General Policy Research Articles

Challenges faced by competition agencies in enforcing competition rules in labour markets: an enforcer’s practical reflection

This article aims to reflect on the challenges that competition agencies face when applying competition rules to labour market infringements. These challenges are multifaceted and range from the detection and investigation of anti-competitive conduct to the complexities of the applicable legal frameworks and its intersection with labour rights. To better understand these challenges, we outline the general objectives of competition law and explore the specificity of labour markets. This will serve as the backdrop for the reflections and conclusions reached from the practical perspective of an enforcer. The article also focuses on the advocacy efforts and enforcement action put forward by competition agencies, highlighting the key role played by the Portuguese Competition Authority in advocating and enforcing competition law in labour markets in Europe. We conclude by attempting to predict the future importance of labour markets in the context of general competition policy goals and objectives.

The content of the legal mechanism for ensuring the social security of the state

The article explores the essential content of the legal mechanism for ensuring social security in modern Ukraine. It establishes that this mechanism consists of elements consistent with legal principles – specifically, the forms, methods, and means provided by current legislation to ensure social security. It also encompasses processes and relationships through which the actors responsible for social security plan, create, protect, defend, and restore conditions to either eliminate social risks or, where elimination is not feasible, provide compensation. The author argues that this legal mechanism exhibits several unique characteristics. First, it has a clear systemic and organisational nature, based on the general social and related policies of the state. Second, it operates on the principle of combining general norms of social legislation with specific norms of administrative legislation. Third, it considers the specific real and potential social risks and challenges to the state’s social security, with applicability to the entire population. Fourth, it enables a system of actors responsible for ensuring the state’s social security. The article indicates that the legal mechanism for ensuring social security, as a distinct legal structure, constitutes a complex system of elements. The key components of this system are, first, the principles for ensuring the state’s social security. Second, an important component is the set of current legislative norms that regulate various aspects of social security. Third, an essential component consists of the actors of social security – both collective and individual legal entities. These actors, in accordance with their legal status and the principles of social solidarity and responsibility, plan, organise, and implement activities aimed at preventing and minimising social threats. They work to stabilise and develop society in response to internal and external challenges affecting the state’s level of social security. The article concludes by summarising the findings of the research.

Variability of the Level of Budget Expenditures on Social Insurance of Farmers in the Agricultural Policy of Poland After Accession to the European Union

The purpose of this article was to examine the level and variability of budgetary expenditures directed to the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (ASIF) in Poland in the form of subsidies to the Farmers’ Pension Fund in the period 2004–2024, i.e., after Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU). The aim of the study was also to determine the share of subsidies to the farmers’ social insurance fund in the total expenditures of the Polish agricultural budget, as well as the relationship of ASIF expenditures to state budget expenditures and GDP dynamics. The authors attempted to estimate the trend function for these time series and the degree of fit of the equations describing them. The formation of the nominal and real level of budget expenditures on the ASIF in 2004–2024 was evaluated. It was assumed that spending on the ASIF is an element of agricultural policy, realising its redistributive and social objectives, but indirectly also pro-development objectives by supporting generational change in agriculture. The research showed that the real level of spending on ASIF declined during Poland’s EU membership, as did the share of this spending in the total agricultural budget. The subsidy to the social security system also did not follow the changes in GDP and state budget expenditure proportionally, showing much less dynamism over the period studied. This means that budget support for farmers’ social security is losing its importance as an instrument of agricultural policy. It has been shown that the economic and social components of agricultural expenditure have not grown in harmony. The changes in the level of spending on the ASIF in the period 2004–2024 were also analysed in relation to demographic changes, i.e., the number of farmers insured in the ASIF and recipients of agricultural pensions. It has been shown that, despite a significant decrease in the number of farmers receiving pensions from the ASIF, there remains a large disparity between the average pension benefits of farmers and those of the general social insurance system (Social Insurance Institution—SII). The reduction in this disparity is not served by a real reduction in subsidies to the ASIF.

Contemporary Migration Policies in Chile: The Voices of Public Officials, International Agents and Migrant Collective Representatives

In recent decades, South American migration within and towards Latin America has grown substantially. In Chile, per of icial data over 1,6 million foreign nationals were residing in the country in 2023, almost equally divided between genders and mainly located in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, with Venezuelans edominating. The present study consists of a qualitative analysis of policy narratives based on interviews to migration-related policymakers, representatives of international rganizations and migrant collectivity spokesmen in Chile. It aims at analysing their convergent or divergent understandings of the progress of present migration policies and associated state capacities. Three main framings are identified. The first could be defined as technocratic, centered on producing evidence and implementing the objectives of general or specific policies. The second takes into account migrants’ subjective experience and shows the concrete problems they face daily. The last emphasises the contemporary humanitarian crisis migrants are experiencing and the discriminatory reactions of the host country. It entails a radical change in national security. These visions do not necessarily exclude each other; they are sometimes interconnected and complementary. However, the predominance of one or other framing shows the extent of migrants' social integration in any society. Maybe, some of these patterns are useful to analyse migration policy in other Latinamerican countries

Credit Risk Influence on Insurance Performance During Credit Restructuring Policy

This study analyzes the relationship between banking credit risk and general insurance performance during the banking credit restructuring policy period in Indonesia from March 2020 to March 2024. Credit, Nonperforming loans (NPL), and credit interest rates variables are used as proxies for banking risk. General insurance performance is proxied by credit premium, credit claim, and profit before tax. Through multiple regression analysis using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), this study shows that there is a significant effect of banking risk on general insurance performance. The relationship between banking and insurance can be a complementary or substitution relationship, depending on how important risk transfer and capital allocation. The result provides useful insights to achieve co-evolution of banking and insurance in maintaining financial system stability. Keywords: banking credit risk; credit restructuring policy; general insurance performance

Some methodological aspects of Ukraine’s foreign criminal and legal policy

The article examines the key methodological aspects of Ukraine’s foreign criminal and legal policy. In modern conditions of globalization, crime is increasingly becoming transnational in nature, which requires effective interaction of the state with international institutions. The author analyzes the role of scientific methods, such as dialectical, comparative law, historical, formal-legal, statistical and sociological, in the study of this issue. Foreign criminal and legal policy is considered as a multifaceted system that combines legal, political and international aspects to combat crime. The importance of harmonizing national legislation with international standards is emphasized, as well as the need for a critical review of traditional methodological approaches to ensure effective integration into the international legal space. The importance of methodology for the study of legal phenomena, its influence on the formation and implementation of foreign criminal and legal policy as a component of the general legal policy of the state is revealed. The author emphasizes the need to revise traditional research methods, which are based mainly on a formal-legal approach that does not take into account dynamic changes in the global legal environment. It is noted that improving the methodological tools will contribute to the harmonization of the national legal system with international standards, strengthening the international authority of Ukraine, as well as increasing the effectiveness of the fight against crime. The results of the study are aimed at improving the mechanisms of international cooperation of Ukraine, adapting the legal system to modern challenges and ensuring the sustainable development of the rule of law. Thus, the study of methodological aspects of Ukraine’s foreign criminal law policy not only deepens the scientific understanding of this area, but also forms the foundation for creating an effective strategy for international interaction adapted to the modern challenges of globalization. Particular attention is paid to the importance of implementing independent methodological reflection as a means of adapting national legal policy to international standards. Emphasis is placed on the importance of integrating criminal law norms of Ukraine into the international legal space. The author emphasizes that deepening methodological knowledge and developing new approaches will ensure the effective coexistence of national and international legal systems, contributing to their harmonization.

ФОРМУВАННЯ МЕХАНІЗМІВ ПУБЛІЧНОГО ІНВЕСТУВАННЯ ПРОЄКТІВ РЕГІОНАЛЬНОГО РОЗВИТКУ: КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНИЙ БАЗИС

Introduction. The development of mechanisms for public investment in regional development projects is an important task of modern economic policy in the context of globalization, decentralization, and the growing role of regions as centers of economic growth. The effectiveness of these mechanisms affects not only the progress of individual territories but also the sustainable development of the national economy as a whole. The necessary to study this topic is due, first, to the complexity of the process of forming public investment mechanisms: modern economic theory offers a wide range of approaches to solving this problem, but their adaptation to the realities of Ukraine requires additional research. Secondly, the insufficient use of the conceptual framework: the formation of new investment mechanisms should be based on scientifically sound concepts and take into account the best international practices. Third, the lack of an integrated approach: existing mechanisms are fragmented and do not always take into account the specifics of the regions, which reduces their effectiveness. Fourth, the low level of involvement of innovative financial instruments, such as public-private partnerships, development bonds, or grant funding. Fifth, the need to prepare policy recommendations: the results of the study will contribute to the development of effective tools to support regional development based on scientific analysis. Objective. The purpose of the article is to comprehensively study and build mechanisms for public investment in regional development projects. Methods. The methodological basis of the study is the theoretical provisions of economic and financial sciences, works of famous scientists. To solve the research tasks, the paper uses the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, methods of empirical and theoretical research, in particular, conceptual and logical analysis and a systematic approach. Results. Practical testing of the state policy, including at the regional and local levels, involves the use of both complex and purely functional mechanisms, tools, and means. The mechanism as the most systematic means of regulation is considered as a controlled set of elements (subjects, objects, purpose, goals, objectives, functions, principles, means, measures, tools for monitoring, control and adjustment, etc.) used to implement and solve public administration tasks in the relevant functional or other sphere of development of the state, its regions, territories. At the same time, the achievement of the general goal and policy objectives in such a complex area as public investment in regional development projects requires the use of a certain holistic system of mechanisms for such purposes, the basic of which are: institutional and legal, institutional and organizational, infrastructure, economic, social and psychological, monitoring and control. Conclusions. The formation and implementation of each of these mechanisms have their own clearly defined goals and objectives, which are generally subordinated to the general goal of the State policy in the analyzed area - the public investment institution's acting as a powerful factor in the development of communities, territories, and regions of the country.

Multilevel Analysis Applied in High-Impact Environments: Causes and Effects of Firm and Political Activities During the Pandemic in the Restaurant Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a serious risk to the economic viability of companies and the sustainability of employment in the restaurant sector, a high-impact activity for the economy and employment in Mexico and Spain. This paper analyzes the causes of the prolonged and intense damage to companies and employees via multilevel analysis techniques and a qualitative, inductive methodology drawing on multiple sources. Research propositions posit that the sectoral structure, management practices, and institutional actions during and after the pandemic are predictors of recovery or continued losses. The balanced result of these three levels of analysis, in a severe crisis situation, such as the global pandemic, reveals that the combination of low institutional protection at the macro level, a hostile industry structure at the meso level, and a focus solely on economic sustainability as the primary business objective resulted in widespread resignation and put survival at risk, particularly for smaller companies and entrepreneurs. Analysis of the firms’ and stakeholders’ actions also shed light on the inter-relations, such as the negative effect of macro general policies on a fragmented, asymmetric meso level. Inter-relations among customers and firms’ behavior gave insights that could increase resilience before general critical events. Finally, the balanced results recommend a simultaneous effort from firms and policy makers to make possible a profound change while addressing the sector’s shortcomings. Firms’ effort in managing key assets, such as human capital, to acquire the capacity for the flexibility, adaptability, and innovation essential for change and renewal, must be endorsed by institutional support and customer recognition of the contributions of this singular service and cultural industry.

Protecting trees in the urban forest: a systematic review of literature on acts, bylaws, ordinances, and regulations

Trees contribute to the livability of cities. To preserve the urban forest, many governments have turned to regulatory mechanisms, ranging from local bylaws and ordinances to state and federal legislation. To understand the history, scope, perspectives, successes, and challenges of disincentive-based tree protection legislation, a systematic review was conducted using PubMD, EBSCOHost, Web of Science, and Scopus. The review, which was not geographically constrained but contained only English-language articles, included 114 publications. The literature highlights that the history of urban forest legislation is long. However, tree protection regulations were popularized more recently, built on years of more general environmental policies. While the adoption processes for tree protection legislation vary across both cities and countries, it is often driven by appreciation of urban forests and led by municipalities with the support of the public and non-governmental organizations. Tree protection legislation defines what trees are to be protected, typically based on size, species, or land use, although cultural or heritage trees are often protected as well. Some tree protection legislation includes replanting clauses and enforcement procedures to increase their effectiveness. The protection of large, culturally important trees and replanting requirements are largely supported by both the public and urban foresters, although support is greater in urban areas. However, whether the legislation actually works is unclear. Conflicting evidence and study limitations preclude direct causal relationships, although areas where tree protection legislation was removed experienced subsequent tree loss. On-going challenges at the local level include underenforcement, conflicting legislation, and underfunded programs. Tree protection legislation is also vulnerable to socio-political changes that prioritize private property rights and development over private tree protection. Amidst widespread urban tree loss, further research that provides a better understanding of the successes of tree protection legislation will help justify their continued use in urban forestry programs globally.

Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Predicting Life Insurance Premiums: A Case Study on the Iraqi General Insurance Company

The insurance sector relies on considerable amounts of data and statistics where standard actuarial computations form the basis for determining risks, liabilities, and appropriate premiums. The traditional methods make predicting life insurance premiums complex task and less efficient. This affects the overall cost and development of proper insurance solutions. However, the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies presents great opportunities to reshape traditional processes to improve efficiency and accuracy within the insurance industry. The presented work focuses on applying artificial intelligence in developing actuarial calculations, aiming to find a better estimate of the life insurance premium and providing better quality reports for the Iraqi General Insurance Company. In the current study, we used three machine learning algorithms, namely XGBoost, Random Forest (RF), and Decision Tree (DT), to analyze the collected data and estimate the life insurance premium. Different regression evaluation metrics, including MAE, RMSE, R², and Adjusted R², were applied in testing the performance of the algorithms. The results from the experiments showed that the XGBoost algorithm was the highest performing compared to other algorithms that recorded the lowest MAE and the highest R² score. The research also suggested that incorporating artificial intelligence techniques into actuarial analysis can enhance financial reporting efficiency, thus increasing insurance companies' competitiveness in the important sector. Consequently, Iraqi insurance companies need to adopt such technologies to face the changing insurance conditions by training employees and adopting digital transformation to stay competitive and benefit from innovation.

Modern Claims Management: A Comparative Analysis of Guidewire ClaimCenter and Duck Creek Claims

Aims: This study provides a detailed comparison of two leading claims management software in the insurance industry, Guidewire ClaimCenter and Duck Creek Claims in terms of architecture, key features, scalability, deployment options, and industry adoption by evaluating real-world implementations and customer case studies. The study aims to identify key differentiators, business impacts, and technological advantages of both platforms in the insurance sector. By examining their architecture, scalability, functionality and real-world applications, this analysis provides insights to help insurers select the platform that aligns with their operational needs and digital transformation goals. Study Design: Comparative, multi-case study analysis using qualitative and quantitative data extracted from product brochures, industry reports, and client case studies from official sources. Place and Duration of Study: Analysis conducted between June 2024 and November 2024, based on data from North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific insurance markets as documented in vendor case studies, customer testimonials, and industry reports. Methodology: Reviewed product documentation, industry reports, and implementation case studies from Guidewire and Duck Creek, focusing on client success stories such as AXA Belgium (Guidewire) and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (Duck Creek). Evaluation criteria included platform architecture, functionality, scalability, customization capabilities, and market performance. Data from Celent’s vendor evaluation framework provided third-party validation, while qualitative content analysis was performed using client testimonials and success stories. Case studies and industry reports were analyzed for operational, financial, and technological outcomes. By integrating qualitative and quantitative insights, this methodology offers a holistic evaluation of the platforms. Results: Guidewire ClaimCenter showcased enterprise scalability, deep configuration, and strong adoption by global insurers such as Zurich Insurance, AXA Belgium, Promutuel Insurance and The General Insurance. With AWS-protected cloud-native architecture, large-scale implementations became possible, thereby reducing claim processing time by 60%. Duck Creek Claims, excelled in regulatory compliance and rapid deployment. This has helped insurers like Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance to build a robust and flexible core insurance IT platform for rapid product launches and Liberty Mutual Insurance to develop a next-generation workers’ compensation claims management system achieving full compliance with workers’ compensation regulations. Both platforms improved claim processing, customer engagement, and operational efficiency by using automation and predictive analytics. Conclusion: Both Guidewire ClaimCenter and Duck Creek Claims are strong claims management solutions, each with unique advantages. Guidewire has strengths in large-scale, data-driven, and highly customized deployments, making it suitable for complex enterprise insurers. Compliance, speed-to-market product launches, and regulatory adherence are all helped by Duck Creek's architecture: cloud-native, low-code. The choice of platform is thus related to the complexity of operations, growth plans, and IT strategies. Further research validation with current data across different markets would be beneficial in arriving at best practices for deployment.

Solvency constraint implications for tax liability targeting of banks in Ghana

This paper examines the implications of solvency constraints on the tax liability targeting in the Ghanaian banking sector. The analyses are based on 15-year annual data spanning 2008 to 2022 interpolated into monthly data frequency using the Denton procedure. The Dynamic OLS (DOLS) estimator, residual-based stationarity test, delay, and half-life techniques were employed in the estimations. The solvency constraint scenario exhibits a cointegration relationship with the tax liability target. The study finds evidence of a high speed of adjustment or convergence to tax liability targets in response to solvency constraints, with a high degree of persistence across the various solvency constraint proxies. The solvency constraint has deleterious tax revenue implications for the government and risk-adjusted tax savings for banks in Ghana. It is recommended that the government reorients its general policy to ensure stability in the Ghanaian banking sector to achieve favourable tax revenue from the sector, as uncertainties may trigger a deleterious tax-targeting scheme. Investors and financial analysts could use tax liability trends as a baseline to identify stressing scenarios, including solvency constraints.

The Historical Limitations and Qualitative Transformation of General Education Policy

This study examines the historical limitations of general education policy and proposes strategies for its qualitative transformation. Successive governments have shaped these policies through legislation, institutional reforms, competitive mechanisms, and evaluative management. However, general education has been undermined by legal ambiguity, institutional marginalization, and exclusion from major funding initiatives. Moreover, evaluation-driven approaches have failed to normalize or internalize general education within higher education institutions. To address these challenges, this paper outlines a policy agenda aimed at fostering sustainable and independent development. Key proposals include enacting a “General Education Promotion Act,” establishing a National Liberal Arts College, introducing dedicated financial support programs, and implementing a voluntary accreditation system. These measures seek to realign policies with the unique goals of general education, ensuring its long-term quality and sustainability. This study contributes to the discourse on policy transformation by offering a conceptual framework for rethinking general education policy in higher education.

Industrial Policy and Green Growth in a Small Island Economy: The Case of Singapore

The concept of economic development, which is based on sustaining a welfare worthy of human dignity, has an important place in academic studies. In short, development economics, a branch of science that examines the processes of increasing the economic welfare of low and middle income countries, focuses on some fundamental questions. It focuses on basic problems such as the disparity in levels of development between countries or the state's role in development processes. This discipline has become even more important in the last hundred years. In other words, it no longer focuses only on increasing the level of welfare, but also on how to achieve and sustain environmentally sound growth. But can social welfare be increased without harming the environment, can major growth imbalances between countries be brought to a more equitable position, as well as promoting a way of life worthy of human dignity? Environmentally sensitive development has now moved from theory to practice. These practices have gone beyond voluntary efforts and continue to evolve into mandatory regulations day by day. The best example of this is the gradual transition to carbon emissions management by mandatory mechanisms based on the idea that voluntary mechanisms are insufficient. Sustainable economic policies are becoming increasingly important within these limits, revealing the necessity of development without conflicting with nature. Industrial policies are considered as an important instrument of economic development. Countries in transition from an agricultural to a postindustrial economy have implemented selective government policies. The importance of these policies was realized especially after the Second World War where they were used to repair war damages. Dani Rodrik argues that the government's support for certain economic activities more than others indicates the implementation of industrial policies. Yülek (1998), on the other hand, defines these policies as incentives applied in countries' priority industrial areas. In the 1980s, with the rise of neo liberal economics, state intervention was tried to be reduced, but in the 1990s, the mainstream economy again turned towards industrial policies. During this period, general effective horizontal industrial policies were preferred. However, further research has revealed the importance of extensive state intervention in the success of East Asian countries. In 2000s, the need for active industrial policies for late industrializing countries was highlighted. Nowadays, the issue of how to design and implement industrial policy has become important.The global economy is experiencing a transformation with the paradigm of sustainability and green growth emerging. The transformation brings significant opportunities alongside its challenges for countries. At this point, the study examines Singapore as a case study, which is an excellent lesson for countries at all stages of development that take advantage of the opportunities of green economic transformation. Singapore's development journey serves as a significant example in development economics. Despite limited natural resources and geographic constraints, Singapore has achieved notable success through innovative industrial policies and green growth strategies. By analyzing Singapore's economic development, policies, and strategies, this study aims to provide valuable insights for other economies. Singapore's experience highlights key lessons for achieving sustainable growth and implementing green industrial policies, focusing on leadership, state involvement, and adherence to national and international commitments.Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the study illustrates Singapore's successful development since its independence in the 1960s, highlighting its management of green policies within the context of green growth. The analysis is based on a case study, compiled and evaluated through literature studies and key indicators included in the scope. This article is extracted from my master's thesis entitled "Industrial Policy and Green Growth in a Small Island Economy: The Case of Singapore," supervised by Prof. Dr. Murat Ali Yülek, completed in 2024 (Master’s Thesis, OSTIM Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 2024).

Impact of Insurance Contract Implementation and Financial Performance on Company Value in the Insurance Sector

Financial performance is a description of the condition of a company that is analyzed to provide information about the work achievements and as a basis for evaluation and assistance in financial decision- making for the company. This research aims to determine the influence of the application of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (Pernyataan Standar Akuntansi Keuangan/PSAK) 117 with financial performance variables, profitability, and solvency on the value of the company in the insurance sector. This study uses a quantitative descriptive method and the data used are secondary data obtained from reports or documents with the help of Eviews 12 software as a data processing tool. The population in this study is general insurance companies listed by the Financial Services Authority during the period 2018-2023, totaling 76 companies. Through purposive sampling method, 6 companies were selected as samples for a 6-year observation period. The results of the study show that Profitability does not affect the company value, while Solvency significantly influences the company value. Profitability and solvency moderated by PSAK 117 can moderate the company value.

손해보험사의 CM채널 서비스 지속이용의도에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구

손해보험사의 CM채널 서비스 지속이용의도에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구

Bayesian Hierarchical Risk Premium Modeling with Model Risk: Addressing Non-Differential Berkson Error

For general insurance pricing, aligning losses with accurate premiums is crucial for insurance companies’ competitiveness. Traditional actuarial models often face challenges like data heterogeneity and mismeasured covariates, leading to misspecification bias. This paper addresses these issues from a Bayesian perspective, exploring connections between Bayesian hierarchical modeling, partial pooling techniques, and the Gustafson correction method for mismeasured covariates. We focus on Non-Differential Berkson (NDB) mismeasurement and propose an approach that corrects such errors without relying on gold standard data. We discover the unique prior knowledge regarding the variance of the NDB errors, and utilize it to adjust the biased parameter estimates built upon the NDB covariate. Using simulated datasets developed with varying error rate scenarios, we demonstrate the superiority of Bayesian methods in correcting parameter estimates. However, our modeling process highlights the challenge in accurately identifying the variance of NDB errors. This emphasizes the need for a thorough sensitivity analysis of the relationship between our prior knowledge of NDB error variance and varying error rate scenarios.

Integrating environmental issues in the policy agenda by the ruling parties in East Java, Indonesia

This research explores how green ideologies are embedded in the policy agendas of ruling parties, including the three main political parties that won the 2020 local head elections in East Java Province, Indonesia. The research approach used is mixed methods, with quantitative and qualitative analysis to understand the awareness, discourse, and strategy of environmental issues in the policy agenda of the winning political parties. The results show that within political parties, sustainability considerations are largely reactive, oriented towards short-term goals, and mainly used for instrumental purposes. Despite the existing literature, parties that are more likely to survive electorally are in areas where voters are highly concerned about environmental issues and have different party strategies in terms of general policy. However, in East Java province, the increasing public concern for environmental issues has not been used as a strategic tool by political parties. These findings suggest that moving beyond superficial environmental initiatives towards strategic environmental integration can improve electoral competitiveness and promote sustainable development. The results suggest that by aligning their strategies with broader sustainability goals and adopting proactive measures for environmental management, regional political parties in East Java can not only respond to short-term electoral pressures; they can even begin to resolve some of the key sustainability challenges that underpin future electoral success and the quality of governance in their regions.

Minority joy, minority growth, and minority peace: Transgender and gender diverse people’s varied positive lived experiences

Background Compared to negative experiences and ill health, little attention has been paid to positive experiences connected to being transgender and gender diverse (TGD). Aim The aim of the current study was to explore TGD people’s positive experiences in depth. Methods In total, 33 TGD people were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Results show that participants had various positive experiences related to their gender identity. While some of these experiences can be conceptualized as “minority joy,” capturing experiences evoking happy emotions, others are better understood as “minority growth”—a personal development and sense of authenticity—and “minority peace”—a sense of comfortability and calmness. The emotional valence of experiences was further explored to better understand the themes. Discussion In line with earlier research, some of the positive experiences could be seen as buffers between stressors and ill health and some were clearly connected to experiencing stressors. However, some experiences were freestanding from stressors and positive in their own right. The results of this study give an alternative to the prevailing view of TGD experiences necessarily connected to suffering. The results are relevant for professionals meeting TGD people, since a focus on strengths and positive aspects could be an important, but previously under focused tool to improve general health and quality of life. It may give hope to TGD people themselves, who are often presented with the trope of the suffering TGD person. Not the least, results could inform general society and policy makers.

An African Agenda: Morocco’s Migration Discourse in the African Union and Its Janus-Faced Migration Diplomacy

Abstract Since its 2013 National Immigration and Asylum Strategy, Morocco has deployed an intra-African migration discourse of solidarity and human rights. King Mohammed vi was appointed African Union (AU) “champion” on the migration issue and presented the bloc with an African Agenda for Migration. This paper assesses the protection potential of this agenda for forced migrants. To uncover underlying power and strategic interests, the African Agenda on Migration and Morocco’s accompanying discourse are contextualised in relation to Morocco’s general African policy and its overall migration policy. Also a double discrepancy is examined, between Morocco’s diplomatic stance towards the AU and towards the EU and between its discourse and governance practices. The paper shows how Morocco skilfully employs migration diplomacy to further its geostrategic objectives at the African continental level, as it does in other international relations. This underpins the conclusion that the Agenda has little potential to improve the protection of forced migrants.