Eastern European Bloc Research Articles

The Impact of Non‐tariff Barriers on Trade and Welfare

Deep trade agreements (DTAs) are widespread and have taken the world beyond tariff liberalization in goods trade. As the importance of global supply chains and the services sector has increased across the world, shallow tariff reductions have given way to deeper commitments that address non‐tariff barriers and behind‐the‐border barriers to trade. This paper shows that DTA commitments undertaken since the Uruguay Round have increased trade in goods and trade in services by over half in the long term. Taking reduced‐form trade elasticity estimates to a general equilibrium quantitative model, DTAs contributed over 40% to the welfare gains from trade globally and even more for advanced economies. China, India and the Eastern European bloc benefited the most from trade agreements. While most of the gains in China and India came from tariff reductions, the gains to Eastern Europe came largely from deep commitments during its accession to the EU. Applying the DTA estimates to ex ante analysis of Brexit, the losses to the UK from its departure from the deepest trade agreement in the world would not be offset by new deep trade deals with key non‐EU trade partners.

Огляд діяльності Української Національної Ради 1948–1957 років у світлі архівних джерел (за фондами ЦДАЗУ)

The purpose of the article is to cover the history and stages of development and activity of the Ukrainian National Council (UNRada) as a preparliament in the structure of the State Center of the UNRada in exile. Research methods. The research is based on general scientifi c methods of analysis and historicism. In order to cover more widely the activities of the Executive Body of the UNRada (EB of UNRada) in the international arena as a government, which acted together with the Presidium of the UNRada between its sessions and carried out a number of events, aimed at implementing the state policy on the liberation aspirations of the Ukrainian people, the principles of systematization and objectivity were used. Scientifi c novelty. Based on the documents of the Central State Archives of Foreign Archival Ucrainica (TsDAZU) and published sources, a brief overview of the main stages of the UNRada’s activity is presented and the methods of its work as a representative body in a special format – the pre-parliament – are revealed. Emphasis was placed on the principled position of the UNRada and the leadership on the unconditional observance of the positions of the sovereignty of the Ukrainian nation in relations with the American Committee for Liberation from Bolshevism (ACBB). Attention is paid to the participation of the UNRada in international politics, in particular in the activities of the League for the Liberation of the Peoples of the USSR, or so-called the Paris Bloc, in order to oppose the Soviet Union in its expansionist and colonialist policies; the attempts of the UNRada to take part in the structures of European international organizations, in particular the Eastern European bloc of independent states, which in the future would become an integral part of a broader format - the United Europe. The conclusions state that the State Centre of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the UNRada as its component testifi ed to the continuity of the state-building process of Ukraine, pointing to their representative function in foreign policy and emphasizing the signifi cant role of the UNRada in consolidating of political forces of Ukrainian emigration. It is also noted that the documents of the fonds of the TsDAZU on this issue make it possible to clarify certain details of the activities of the State Center of the UNRada’s; allow a new look at the processes that have great historical signifi cance.

TL SI-06 Grand Development Strategy or Simply Grandiose? China's Diffusion of Its Belt & Road Initiative into Central Europe

ABSTRACT Since the launching of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, Chinese leaders have sought to diffuse this ambitious overseas infrastructure drive into the Central and Eastern European bloc. From the literature on policy diffusion, we refer here to a process whereby a dominant actor (China) has vigorously promoted a particular strand of its own domestic development policy in other emerging economies. Our focus is on the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, all EU members since 2004. We draw on Etel Solingen's (2012. Of dominoes and firewalls: the domestic, regional, and global politics of international diffusion. International Studies Quarterly, 56 (4), 631–644) seminal framework on policy diffusion, which considers the stimulus, the medium, political agents, and outcomes. It is the dearth of BRI loans and China-backed infrastructure projects in this sub-region that we seek to explain. Our main finding is that China has been its own biggest firewall in the diffusion of BRI into Central Europe. China needs to formulate policies that surpass the pursuit of its own economic interests and devise approaches that resonate with the more developed status of these three Central European countries.

Prawo do dobrej administracji — w kierunku upraszczania języka urzędowego w Polsce i w Czechach

THE RIGHT TO GOOD ADMINISTRATION — SIMPLIFYING THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLICThe paper aims at investigating how European Union countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic deal with the problem of simplification of the official language. In former members of the Eastern European bloc bureaucratic language is one of the causes of the loss of confidence in public administration. Entry to the European Union increased the tendency for language reform in the creation of normative acts, and the way of communication between the civil servants and thecitizens. The paper presents two lines of action — education of civil servants in Poland and the transformation of the legal language in the Czech Republic.

Secret Police Files, Tangled Life Narratives: The 1.5 Generation of Communist Surveillance

The opening of the archives in the former Eastern European bloc has led to heated political debates in the ex-communist countries, lustration, and the reassessment of the Cold War experience, both east and west. This essay focuses on the significance of accessing the secret police files in life writing produced by the 1.5 generation of communist surveillance. I read Carmen Bugan’s Burying the Typewriter and Kati Marton’s Enemies of the People to consider what happens to communist life narratives of an oppressive state apparatus when taken up by children of communist dissidents, how transnational identities and life stories emerging from post-Cold War Eastern Europe impact the genre, and what the implications of this new autobiographical form are for life writing from and about Eastern Europe within the post-communist and global contexts. By mapping the range of relationships between such autobiographical writing and the secret police files it incorporates, I show the numerous changes life narratives undergo in the aftermath of communism in Eastern Europe, illustrate the ever increasing complexity of life writing in global contexts, and point to new routes of memory with regard to communist oppression.

REGIONALIZATION IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE: OBSTACLES AND PERSPECTIVES

Regional policy depends on efficient administrative systems for designing and implementing strategies, and places considerable demands on Member States’ public administrations in terms of e.g. financial management and monitoring; project selection procedures; ex ante environmental impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses; and the monitoring and evaluation of outputs, results and impacts. EU member states have taken a range of different approaches to the administration of regional policy. The construction of regions in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe became one of the important debate topics for preparation for EU membership. Despite the numerous similarities in the changes that have taken place in the territorial structures of the Eastern and Central European countries, the differences in the responses individual countries gave to the challenges of regional development and the varied results of their development efforts demonstrate that the “Eastern European Bloc” is at least as heterogeneous as the former member states of the European Union. EU accession opened up a Pandora’s Box in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The fundamental issue of how unitarily structured states can be set on a decentralised path became the centre of debate. The paper introduces the Central and Eastern European achievements of region building processes and searches for an explanation of the reasons for the difficulties of Eastern and Central Europe in regional construction; it summarises the administrative and political development pre-requisites of the transition to a regional outline of the possible advantages of a regional institutional system in the creation of the Cohesion Policy ensuring a decrease in regional differences.

How world politics is made: France and the reunification of Germany

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European bloc, the reunification of Germany was a major episode in the history of modern Europe - and one widely held to have been opposed by that country's centuries-old enemy, France. But while it has been previously believed that French President Francois Mitterrand played a negative role in events leading up to reunification, Tilo Schabert shows that Mitterrand's main concern was not the potential threat of an old nemesis but rather that a reunified Germany be firmly anchored in a unified Europe. Widely acclaimed in Europe and now available in English for the first time, How World Politics Is Made blends primary research and interviews with key actors in France and Germany to take readers behind the scenes of world governments as a new Europe was formed.Schabert had unprecedented, exclusive access to French presidential archives and here focuses on French diplomacy not only to dispel the notion that Mitterrand was reluctant to accept reunification but also to show how successful he was in bringing it about. Although accounts of U.S. officials regarding the reunification of Germany boast of American leadership that guided European affairs, Schabert offers a Continental perspective that is far more complex. He reveals the constructive role played by France as he re-creates not only French cabinet meetings but also communications between Mitterrand and George H. W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, Margaret Thatcher, and other world leaders. Along the way, he provides new insight into such major episodes as the fall of the Berlin Wall, European Council summits, the German-Polish border dispute, Germany's membership in NATO, and the final settlement of reunification.Schabert's work is a major piece of scholarship that clearly shows the decisive role that France played in the orchestration of German reunification - by making the 'German question' a European question. A primary source in its own right, this book dramatically reshapes our understanding of not only reunification but also the end of the Cold War and the construction of a New Europe.

Behind the Iron Curtain: Socio-economic and political factors shaped exotic bird introductions into Europe

Little is known about how socio-economic factors quantitatively contribute to shaping introductions of exotic species in space and time. Here, we discover that socio-economic, historical and political factors are largely responsible for shaping exotic bird introductions into Europe. We find that the Cold War and its resulting commercial alliances in Eastern vs. Western Europe led to contrasting patterns in the numbers, composition and origin of birds introduced into each of the two European blocs. The isolation of the Eastern European bloc from the west during the Cold War led to a decline in the number of birds introduced, the number of introduction events and the number of bird species established. Birds introduced during the Cold War originated largely from economically allied countries of each of the two blocs. The Cold War provided a hitherto unexpected benefit to the Eastern European bloc by limiting exotic species introductions, and subsequent population establishment, due to its restrictions on international trade. We suggest that work on the factors shaping invasive species establishment, spread and impacts should incorporate a socio-economic context. Given the ongoing increase in human movement and trade in Europe and the integration of most former Eastern European countries to the European Union, clear policies should be urgently established to prevent inflow of exotic species into formerly more isolated regions and reduce the risk of future biotic invasions.

Towards Modern Music in Romania

AbstractToo little known in the West, modern Romanian scores are being gradually discovered nowadays, beginning with those of George Enescu. For decades underestimated as a creator, Enescu has been re-evaluated and recently recognized as an original and authentic representative of an Eastern European music school, comparable with JanáČek or Szymanowski. The Romanian music of the past fifty years, due to the political and ideological situation of Romania, similar to other countries of the ex-communist Eastern European bloc, has been isolated geographically but not aesthetically. The great diversity of modern or avant-garde trends in Western European and North American music is also present in the output of Romanian composers of the same period, combined in various degrees with autochthonous nuances. Originating primarily in the two major oral traditions, namely peasant folk music and religious Byzantine music, these have compelled Romanian composers to find their own musical language. However, Romanian composers coming of age in the second half of the 20th century took their first steps on a well-established territory, from the standpoint of composition, style, and aesthetics. A solid school of music - built on structural foundations that gave it a distinct language - had already been established in Romania in the first half of the 20th century. Therefore, the following essay is a chronological outline of the historical development of Romanian composition, a process governed primarily by the tension between national elements and global trends.

"With malice toward none": IFLA and the Cold War

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) strengthened its international character and maintained its political neutrality throughout the tense years of the Cold War. Literature dealing with this period in history describes an atmosphere of intercultural understanding, characterized not merely by tolerance but also by appreciation of regional differences. However, two global political movements created suspicion and resentment among members within the organization. First, the Western members criticized the lack of freedom and openness in the Soviet Union. At the time of the 1970 IFLA conference in Moscow, the Western countries accused the Soviet Union of suppressing its literature and of denying visas to members. Second, IFLA members of the Third World who felt threatened by Western cultural imperialism expressed feelings of resentment toward the West. They felt that they were denied equal opportunity to participate, particularly at international conferences, all of which were held in Europe. Now, after the collapse of Communism and the Eastern European bloc, some of these feelings of conflict have been resolved. In particular, IFLA members from the Soviet Union enjoy more freedom to access information.

Poland: “the police are not the public and the public are not the police”

In the fall of 1989 Poland was the first Eastern European country to free itself from Soviet domination. One of the strongest arms of the communist regime was the Militia, also called the Civic Militia. The main objective of this organization was not strict law enforcement, service, nor emergency response. Despite the initial goal of crime fighting, in reality, the Militia closely cooperated with the Security Bureau and in effect served the role of political police, aiming and targeting political opposition to the communist regime. Presents a study which aimed to analyze the difficult transformation police organizations face in the Eastern European bloc, and the impact of this transformation on the public’s perception of the new police role within the framework of police‐community relations. Owing to the scarcity of information available from the local law enforcement agencies the study largely relied on journalistic sources. Recognizes the limitation of such an analysis and presents the findings and conclusions accordingly.

Discrimination against women: a global survey of the economic, educational, social and political status of women

Racial, ethnic and religious discrimination is rife worldwide, but the author found discrimination against women to be yet more prevalent and harmful. This book surveys the status of women in the mid-eighties in the United States, Canada, Africa, Western Europe, the Eastern European bloc including the Soviet Union, Latin America, the Arab-Muslim world and Asia. There are 20 case studies and over 75 illustrative tables and graphics.

Responses to natural disasters

Since 1964, natural disasters caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or extreme weather in the form of floods, droughts, or hurricanes, have been responsible for more than 2,756,000 deaths worldwide in nations other than the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern European Bloc, according to figures tabulated by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the Agency for International Development (AID). Over 95% of these fatalities occurred in developing or third world countries. Damage resulting from these calamities has been severe but extremely difficult to estimate in monetary terms. In 1986, U.S. government and voluntary agencies spent $303 million on natural disaster assistance around the world, 79% of total world assistance. In 1985 the U.S. total was nearly $900 million, 48% of the $1.84 billion world total.

Special relations in the Eastern European bloc: Origins, effects, connections with the communist movement

Special relations in the Eastern European bloc: Origins, effects, connections with the communist movement

In Matters of war and socialism, Anthony Barnett would shame and honor Kampuchea too much

In an article on “Inter-Communist Conflicts and Vietnam” published in the current issue of Marxism Today, Anthony Barnett attempts to put the wars in Southeast Asia into historical and socialist perspective. He begins by stressing the already existing pattern of conflict in the socialist world. He notes in particular, the history of differences between neighboring communist states, the division of Marxist-Leninist movements resulting from the Sino-Soviet split and the sustained efforts of imperialist powers to exploit and to deepen these conflicts. The same conflicts, he argues, now find expression in Southeast Asia. In fact, the recent successful completion of the Vietnamese revolutionary war and the rise of other communist governments in China's hinterland might be promoting a trilateral conflict situation of a type already observed elsewhere. After the second World War, the indigenous, self-sustaining communist revolution in Yugoslavia successfully resisted efforts made by the older, larger communist power, the USSR, to force it to join its Eastern European bloc. Part of the Soviet pressure took the form of aggravating difficult bilateral relations between Yugoslavia and its neighbor Albania. The pattern of aspirations and hostilities in today's Southeast Asia is not, Anthony asserts, appreciably different:

The Music of Andrzej Panufnik

A good deal has been said recently, in these and other pages, about the wealth of good music now being written under conditions of at least relative artistic enlightenment in the countries of the Eastern European bloc. Nobody, I imagine, will suggest that we should pay any less attention than we do to that welcome phenomenon. But at the same time it would be a pity if we were to forget that Western Europe still harbours a number of composers who fled from the East during the years when music was still not free to take its own course there, and when there was no immediate reason to suppose that the situation would soon improve. Of these, only the Hungarian Ligeti, who lives in Vienna, has been taken up internationally. The Pole Andrzej Panufhik, a comparable figure who happens however to live in London, is at present hardly recognized as a composer of even national importance.

The Changing Catholicism in Poland

When I say in the title that Catholicism is changing in Poland, I am fully aware that the essence of the Catholic faith and the basic structure of the Catholic church cannot be changed and are not changing. But the expression of this faith, the Catholic thought, the Catholic attitudes and mentality, a language in which the Gospel is announced, can change according to changing conditions, and are changing. This is true throughout the world. The church has a mission, a role to fulfill and must make its presence effectively meaningful for the world, and consequently it must adjust to concrete changing conditions. This is the meaning of the aggriornamento proclaimed by Pope John. What is changing in Poland? First, it is necessary to present some basic information about the situation of Catholicism in Poland. Poland has been a Catholic country for over one thousand years. The Catholic church has played an enormous role in Polish history, shaping its culture, customs, social and political attitudes. Political developments in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have strengthened ties between religious and patriotic feelings, with all the advantages and disadvantages of this situation. The average Pole has a deep sense of attachment and fidelity to his faith and his church, characterized by traditionalism and sentimentalism. Unfortunately, we have failed to develop a more rational approach to our faith. With few exceptions we have never had in Poland in the past or in more recent times great theologians. Neither have we produced heretics. Since 1944 we have been confronted in Poland with quite a new, and in some ways, an unexpected situation. As a result of the political developments at the end of World War II, Poland joined the Eastern European bloc of socialist countries. An encounter of Catholicism and materialistic-atheistic Marxism inevitably resulted in a conflict. In fact, it was a double conflict: ideological between the two incompatible doctrines; and political between the Communist state striving to attain a monopoly of ideological influence upon its citizens on the one

An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Deciphering the Former U.S.S.R. and Eastern European Markets

When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, most Western businesspersons recognized the market potential of the Eastern European Bloc of countries and later the former U.S.S.R. Both the consumer and industrial markets were in need, as they are today, of large quantities of updated products and technology. The process of segmenting the demands of consumers in various markets becomes the key to success for entrepreneurial firms. This paper describes a means to develop a dynamic segmentation strategy and entry modes that are most appropriate for each of the market segments of the former U.S.S.R. and Eastern European countries.

EAST-WEST TRADE

V essels large may venture more but little boats should keep near shore. Benjamin Franklin, who has countless such gems to his credit, said that long before Communism was a dirty word. Sage old Ben, the story goes, was talking about fishing. But his words underscore the irony of the highly controversial and increasingly popular topic that is East-West trade. The U.S., largest ship of state afloat in the western world, has barely left the dock when it comes to trading with the Communists, while other western nations, hardly the size of her lifeboats by comparison, have ventured much further much faster. Total trade (that is, two-way trade) of the Free World, including the less-developed countries, with the eastern European bloc hit $12.5 billion in 1965 and has been growing at a healthy 12% per year since 1960. The U.S. share of this total, on the other hand, is barely noticeable at $280 ...

Fissures in the Eastern European Bloc

The Bloc was never as "monolithic" as many have suggested, and its disintegration has not gone as far as some would like to think. The gradual development of its "monolithic" character and the role of terror in maintaining its unity down to Stalin's death are summarized in this paper. Then the post-Stalin era, in which elements of Stalinism re mained in spite of progressive liberalization, is discussed. The limits of the possible in this liberalization process were set by the Polish and Hungarian revolts. This period was also marked by an intensive drive toward collectivization and industrialization. The changes effected in the 1960's spring in part from the gradual acceptance of polycentrism and in part from West Europe's economic challenge and East Europe's failure to measure up to it. The attempt to introduce a greater degree of economic unity and centralized planning into East Europe has failed, and the lead in the opposition to Khrushchev's policy was taken by Romania. The outward signs of division are numerous, but the northern states remain united in opposition to West Germany and dependent on the Soviet alliance. In each of the countries, the party remains in firm control. There are clearly limits beyond which disintegration of the alliance cannot go.