русия (1917–1927): исторически факти и теоретични интерпретации

Author(s): Nikolay Nenovsky,Tsvetelina Marinova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

The article aims to make a historical reconstruction of the variety of monetary practices in early Soviet Russia. It covers the period that began with the rise to power of the Bolsheviks in late 1917, continued through the years of civil war and war communism, and ended with the end of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1927. An attempt has been made to theoretically systematize the different forms of monetary pluralism, which show the complexity of the monetary institution.

Принос към историята на модерните стопански институции и счетоводството в България.

Author(s): Pencho D. Penchev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

Book Review

1742-1800 YILLARI ARASINDA ERZURUM EYALATİNDE VAKIFLARA AİT SORUNLAR (1, 3, 5, 7 ve 9 NUMARALI ERZURUM AHKÂM DEFETERLERİNE GÖRE)

Author(s): Mehmet KOÇYİĞİT / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 59/2023

Foundation organizations had a very important place in the social, cultural, economic and legal structure of the Ottoman Empire. The main sources of reference for archival research on foundations are the series of books such as waqfiye, hurûfat, atik, ahkam, etc. In the ahkam books, which are among the main series of books in the Divani Humay, there are many complaints about the functioning of foundations, problems faced by foundation officials, interventions in foundation revenues and lands belonging to the foundation, claims of sonship in foundations, maintenance and repair of foundations. In this study, the problems of foundations reflected in the Erzurum Ahkam books numbered 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the proposed solutions to these problems are analyzed.

Raec’ka kniha mista L’vova (1460-1506) / Liber Consulum Civitatis Leopoliensis -Das Ratsbuch der Stadt Lemberg (1460-1506). Hrsg. von Myron Kapral’ und Bohdana Petryšak

Author(s): Jürgen Heyde / Language(s): German Issue: 3/2023

Review of: Raec’ka kniha mista L’vova (1460-1506) / Liber Consulum Civitatis Leopoliensis [Das Ratsbuch der Stadt Lemberg (1460-1506). Hrsg. von Myron Kapral’ und Bohdana Petryšak (L’vivs’ki istoryčni praci. Džerela / Opera Historica Leopolitana. Fontes, Bd. 9.) Central’nyj deržavnyj istoryčnyj archiv Ukraïny. L’viv 2020. 848 S., Ill. ISBN 978-617-7746-69-9

გზები ქსნის ხეობაში

Author(s): David Akhlouri / Language(s): Georgian Issue: 8/2022

Ksani valley, due to its geographical location, has played an important role in the political, economic and cultural life of Georgia since time immemorial. It is located in the western part of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region and is administratively within the framework of three municipalities. It belongs to Akhalgori municipality from Khloi Tbi to Odzei, Odzei is a village of Dusheti municipality, and from Tsovris to Tsikhisdzire is Mtskheti municipality. There were two important political units in the Ksani valley: Saeristavo and Samukhranbatono of Ksani, which were connected to each other, as well as to different regions of Georgia and the North Caucasus by a number of important roads. The paper talks about the roads connecting the Ksani valley both internally and with the outside world. At the beginning, attention is paid to the important factors of the promotion of Largvis, the former center of Saeristavo, among which the roads and paths existing here were given a leading role. Roads coming from the valleys of Churti, Karchokh-Zhamuri and Niazum converged in Largvis. In addition, it included the valleys of Saeristavo Iviri, Little Liakhvi and Kholot-Kvitkiri of Niazm (later Ksni). In the work, a proper place is given to the roads connecting these valleys with Kartli Bar or Transcaucasia. From the middle of the 14th century, when the possession of the Eristavas of Ksni increased sharply in the direction of the Kartli Vaki and the residence of the Eristavas gradually moved from the north to the south, which should have happened at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, the new center of Saeristavo, Akhalgori, acquired the function of connecting the mountain and the bar. By the second half of the 17th century, one of the powerful principalities in Georgia already covered a large area: the valleys of Ksni, Alevi, Safersheti, Churti, Niazm, Karchokhi, Zhamuri, MaghranDvaleti sankhas, a significant part of the Lekhuri valley, Kholot-Kvitkiri, Isuri, Mejudi, Tsromi. , small Liakhvi valleys and the foothills. The road network is also growing and becoming more important. In the paper, the main roads of the inter-rural and Ksani Saeristavo regions are highlighted, among which the roads connecting Akhalgori - Tbilisi, Akhalgori - Ananuri, Akhalgori - Dariali Gorge, Mejvriskhevi - Dariali Gorge, Mejvriskhevi - Tbilisi, Mejvriskhevi - Gori and Mejvriskhevi - Tskhinvali are highlighted. The role assigned to these roads in the political and economic life of the capital and the country is highlighted. We are also talking about the measures that the Royal Court implemented in connection with the maintenance of roads in accordance with the appropriate legislation. Many Georgian and foreign travelers do not use the roads in the Ksani valley, their story has a proper place in the work. At the end of the paper, the sad reality that followed the August 2008 war is reviewed; Today, the roads connecting the Ksni valley and especially the mountainous region with the outside world are on the brink of collapse due to lack of maintenance.

From the History of Levant Bonding Company

Author(s): Isolda Beltadze / Language(s): English Issue: 9/2023

From the history of the economic development of England in the 16th-18th centuries, it is very important to study the history of the origin, activities, management bodies of one of the bond companies, namely Levant, and evaluate its role in the economic development of the country. The Levant Company originated in 1581 and maintained its monopoly in the Levant countries until 1753. In the middle Ages, the countries of the Mediterranean Sea - Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Greece belonged to the countries of the Levant, which were part of the Ottoman Empire. The Levant Bond Company, together with other companies: East India, West India, Moscow, East, Virginia, played an important role in the economic development of England. The Levant Company was one of the joint-stock companies, which differed from the early (1506) London Company of Merchant Adventurers. In addition to the Londoners, the provincial merchants were united in the Levant Company, and also most of them in three or more companies. If it were not for the large capital of the merchants, they would not be able to participate in the trade affairs of several companies at the same time. A member of the Levant Company had to be a bitumen trader or of seven years' service, under 25 years of age, and had to pay £25, and over that age twice that, £50. Each of them, upon entering the company, had to take an oath that he would not send goods to the Levant, except at his own expense, would not transfer the goods to persons without them, but would only transfer them to the representatives and factors of the company (persons equipped with trust-I.B.). The charter of 1661 defined the rule of the company's management. According to the charter, the company manager (governor), who had a deputy and assistants, was elected annually at the general meeting. The company also appointed its consuls. The company had a court or board in London, consisting of a manager, a deputy manager, and twelve directors or assistants, who actually had to live in or around London. They also had a deputy governor in every town and port where members of the company had to be. It turns out that the Levant shipping company was a rich one, whose geographical area was quite wide and included ports in Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, Catalonia and other countries. The company exported a large quantity of coarse wool, which was in great demand, especially in Turkey,. From where the Janissary corps was sewn to Faraja. Finally, the English cloth trade in the countries of the Levant left a large profit for England. Also, the import of oriental goods (raw materials) silk, cotton contributed to the development of relevant production, which led to the economic advancement of the country.

Solidarity in the Context of Migration: A Philosophical Perspective

Author(s): Grzegorz BARTH / Language(s): English Issue: 12/2023

Solidarity is a permanent component of social life. In this sense, it becomes a transformative value that clearly connects people and their projects with others. The current situation in the world sharpens the issue of human solidarity. War, migration crises, aggressive globalization, territorial elitism, consumerism, populism, and the ideologization of social discourse lead to the distortion or elimination of the idea of solidarity. Nowadays, there are multi-level and multi-directional changes and transformations in individual and social ethos. Therefore, understanding solidarity requires an analysis of the context in which it is applied, as well as basic scientific assumptions. The article addresses this issue in the context of migration. It consists of three main elements: 1/ Firstly, it explains the philosophical phenomenon of solidarity as a very complex and multi-faceted individual and social reality; 2/ It portrays solidarity as a European virtue and value, which today seems to be experiencing certain difficulties in the EU’s migration policy, particularly revealed by the refugee crisis; 3/ It presents several ways of reflecting on solidarity in the light of representatives of contemporary philosophy and theoreticians of political thought (H.G. Gadamer, J. Dean, A. Grimmel, J. Tischner). These proposals can become an opportunity and a call to reflect on solidarity in times of its axiological and actual deficit.

Magdalena Skoblar, ur., Byzantium, Venice and the Medieval Adriatic: Spheres of Maritime Power and Influence

Author(s): Luka Mihanović / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 64/2023

Review of: Magdalena Skoblar, ur., Byzantium, Venice and the Medieval Adriatic: Spheres of Maritime Power and Influence, c. 700-1453, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021, 400 stranica

Architektura grup etnicznych a postawy ludności miejscowej Podkarpacia w 2. połowie XX i na początku XXI wieku Wybrane problemy

Author(s): Grażyna Stojak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 7/2019

The region of Podkarpacie is a multiethnical, multicultural and multifaith region situated in the south-east of Poland. It is a border region whose area overlaps with the Podkarpacie Province established in 1999. The contemporary, complex structure of the population of the region of Podkarpacie – shaped by the operation Vistula and the post-war resettlement of the residents from other regions of Poland, as well as labour migration from villages to cities – causes the formation of several directions in shaping the cultural landscape of the Podkarpacie countryside. The first of them is the tendency to preserve ethnic architecture, which is not homogeneous. On the one hand, there is a well-organised operation of two municipal open-air museums in the region of Podkarpacie, i.e. the Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok and the Museum of Folk Culture in Kolbuszowa, which professionally preserve and scientifically develop both tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Polish countryside. The operation of private cultural parks (e.g. Museums of Lemko Culture in Zyndranowa and the Museum of Lemko Culture in Olchowiec) as well as mini open-air museums operating in municipalities (e.g. „Open-Air Museum „Zagroda” in village of Markowa, “Kresowa Osada” in Basznia Dolna, “Zagroda Pogórzańska” in Gwoźnica – Biographical Museum of Julian Przyboś in Gwoźnica, “Zagroda Chłopska” in Godowa, “Chałupa nr 84” in Glinnik Zaborowski, “Zagroda Kowalska” in Krzeszów Górny) is quite different. Each of these mini open-air museums tries to preserve the folk culture of individual ethnic groups in a different way. On the one hand, their activity aims at exposing tangible culture and popularizing folklore of ethnic groups; on the other hand, at selling food products and crafts, commercial and restaurant activity. In each of the cases, the or-ganisers’ effort is tremendous, especially that external financing of these activities is occasional, and work necessary to make these facilities operate properly is mainly based on the effort of enthusiasts. The second tendency – completely opposite to the above mentioned trends – is the destruction of traditional buildings and replacing them with contemporary, styleless architecture occurring all over Poland. There are three types of causes that may be responsible for this state: blurring the tradition as a symbol of backwardness (e.g. Dolne Nadsanie and the fight of priest W. Gaj-Piotrowski), migration of countryside residents to cities and construction of new housing estates due to fear of disclosure of belonging to a specific ethnic group (e.g. Low Beskids, Przemyśl County, Lubaczów County), as well as introducing modernity at all costs (Bieszczady – Olgierd Łotoczka’s fight for the “wild Bieszczady” in the Łopiennik Valley). All the above mentioned actions – both in the past and at present – contribute to the image of the countryside in Podkarpacie.

Do regional integration and trade linkages promote productivity spillovers? Evidence from the European Union

Author(s): Hazwan Haini / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

This study examines the productivity and efficiency spillovers in the presence of trade linkages in 27 European Union countries from 1990 to 2019. The European Union is one of the largest trading blocs in the world and has implemented costly policies and reforms to improve productivity growth. Meanwhile, tradeinduced productivity and efficiency spillovers have often been overlooked in the literature, and examining them could provide further clarity to the productivity puzzle. Using a spatial Durbin model and a bilateral trade matrix, this study estimates a spatial stochastic production frontier model using data from the Penn World Table and the World Integrated Trade Solution. We decompose production frontier estimates to obtain the spillover effects of total factor productivity growth and technical efficiency from a network of bilateral trading partners. Our results provide evidence of productivity and efficiency spillovers; however, the gains are uneven. Policy implications are discussed.

Estimating the size of informal economy in a post-transition country – the case of Poland

Author(s): Stanisław Cichocki,Andrzej Torój / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

The size of the informal economy in Poland is estimated by means of the Currency Demand Approach (CDA). Using quarterly data for the period 1999–2019, we adopt two separate econometric approaches. First, we specify a single equation model to estimate it with the Fully-Modified OLS method. Second, the CDA coefficients are treated as a cointegrating vector in a cointegrated VAR. The size of the informal economy in Poland is found to have diminished from about 32% of GDP in 2000 to about 12% of GDP in 2019. We provide confidence intervals for our estimates which, to our best knowledge, are rarely presented in the literature; their width ranges from 3 to 7% of GDP.

INFLATION DYNAMICS IN UGANDA DURING THE POST-INDEPENDENCE ERA

Author(s): Deogratius Wenceslaus KIMOLO,Nicholaus M. Odhiambo,Sheilla Nyasha / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2023

This article provides a comprehensive chronological analysis of Uganda's inflation performance and policy reforms aimed at reducing inflation and stabilising the economy from 1970 to 2021. The impetus for this article lies in the growing interest in Uganda as a prototype for other developing countries grappling with high inflation rates. To achieve the objective, the study adopts a rigorous methodology involving a detailed analysis of selected statistical and academic literature. Uganda faced persistent hyperinflation for much of the 1970s and 1980s and early 1990s. In response, the Ugandan government implemented a series of inflation policy reforms aimed at reducing inflation and stabilizing the economy. The policy reforms in Uganda can be analysed episodically through five distinct periods, starting with the first 10 years after independence (1962-1971), followed by 15 years of political instability (1971- 1985), 10 years of recovery (1986-1995), 10 years of economic growth and poverty reduction (1996-2006), and the most recent episode of reforms consolidation (2007-2021). The impact of these reforms has been significant, with inflation rates falling to single digits and the economy experiencing sustained growth. The decline in inflation has helped to stabilize the economy, reduce the cost of living for Ugandans, and attract foreign investment. The study underscores the importance of implementing sound macroeconomic policies, strong political will and leadership, investing in infrastructure, diversifying the economies, communicating effectively with the public, and cooperating regionally to build a robust and sustainable economy that benefits all its citizens.

Unemployment, Health Outcome and Inclusive Growth in Nigeria: ARDL Bound Test Approach

Author(s): Babatunde Adekunle Okuneye,Oladimeji Abeeb Olaniyi,Adewale Mathew Adekanbi / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2023

The main objective of this study is to examine unemployment, health outcome and inclusive growth on Nigerian economy over the period 1990-2021. Extant literature only captured a part of the whole as they either concentrate on the relationship between unemployment and inclusive growth or health outcome on inclusive growth. Consequently, the tripartite relationship among these concepts seems missing in the body of literature. This study utilized the auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) Bound Test technique to examine the correlation and long run relationship among variables. The empirical findings indicated a long run relationship among inclusive growth, unemployment and health outcome. Also, unemployment and health outcome have a negative and significant relationship with inclusive growth in Nigeria within the study period. Based on the findings, the paper recommended the need for the government to develop plans and policies that will expand employment opportunities and also enhance inclusive growth through increased health expenditure that will instigate the desired health outcomes.

„Има ли Срба у Серезу“? Сръбското консулство в Сяр и Македонският въпрос на прага на ХХ век

Author(s): Simeon Simeonov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 5/2023

This article examines the brief history of the Serbian consulate in Serres in 1897–1899 as a failed attempt at state-building. Drawing on evidence from recently published materials by the Serbian State Archives, the article argues that the Serbian consuls in Serres, Branislav Nušić and Sima Avramović, played an important role in the efforts to promote Serbian national identity and defend Serbian political interests in Ottoman Macedonia. The consulate in Serres was part of an expanding Serbian diplomatic network in Macedonia, which proved instrumental to other Serbian initiatives, such as the creation of new schools and the appointment of Serbian priests in the region. The Serbian consular activities in Serres formed an aspect of a wide-ranging transnational strategy of deploying consulates across Macedonia in the wake of the Serbian-Bulgarian War of 1885. Such institutions served to advance national interests and protect national subjects outside the borders of the fledgling Balkan states. Reviewing recent scholarship on Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, the article concludes by comparing the Serbian example to those of other Balkan nations and suggesting further venues for comparative and entangled historical research.