Early Transition Period Research Articles

The Politics of EU Accession: Ideology, Party Strategy and the European Question in Hungary – By A. Batory

The Politics of EU Accession: Ideology, Party Strategy and the European Question in Hungary , by Batory, A. ( Manchester and New York : Manchester University Press , 2008 , ISBN 9780719075285 ); 176 pp. , £56.99 hb . With the five-year anniversary of the EU's 2004 eastern enlargement approaching, there is renewed interest in the new Member States, with a number of books due for publication over the coming year. As such, Agnes Batory's book is a timely publication which, now that the ‘dust’ of the ‘big bang’ enlargement has settled, leads the way in demystifying the politics of EU accession in the new Member States. Batory provides us with a competent analysis of the attitudes Hungarian political parties have held on the notion of Europe and the EU from the early transition period through to the successful referendum on Hungary's accession to the EU in 2003. A number of questions are dealt with in this analysis, including what is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book – how Europe and EU accession influenced inter-party relations and coalition building. The book is divided into eight chapters with a separate introduction and conclusion. There is a logical division between the chapters, with chapter 1 providing a clear outline of the conceptual framework Batory employs. Chapters 2 and 3 provide some of the historical background on the development of the political party system in Hungary and of the various political parties in terms of their formation and ideological development. Chapters 4 and 5 deal primarily with public attitudes towards Europe and its influence upon the relationship between the political parties and their electoral base. Chapters 6 and 7 look at the issue in terms of how it has impacted on government in Hungary, focusing on the contest between parties in government and those in opposition and the relationship between parties in government coalition. Finally, chapter 8 looks back at the referendum on EU accession with a detailed examination of the campaigns, and the main arguments for and against accession, as well as the final outcome of the referendum in light of the low turnout (45.62 per cent). This book is a welcome addition and will be useful to a variety of groups, including those with an interest in EU enlargement, political parties or Hungarian studies. While Batory is quite clear from the beginning that the book is a study of only the accession period, the reader cannot help but feel a little short-changed that, in fact, the book only provides the first half of the story, particularly in light of what has happened since 2004. As Batory proves, EU accession was an undoubted ideological driving force for Hungary's political parties, but how has this changed post-2004? Does it have the same influence on party development, or are other issues, such as nationalism, becoming even more prevalent? Putting a positive spin on this sense of disappointment, Batory has set a standard and her book provides a clear background and framework for the development of a wider research agenda.

Winter and Early Spring Bird Communities in Grasslands, Shrubsteppe, and Juniper Woodlands in Central Oregon

We compared winter (December, January, and February) and early spring (March and April) bird communities among 4 successional stages that included grassland, shrubsteppe, juniper-shrubsteppe, and old-growth juniper woodland in central Oregon. Birds were surveyed monthly from December through April in 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 using the point count method to estimate relative abundance of birds (individuals · transect−1year−1). We used distance sampling to correct for potential bias in estimating abundance and density among successional stages. A total of 4513 birds (32 species) were detected. Relative abundance of total birds (all species combined) was similar in the juniper-shrubsteppe and old-growth woodland (48.7 and 48.9 individuals · transect−1, respectively) but 6 times greater than in the grassland and shrubsteppe (8.0 and 7.7 individuals · transect−1, respectively) during the 5-month period. Total density of birds was greater in old-growth juniper woodland and juniper-shrubsteppe than in grassland or shrub-steppe. However, median bird species richness in 1998/1999 was highest in grassland and lowest both in shrubsteppe and juniper-shrubsteppe, and in 1999/2000 it was highest in shrubsteppe and lowest in juniper-shrubsteppe and old-growth juniper woodland. American Robins and Townsend's Solitaires were the most abundant species in juniper-shrubsteppe and old-growth juniper woodland during the winter months. Sage Sparrows and Horned Larks were the most abundant species in shrubsteppe during winter, and Horned Larks were most abundant in grasslands during the early spring transition period prior to nesting. Our results indicate that a different suite of species use these successional stages during the nonbreeding season. If avifauna conservation is a part of long-term management goals, a broad range of successional stages should be maintained on the landscape to provide habitat for a variety of avian species throughout the year.

Returns to education in the economic transition: A systematic assessment using comparable data

This paper studies a sample of economies in transition to verify the assertion that returns to schooling increase as an economy transitions to a market environment. This claim has been difficult to assess in the past as the empirical evidence so far has covered only a few countries over short time periods. A number of studies find that returns to education increased from the “pre-transition” period to the “early transition” period; it is not clear what has happened to the skills premium through the late 1990s, or the period thereafter. We implement a more systematic analysis using data comparable across countries and over time to estimate returns to schooling in eight transition economies (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic and Slovenia). The analysis covers the early transition period up to 2002; in the case of Hungary, we capture the transition process more fully, beginning in the late 1980s. Compared to the existing literature, we also implement more comprehensive robustness checks on the estimated returns, although at best we offer only an incomplete solution to the problem of endogeneity. We find that the evidence of a rising trend in returns to schooling over the transition period is weak. There are, however, significant differences in returns across countries. These differentials have remained roughly constant over the last 15 years. We speculate on the likely institutional and structural factors underpinning these results.

Politická ekonómia slovenského kapitalizmu: inštitucionálna a evolučná perspektíva

The introductory parts of the paper analyse development of a local variety of capitalism in Slovakia from the institutional and evolutionary perspective. In early transition period privatisation policies were aimed at development of a liberal version of capitalism, based on fluid capital markets. These policies were confronted with institutional legacies of previous regimes. Privatisation, however, had major impact on structure of capital ownership and management. Next chapters compare contemporary Slovak capitalism with varieties found in other OECD economies. Major elements of institutional framework (labour market, business and financial environments) are subject to factor analysis. OECD member countries are compared via index of market coordination. Slovakia appears to be a market economy with middle levels of strategic market coordination and similar to Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Reliance on bank finance and dual economy are another distinctive features of the contemporary Slovak capitalism.

Fiscal Challenges Facing the New Member States

This paper provides an analysis of the fiscal challenges faced by the eight transition economies, which joined the European Union (EU) in May 2004. More than half of them run excessive fiscal deficits being partly a legacy of an early transition period, partly – a consequence of additional accession-related costs. In addition, the long-term fiscal outlook, connected with the consequences of population ageing, is dramatic. On the other hand, the perspective of Economic and Monetary Union entry should provide the new member states with a strong incentive to reduce their deficits now because waiting (and postponing both fiscal adjustment and the adoption of the euro) will only result in higher cumulative fiscal costs.

Interpreting real exchange rate movements in transition countries

Abstract Real exchange rate movements in the transition economies during the initial transition period were unusually large by the standards of other economies and periods. Using cross-sectional evidence, this paper documents how real exchange rates were generally misaligned at the onset of the transition and how most of this misalignment was eliminated over a relatively short period. Turning to the time series dimension, the paper shows that estimates from a consensus-type single-equation model of the real exchange rate are well-behaved and provide a good fit for exchange rate movements in the early transition period. The results highlight the role of productivity-driven real exchange rate movements that can be interpreted as reflecting both the impact of the structural transformation process on productivity in the tradables sector per se and the effects of changes in tradables versus non-tradables productivity. Furthermore, the results show that the relationship between productivity and real exchange rates holds both when productivity is increasing and when it is falling.

A qualitative study of the perceptions and experiences of Pre-Registration House Officers on teamwork and support

BackgroundFollowing the implementation of a new final Year 5 curriculum in one medical school we carried out a study to explore the experience of the transition from final student year to Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO). This study looks at the experiences of two successive cohorts of PRHOs in relation to team work, support and shared responsibility in their transition from final year students to qualified doctors. The involvement of PRHOs in teams is likely to change in the development of Foundation programmes.MethodsA qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with 33 PRHOs, stratified by gender, ethnicity and maturity, from two study cohorts, qualifying in 2001 and 2002, from one medical school in the UK, in their first three months following medical graduation.ResultsMost PRHOs reported positive experiences for their inclusion as a full member of their first ward teams. This contributed to their increasing confidence and competence in this early period of career transition. However, a number of organisational barriers were identified, e.g. incomplete teams, shift work, which produced problems in their integration for one third of newly qualified doctors.ConclusionRecently introduced policies, intended to improve the working lives of newly qualified doctors have produced both benefits and unintended adverse impacts on PRHOs. The changes of the new PRHO Foundation programme will have further impact. Foundation doctors may need to relate to wider teams with more interaction and less protection. Such changes will need to be managed carefully to protect the PRHO at a vulnerable time.

Fiscal Challenges Facing the EU New Member States

This paper provides an analysis of the fiscal challenges faced by the eight transition economies, which joined the European Union (EU) in May 2004. More than half of them run excessive fiscal deficits being partly a legacy of an early transition period, partly – a consequence of additional accession-related costs. In addition, the long-term fiscal outlook, connected with the consequences of population ageing, is dramatic. On the other hand, the perspective of Economic and Monetary Union entry should provide the new member states with a strong incentive to reduce their deficits now because waiting (and postponing both fiscal adjustment and the adoption of the euro) will only result in higher cumulative fiscal costs.

Age-Specific Household Size as a Demographic Aspect of Regional Disparity: Czech Republic, 1991

The post-communist transition to market economy in Central Europe over the last decade of the twentieth century had a significant impact on the demographic profile of the former Soviet bloc countries. Largely due to government policy and market conditions related to housing, this observation is particularly true for the Czech Republic. The present study shows housing as a facet of regional demographic differences within the Czech Republic. The household composition matrix is applied here as a demographic gauge to the behavioral response of households to Czech housing markets and policy. The matrix provides here a glance at households’ demographic behavior in the capital city of Prague and in the country’s other regions, during the early transition period, based on observations from the 1991 census. A summary feature of household composition is the age-specific household size shown for the various regions of the Czech Republic to trace the reduced standard Gamma function. Anomalies detected in the trajectory of age-specific household size for Prague confirm the unique housing market conditions in the capital city, and point to a commensurate demographic response in Prague as opposed to the rest of the country.

Post discharge problems in women recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery

This study was conducted to describe the types and frequency of problems Australian women experience when recovering at home in the first 6 weeks following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and the relationship between symptom experience and psychological distress. A convenience sample of 52 women (mean age 66.31 years, range 53-79 years) who had uncomplicated CABG surgery was selected from two tertiary hospitals in Sydney. A descriptive design was used with information related to post-operative problems collected by telephone interview at 1, 3 and 6 weeks post discharge using a semistructured questionnaire. Psychological distress was assessed at 12 weeks post discharge using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Responses were categorised, collapsed and described using frequencies and percentages. Relationships were assessed by Spearman's r. The most common problems in the first and third weeks post discharge were sleeplessness and nausea or poor appetite and chest incision pain. Although problems improved over the first 6 weeks post-operatively, approximately one-quarter of the women still reported chest incision pain and almost 40% reported problems with leg wounds and oedema. The number of problems experienced at 6 weeks was significantly correlated with depression at 12 weeks. These findings support the importance of a preoperative education programme that includes anticipation of physical problems in the immediate post-operative period and a follow-up of female patients in the early transition period following hospital discharge.

Estimation of forest–atmosphere CO 2 exchange by eddy covariance and profile techniques

At Hyytiälä, station for measuring forest ecosystem–atmosphere relations (SMEAR II) measurement station in Southern Finland, carbon dioxide concentration measurement system and sampling are designed to meet the demanding requirements of the profile technique over forest. The minimisation of systematic and random errors was achieved by using the same analyser for all levels, by averaging the analyser readings and by switching between lines with frequency enabling sampling from each level for 1/2 min with 6-min intervals to obtain good averaging over turbulent variation of concentration. The fluxes were estimated above a 14 m high forest from measured profiles up to a height of 67 m. At the same time, the eddy covariance (EC) measurements were performed at 23 m. Carbon dioxide fluxes, obtained from the EC system and profile measurements, were inter-compared for periods consisting of several months of observations. Generally, good correspondence between fluxes was observed. Largest discrepancy was observed during early morning transition period of turbulence, which could not be ascribed to limitations of either of the techniques. The profile method provides an alternative method to the EC technique, which is not free of possible error sources. It proved to be a suitable method for flux measurements above forest canopy and can be used for gases lacking fast measurement instrumentation as required by the EC method. For carbon dioxide flux estimation during well-mixed day-time conditions, the average concentrations have to be determined with standard error as small as 0.2–0.3 ppm, thus the average concentration measurement instrumental precision is required to be in the order of 0.1 ppm.

Inherited Labour Hoarding, Insiders and Employment Growth. Panel Data Results: Poland, 1996-2002

Using panel data pertaining to large Polish (non-financial) firms this paper examines the determinants of employment change during the period 1996-2002. Paying particular attention to the asymmetry hypothesis we investigate the impact of own wages, outside wages, output growth, regional characteristics and sectoral affiliation on the evolution of employment. In keeping with the 'right to manage' model we find that employment dynamics are not affected negatively by alternative wages. Furthermore, in contrast to the early transition period, we find evidence that employment levels respond to positive sales growth (in all but state firms). The early literature, (e.g. Kollo, 1998) found that labour hoarding lowered employment elasticities in the presence of positive demand shocks. Our findings suggest that inherited labour hoarding may no longer be a factor. We argue that the present pattern of employment adjustment is better explained by the role of insiders. This tentative conclusion is hinged on the contrasting behaviour of state and privatised companies and the similar behaviour of privatised and new private companies. We conclude that lower responsiveness of employment to both positive and negative changes in revenue in state firms is consistent with the proposition that rent sharing by insiders is stronger in the state sector.

Longitudinal analysis of flexibility and reorganization in early adolescence: a dynamic systems study of family interactions.

A dynamic systems (DS) approach was used to study changes in the structure of family interactions during the early adolescent transition period. Longitudinal observational data were collected in 5 waves prior to, during, and after the transition. Boys (n = 149 families) were videotaped problem solving with their parents at 9-10 years old and every 2 years thereafter until they were 18 years old State space grids (a new DS method) were constructed for all families across all waves. Two variables indexing the variability of the family interactions were derived from the grids. As hypothesized, the DS variables revealed a significant quadratic effect related to a peak in variability at 13-14 years of age.

While Labour Hoarding May Be Over, Insiders' Control is Not. Determinants of Employment Growth in Polish Large Firms, 1996-2001

This paper examines the determinants of employment changes using a panel of Polish large firms during the period 1996-2001. We investigate the impact of wages, output growth, investment, firm size and sectors upon employment, focusing on the asymmetry hypothesis. We find that investment plays an important role in enhancing employment growth. We also notice that employment dynamics is not affected by alternative wages and therefore appears consistent with the ???right to manage??? model. Furthermore, unlike the early transition period, we can confirm that employment adjusts to positive sales growth, not just to decline as found in studies on earlier periods (K?ll?, 1998). This reflects that labour hoarding can no longer be a factor, which decreased employment elasticity in times of positive demand shocks. Interestingly, large state companies appear to cut employment in response to output growth, when one controls for investment. A result, which may be consistent with the insiders (employee) control model.

The law of one price for transitional Ukraine

Five commodity prices in Kiev, Ukraine, are examined for their movements relative to US counterparts during Ukraine’s early transition period of 1991–1992. Panel unit root tests are applied to the resulting commodity real exchange rates. Although the law of one price did not hold during the period, the commodity real exchange rates appear to have possessed deterministic trends that were in the direction of closing the initial considerable price gap.

Employment polarisation and inequality in the UK and Hungary

This paper uses household budget survey microdata to explore the growth in household income inequality in Hungary in the period 1987-95, and compares it with inequality in the UK in 1995-96. Decomposition of inequality according to both household characteristics and income sources shows that, while inequality did grow rapidly in Hungary over the early Transition period, several factors prevented its growth to higher levels. One of these factors, the distribution of employment and earnings between households, is explored in some detail. While there was considerable polarisation between households with and without employed members in the UK in 1995-96, this was less of a feature in Hungary, in spite of a massive withdrawal of men and women from the labour market between 1987 and 1995. Rather, a narrowing of the gender pay gap and a continued high level of female participation in employment appears to have ensured that, even as earnings inequality in Hungary increased to the extent that it surpassed earnings inequality in the UK, the distribution of household earnings, and the distribution of household incomes, remained more equal in Hungary. Copyright 2001 by Oxford University Press.

Corrupción, burocracia colonial y veteranos separatistas en Cuba, 1868-1910

Administrative corruption in Cuba during the nineteenth century was a serious problem addressed both by Spanish authorities and the critics of the colonial system in Cuba. In the long run the fiscal, financial, institutional, and ideological costs of corruption undermined Spanish colonial control in Cuba. While the state and Cuban taxpayers had to pay for the increased costs of corruption, corrupt public officials and private contractors and financiers benefited. This study uses both archival manuscript administrative sources and published sources to assess the impact of corruption and its institutional bases during the final phase of Spanish colonialism in Cuba and the early period of post-colonial transition.

Some Predictors of Primary Control of Development in Three Transitional Periods of Life

In the context of some personal control (mastery) theories (e.g., J. Heckhausen & R. Schultz, 1995; Gutmann, 1964), primary, secondary, and tertiary personal control of development among subjects in three transitional periods of life were investigated (D. J. Levinson, C. N. Darrow, E. B. Klein, M. H. Levinson, & B. McKee, 1978). Results confirmed the expectation that primary control decrease whereas secondary control increase with age. Tertiary control was the same in all transitional periods. There were some differences in contribution of predictors of primary control in the early, middle, and late period of transition. From the group of variables relating to personality traits, optimism proved a good predictor of primary control in the young and middle aged, whereas in old people who have the lowest primary control, none of the personality traits proved predictive. The importance of goals related to knowledge and competence (GKC) was a significant predictor in all three (age) groups.

Financial and Institutional Barriers to SME Growth in Albania: Results of an Enterprise Survey

The early transition period witnessed the rapid growth of Albanian SMEs despite the fact that the country was subjected to several severe shocks, especially those associated with the collapse of the pyramid schemes and the war in Kosovo. The growth of small enterprises in agriculture, trade, services, and construction, with microenterprises constituting the bulk of SMEs, has been the engine of growth and contributed to the long term recovery of Albanian economy. However, the growth of SMEs has been hampered by a variety of barriers erected, directly or indirectly, by the state. Fiscal constraints particularly high rate of taxes and contributions, financial constraints and the institutional environment have been some of the major barriers they have had to surmount. These barriers have encouraged many firms to conduct some or all of their activities in the informal sector of the economy. The survey of fifty SMEs established since 1992 highlights the difficulties faced by these enterprises in the environment of early transition. The econometric evidence confirms the role of financial barriers to SME growth, especially when they are combined with the poor institutional environment. The results show that the government has to embark on SME policies designed to disseminate the information on support programmes widely, and to speed up the reform of the financial system, legal framework and law enforcement.

Changes in mRNA Expression for Gluconeogenic Enzymes in Liver of Dairy Cattle During the Transition to Lactation

The objective of this study was to profile phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC) mRNA expression in the liver of dairy cattle during the peripartum transition and determine changes in abundance of these mRNA in response to protein fed during the prepartum period. Thirty-eight multiparous Holstein cows were fed diets containing either 12% crude protein (CP) and 26% rumen undegradable protein (RUP), 16% CP and 26% RUP, 16% CP and 33% RUP, or 16% CP and 40% RUP on a dry-matter basis beginning 28 d before expected calving. After calving, all cows were fed a common diet through 56 d in milk (DIM). Northern analysis of RNA from liver biopsy samples obtained on days −28, −14, +1, +28, and +56 relative to calving indicated that PC and PEPCK mRNA expression were responsive to onset of lactation but not to prepartum protein or RUP concentration. Abundance of PEPCK mRNA was similar at −28, −14, and +1 DIM but was elevated by +28 and +56 DIM relative to precalving levels. Liver PC mRNA abundance was elevated on +1 DIM, remained elevated through 28 DIM, and declined to precalving levels by 56 DIM. The activity of PC enzyme was correlated (r2 = 0.89) with PC mRNA abundance. The data demonstrate increased abundance of PC mRNA during the early transition period followed by increased abundance of PEPCK mRNA during the postpartum period and suggest increased potential metabolism of lactate, pyruvate, and amino acids that contribute to the liver pyruvate pool.