European Politicians Research Articles

English as the Lingua Franca in Europe

Introduction. Throughout several decades, English has been strengthening its position as lingua franca in international communication. The relevance of the given study is justified by the examination of the English language from the perspective of contact variantology and in the context of gradually emerging new version of English – Euro-English. The aim of the presented work is to consider the socio-political prerequisites for the strengthening of the English language role for intra-European communication, as well as to try to explain the significance of Brussels for this process. Methodology and sources. Scientific publications of domestic and foreign linguists, sociolinguists (D.S. Borodina, Z.G. Proshina, B. Kachru, D. Crystal, E. Edwards), as well as interviews with European politicians and public figures (Michel Guerin, Pascal Smet, Sven Gatz) all comprise the research material. The method of synthesis and analysis, descriptive method, comparative language analysis is used in the process of work on this article. Results and discussion. The widespread usage of English in Europe has led to the creation of several mixed language variants and intra-European communication in English gives the latter the status of a supranational communication language. Belgium is seen as the center for the formation of this new language variant, which is explained by the representation of a significant number of international organizations and corporations in Brussels. In the context of the competition between French and Dutch, the difficult linguistic situation in Belgium finds a peculiar resolution in the regular use of English which some activists propose to make the third official language of the Brussels-Capital Region. Euro-English has already acquired several characteristic lexical, morphosyntactic and phonetical features, whilst the withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union has provided serious possibilities for Euro-English to continue its formation as an independent language variant free from “care” and control of English native speakers. Conclusion. The existence of the English language variants involves the preservation of uniqueness for each nation where these are used, as well as the enrichment of the language from which these variants are derived from. Gradual formation of Euro-English confirms the presence of high number of professional and everyday communications under which the representatives of various European nations find common language – and that is English.

The US liberal political and academic establishment on national-territorial transformation of Russia in 1917–1922

The paper examines the evolution of approaches and assessments of the US political and academic establishment regarding the national-territorial transformation of Russia at the final stage of the First World War, during the Revolution and the Civil War. During that period the US diplomacy was focused on developing and implementing its own ambitious program for the liberal-democratic reorganization of the post-war world with particular focus on issues of national self-determination. As a result, Wilson’s administration could not remain indifferent to the dramatic changes on the territory of the former Russian Empire. However, as the author notes, for European politicians its responses appeared rather unusual and often puzzling. The latter was due to a very specific interpretation of the principle of national self-determination adopted by W. Wilson and his associates as the right of the civil society to self-government rather than the right to ethnic separation. At the same time, the right to independently determine their own destiny was reserved, in a spirit of social-Darwinism, only for peoples who had reached a certain maturity. And moreover, each particular case was additionally assessed in terms of both political rationality and developments of political situation in Russia in general. For instance, the US liberal political and academic establishment consistently supported the independence of Poland and Finland while most other national minorities (the peoples of the Baltic region, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, the peoples of Central Asia, etc.) were usually encouraged to defend their autonomy within a united and democratic Russia. The author notes, that the US policy towards Russia became particularly controversial after the Bolsheviks came to power: the consistent rejection of the Bolshevik reforms was accompanied by the reluctance to incite separatism on the national outskirts out of fear of Russia’s uncontrolled disintegration and its subsequent transformation into a site of endless ethnic conflicts. As a result, the United States did not recognize most of the national entities that declared their independence in 1917–1922. At the same time, the author concludes that the growing ideological and political confrontation with Soviet Russia in the following years did not allow the US leaders to adequately assess the national-territorial transformations that were brought about by the creation of the USSR.

Стихотворная сатира 1920 года в парижской газете «Последние новости»

The article is devoted to the analysis of the poetic satirical works of the Russian diaspora of 1920, which had not previously attracted the attention of researchers, published in the Paris newspaper “Latest news”. The paper pays attention to the topics addressed by satirists in their poems, the images and motives that poets use, the connection of satirical works with the reflection of events in the international arena. The purpose of the work is to identify the nature of the selection of objects of satirical images, their artistic interpretation and means of achieving a satirical effect. The most significant poems of 1920, reflecting the topicality and efficiency of satirical poetry, were selected for analysis. The poems are presented as they are published in the publication. The most characteristic objects of denunciation are revealed: dissatisfaction with the Anglo-Soviet trade negotiations caused a number of satirical poems addressed to British Prime Minister Lloyd George; Bolsheviks as the cause of emigrant misfortunes; European politicians who cannot resolutely oppose the Soviet government; sympathizers of the Bolsheviks, both inside Soviet Russia and in the Russian diaspora.

Strategic Compass as a new Impetus for European Defense

A few months before the COVID-19 pandemic, European politicians and experts had tried to answer two fundamental questions: is it possible to transform the European Union into a Security and Defense Union? The other one was: is the Union able to generate a program that will become a signpost for a more dynamic development of European defense? The author of this article attempts to answer these questions while pointing to the need for closer defense integration, which is gaining new significance in Europe in the context of the drastic change in the international security environment over the past few years and months. The author discusses extensively the question of the possible emergence of a common military force of the European Union as integrated military units of the EU Member States within the “European army”. He draws attention to the importance of the Strategic Compass, which, in his opinion, may give new dynamics to defense cooperation within the EU, accelerate the development of military capabilities in Europe, strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense potential, and reduce tensions in transatlantic relations.

Relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union as Reflected by the Spanish Press in 2021

The article deals with the image of Russia and its relations with the European Union as reflected by two Spanish newspapers in 2021. The content analysis covered twenty publications from The El Mundo and fiſty from The El Pais. The articles focus on the following topics: expulsion of diplomats, mutual accusations in espionage and disinformation, Nord Stream II, Satellite V, A. Navalny, Russia and Belarus, and the recent events in Ukraine. The official position of the European Union towards Russia oſten seems incoordinate. The bilateral relations between Russia and Spain receive little attention while evaluative statements made by European politicians about Russia create a negative and aggressive image of this country in the Spanish press.

The greening of the European petroleum industry

This article analyses the European petroleum industry's climate engagement over the two first decades of this century. It studies strategic visions and business models, alongside revenue streams and investment patterns, in the five largest European petroleum companies. The analysis shows how the European petroleum majors, starting from ‘climate negligence’, gradually moved into ‘clean petroleum’ and ended up with visions of ‘net zero’ transition out of oil and gas, while revenue streams remained almost exclusively petroleum-based. It displays how the gap between economic realities and professed climate strategy responds to contradictory signals from politics and markets. While European politicians stepped up expectations for radical CO 2 reduction, markets supported petroleum. Companies therefore adjusted climate-strategic visions to political pressure for legitimacy, while adapting commercial practice to profits from oil & gas markets. Finally, our study demonstrates how policy and markets could be better realigned. For example, the EU's Green Deal, in tune with declining costs of renewables and rapidly increasing CO 2 prices, presents interesting paths towards profitable greening. Early moves from pioneering petroleum companies demonstrate that it can be done. However, greening European energy production is not enough. Climate effects will only come if consumption follows suit.

THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN EUROPE: BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS. PART 2

In this article, the author considers two most important, in his opinion, aspects of the activities of the Islamist movement «Muslim Brotherhood» (MB) in Europe today – a rupture that has emerged in the system of the highest governing bodies of the MB (the formation of two rival centers – in Istanbul and London) and the intensification of attempts of MB groups participation in the political life of European countries under the «banner of Islam». The author draws attention to the fact that the observed «renaissance of the brothers» in Europe not only clearly contrasts with the position of their associates in most Arab countries, in whose social and political life they are failing after failure, but can also be considered as an attempt to lead the MB precisely through his European experience to preserve the movement itself, to support the dynamics of its activity, to formulate its upcoming goals. In other words, to demonstrate the ability of the movement and its ideology to transform and adapt to the conditions of the 21st century. To do this, the Islamist «brotherhood» is actively exploiting the potential of the welfare state and political freedoms in the Old World. The author explores the mechanisms used by the Islamists of the BM to penetrate into state structures and influential layers of European societies. It is noteworthy that the activities of the MB are increasingly mentioned by European experts and politicians in the context of growing internal threats to their countries.

Mniej greckości w Grecji, czyli kto z kim ma kłopot?

Less Greek Identity in Greece or Who Has a Problem with Whom?This article is one of many voices in the continuing debate about Greece as a nation and as a member of the European Union. It emphasises the following facts: characteristics of Greece’s relationship with the state and the citizen, understanding of the European Union and Greece’s role in the organisation, difficulties in the dialogue between Brussels and Athens. Due to the diversity and complexity of the issues presented, the troublesome relationship between Greece and its European partners has not been explored in full here.The aim of this article is to demonstrate the Greek point of view on current affairs as well as to show the difference in wider public opinion towards Greek politics. Consequently, this article invites discussion about Greek public affairs and allows the reader to acknowledge the very different Greek attitude towards political actions performed by the European Union institutions and politicians.

Discontentment trumps Euphoria: Interacting with European Politicians’ migration-related messages on social media

We investigate user engagement with politicians’ migration discourses on social media. In particular, we study the effects of message framing and support base attitudes on interactions on Facebook and Twitter in five European countries. Enriching automated analysis of social media content with survey data in a multilevel negative binomial regression approach, findings show that migration-related messages tend to elicit more interactions than other kinds of messages. Furthermore, the presence of a security frame in a migration-related message positively relates to user engagement. However, additional analyses suggest that the relevance of these frames differ between different political parties. In fact, a message gets an even higher number of interactions, when the dimension of the migration issue included in those framed messages is perceived more negatively by a party’s support base. The findings have important implications for communication strategies of political actors and the state of migration discourses on social media.

Misinformedness about the European Union and the Preference to Vote to Leave or Remain.

European politicians have become increasingly concerned about the possible distorting effects of citizens not only being uninformed, but systematically misinformed about the European Union (EU). Against this background, this study assesses the role of EU knowledge in shaping the preference to vote to leave or remain in a (hypothetical) referendum on EU membership using cross‐national survey data that were collected simultaneously in eight EU countries during the run‐up to the 2019 EP elections. The surveys included a newly designed item battery of EU knowledge capturing both the accuracy as well as confidence in knowledge of the respondents. The results show that misinformedness is associated with a preference to leave the EU, the uninformed citizens tend to be undecided or not intending to vote, while the well‐informed prefer to remain. Overall, our findings contribute to the ongoing debates about the role of misinformation in politics.

Migration flows from African countries to Germany: a view of think tanks

The article touches upon the issue of illegal migration from sub-Saharan Africa to Germany and other countries of the European Union, as well as the role of German think tanks in solving this issue. A brief description of the history of the development of the migration policy of the European Union, as well as the difficulties that had to be faced, is given. Attempts to solve these problems and the dangers of ignoring them are described. Using the example of the activities of four significant German think tanks, the article traces the evolution of expertise on this issue. It is noted that experts do not always pay attention to this problem or try to solve it according to the preferences and wishes of the political establishment. Examples of active cooperation between think tanks and decision-making politicians, as well as the influence of German expertise on the formation of certain aspects of the migration policy of Germany and the European Union are given. It is concluded that think tanks contribute to solving the problem of migration from sub-Saharan Africa, but only if the expertise generally coincides with the vision of solving the problem by German and European politicians.

TRAKIA UNIVERSITY – AN ENGINE FOR TRANSFORMING THE ECONOMIC MODEL OF THE REGION OF STARA ZAGORA

The current life of Europe and the world differs significantly from the past. Strong restrictions are imposed on the release of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. European politicians widely proclaim the ideas of a green transition which must lead to a carbon-neutral European economy. In this transition, scientific and research centres will play an important role. Trakia University has specialists with broad and varied expertise. This factor may exercise a significant influence on the green transition. The aim of the present report is to analyze the structure of the regional economy in the region of Stara Zagora and on this basis to present the potential solutions which Trakia University may offer at a local and national level.

Фрагментация европейских партийных систем: причины, сценарии, следствия

The article explores the process of fragmentation of political party systems in 25 member countries of the European Union during the last three decades (since 1990s). The analysis starts with discussion on prerequisites of fragmentation through the theoretical lens of the works of S. Lipset/S. Rokkan and A. Lijphart. The main prerequisite is accretion of the system of cleavages in the societies in post-materialist age. Other – secondary – reasons include effects of proportional electoral systems, the rise of populism, volatility of party systems in post-communist countries. Further, the article presents the results of analysis of the Effective Number of Parliamentary Parties (ENPP) dynamics in all national elections since 1990; the average ENPP rose from 4.2 to 6.1. Though scenarios of the rise are similar in many respects (i.e., the simultaneous rise in the first elections after 2008–2009 economic crisis), certain distinctions can be found between “old” and “new” countries, systems of moderate and extreme pluralism. The concluding sub-chapter briefly discusses the “pros” and “cons” of party systems fragmentation for the European countries’ politics, which is considered irreversible because it is based on an accreted constellation of cleavages. On the one hand, more fragmented party systems provide for more nuanced representation of societal interests, and are, therefore, democratic and objective. On the other, it gives voice to illiberal populism and complicates the process of coalition building to form the executive; and, in addition, more plural executives tend to be volatile. Recent European political history presents plentiful examples of both. The ultimate challenge for European politicians is to learn to take advantage of the “pros” and tackle the “cons”.

Russia’s War against Ukraine and Its Impact on Regional and Global Processes

The article analyses the impact of the russian-Ukrainian war on regional and global processes. The emphasis is placed on Ukraine’s ongoing national liberation war as an opportunity for the final liberation of national consciousness from the vestiges of the Stalinist administrative-political system of the ex-Soviet empire, and the eradication of anti-state (primarily pro-russian) political forces. There is a chance for self-affirmation of Ukrainian identity in the international arena as a politically monolithic state entity with Euro-Atlantic values based on science-intensive and high-tech potential. The study reveals that the russian-Ukrainian war demonstrated the flaws of the European security system, the miscalculations of the leaders of NATO countries, leading European politicians, and the weakening of the security situation on the continent. The author states that the creators of the European security system recognised the mistakes they had made and quickly started working on eliminating previous miscalculations. The foundation of the new international coalition in support of Ukraine was laid by the meeting in Ramstein on 26 April 2022, which showed the determination of allies to invest in the result – the victory of Ukraine. The author highlights the new quality of relations between Ukraine and NATO, which emerged in March–April 2022 as a basic component of the newly created system of European and global security. Moreover, the article demonstrates the fundamental impact of the russian-Ukrainian war on the system of international relations, its security, economic, and trade components, as well as the reformatting of world Orthodoxy amid the discrediting of the russian orthodox church. In general, the security architecture in Europe has radically changed since 24 February 2022. The russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a serious impact on the new perception and new understanding of the Northern European defence community by its members. The post-war, remodelled European security system can no longer be imagined without Ukraine’s multilateral participation in it as a basic element of this system. Keywords: national liberation war, identity, NATO, the architecture of European security

ВОЕННЫЕ «ОТВЕТЫ» В СТРАНАХ ЛАТИНСКОЙ АМЕРИКИ И ЕВРОПЫ НА ВЫЗОВЫ ПАНДЕМИИ COVID-19: СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ

The article explores the global phenomenon of using armed forces institution in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention, from the perspectives of Latin America and Europe, selected as research objects, because both regions had suffered the strongest pandemic «blows» in terms of mortality. Using the methodology of comparative analysis, the author considers the main parameters of the Latin American and European countries military strategies to combat the spread of coronavirus infection. He detects tendencies of militarization of political leaders` discourse, most vividly manifested in official statements of European politicians. One of the basic distinctive features of Latin American experience is massive mobilization of military contingent in order to complete sanitary and epidemiological tasks in key Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, etc., while in European countries it was moderate. The article gives an overview of the key missions and activities of armed forces on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The analysis reveals that Latin American military activities have been dominated by the repressive component, expressed in the missions to ensure social and spatial control. European security institutions concentrated on solving humanitarian, logistic and medical problems. The author shows that in the New World, the military received expanded administrative powers in order to resolve the sanitary crisis. In European countries, the civilian control level turned out to be higher, and administrative functions were delegated in Italy alone. The author compares international communication styles in the two regions, and considers the cases of mutual assistance through the military department. European countries have demonstrated much higher level of coordination and interstate interaction, in contrast to Latin American states.

Higher education quality assurance practices in Austria

The paper addresses the issue of education quality describing the features, specifics and priorities that determine its development and formation in European countries according to the Bologna Process. The study emphasizes the constant need for quality assurance throughout the Bologna process to have been one of the main concerns for European politicians, educators, public figures and student government. Quality assurance in higher education systems serves as the driving force behind national development and commitment to reforms. Through the example of Austria, which is one of the first European countries to initiate a scientific inquiry into the development of ways to assure education quality, we give an overview of the agency`s activities and define its functions and powers at public and private higher education institutions. The research outlines the approaches to education quality assurance: a guarantee that minimum standards and ideals are realized; ability to set goals in a constantly changing educational environment and achieve them taking into account available resources and conditions; ability to meet the requests and expectations of direct and indirect consumers and stakeholders; striving for perfection. The paper substantiates essential factors for education quality assurance: a coordinating quality assurance institution; submission of a self-assessment report by a subdivision; on-site assessment by experts; a public report on the evaluation results. The article describes the ways to assure education quality at different educational institution types and possible risks. Based on an analytical review of scientific sources, we conclude that Austria is a research subject illustrating the multifaceted ways of implementing a comprehensive quality assurance system in different types and kinds of higher education institutions.

The image of Europe and the European Union in digital media of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia (discourse analysis 2005-2019)

The image of the EU and Europe in digital mass media of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia is studied in this article using the methodology of discourse analysis. Independent digital mass media Ukrainska Pravda, Nasha Niva, Lenta.ru, Novaya Gazeta are analysed (online publications from years 2005–2019). Three images of Europe in the media are indicated as a result of the research. In Ukraine: a strong reliance on Europe as the idea is observed. The EU and its institutions are stably present in political news, but European politicians are not so popular. In Belarus: Europe doesn’t structure political discussions, however, efforts of the neighbouring EU Member States may be important in the image creation. In Russia: there is not much interest towards Europe, but some approaches to present constant clashes between Russia and the West are evident in digital mass media. The research has confirmed the main hypothesis, which supposed that the mechanisms of creating the image of Europe and the EU in post-Soviet countries’ mass media are different, and the specifics of political discourse, as well as the states’ international politics define the image.

Political voice on monetary policy: Evidence from the parliamentary hearings of the European Central Bank

Previous scholarship on central bank accountability has generally focused on monetary authorities’ deeds and words while largely ignoring the other side of the accountability relationship, namely politicians’ voice on monetary policy. This raises a fundamental question: what are central banks held accountable for by elected officials? To answer this question, we employ structural topic models on a new dataset of the Monetary Dialogues between the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) from 1999 to 2019. Our findings are twofold. First, we uncover differences in how MEPs keep the ECB accountable for its primary, price stability objective. We show that European politicians also attempt to keep the central bank accountable for a broader set of issues that are connected with, but distinct from, the central bank’s primary goal. Second, we show that unemployment is a key explanatory variable for the political voice articulated by individual MEPs in accountability settings. In particular, higher rates of domestic unemployment lead MEPs to devote less voice on issues related to the ECB’s primary mission. These findings reveal the existence of a “political” Phillips curve reaction function, which enriches our understanding of the principal–agent accountability relationship between politicians and central bankers.

“Everywhere there are distilled spirits”: Alcohol Consumption and Alcoholism on the Chilean Frontier at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Objective/Context: The incorporation of the Araucania region into Chilean territory, after the end of the military occupation in 1883, led to an increased process of colonization, exploration by traveling scientists, and the settlement of missionaries in the area. In addition, mestizo rural laborers (rotos) and European colonists joined the fronterizos, settlers who were already living on the frontier before the occupation. This article analyses the dynamics and effects of alcohol consumption and alcoholism regarding the perception of mestizo settlers and the indigenous population on the Chilean frontier at the turn of the twentieth century. Methodology: The analysis relies on primary sources, consisting mainly of travel books, reports, and scientific publications written by Chilean and European scientists, politicians, and missionaries, that have not yet been sufficiently studied. Originality: Using the less studied example of alcohol consumption on the Chilean frontier, this work’s contribution consists of demonstrating how the intense processes of occupation and colonization—and, in particular, the perceptions of different actors about indigenous and mestizo settlers—resulted in new forms of stigmatizing the settlers called rotos and the indigenous population, and, consequently, in the consolidation of social hierarchies. Conclusions: While alcohol consumption was acceptable for certain populations, as evidenced by the wine industry’s simultaneous prosperity, it was reprehensible for indigenous people and mestizo settlers. Because of the stigmatized perception of these social groups as drunk, lazy, and poor, especially in the context of intensive colonization that provoked increasing interest in lands occupied mainly by indigenous people and fronterizos, alcoholism can be interpreted as a vehicle for specific dynamics of exclusion. Ancient conceptions of a heroic indigenous culture, in the long run, led missionaries to strive to “protect” these groups from alcoholism, while traders used the images of heroic araucanos to establish extractive economies for national and foreign markets. The analyzed documents reveal that the indigenous population, as well as the rotos, became portrayed as helpless victims in need of moral education by intellectuals and missionaries, which sought to legitimize missionary work. In this sense, perceptions, social practices, and the mobility of knowledge on alcohol consumption proved to be a highly disputed field in the context of colonization and the incorporation of Araucania into the Chilean state.

From Pipedream to Possibility: How European Integration has Helped Secessionist Movements

The European project has brought the states of Europe ever closer together while inadvertently strengthening secessionist movements that seek to fracture the very states it has brought together. Through integration, many of the benefits a region with a potential desire for independence gains from remaining a part of its host state are transferred to the European level. Current academic consensus argues that European integration has overall harmed secessionist movements, but since the UKs decision to leave the EU, this argument has become outdated and no longer holds the strength it once did. This article uses current academic literature on the topic as well as statements from European politicians and separatist political parties to explore and compare the cases of secessionist movements in Scotland, Catalonia, and Flanders. While chosen for their strength and their diversity in circumstances, these independence movements are united in being transformed from pipedreams to possibilities thanks to European integration.