IEŚ Commentaries | Institute of Central Europe

Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 389

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik - Baltic Team

Pandemics of social inequalities: status of national and ethnic minorities in Latvia and Estonia

In Latvia and Estonia the pandemic highlighted and deepened socio-economic inequalities due to nationality and ethnicity. The higher rates of COVID-19 among minorities may have resulted from limited access to high-quality health services and information in minority languages. In addition, the lower socio-economic status of the minorities compared to the titular communities,...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 386

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

“Stabilization” of the situation in Belarus

A year has passed since the first protests against the regime, but now the protests have almost stopped, stifled by brutal repressions. Alyaksandr Lukashenka is consolidating, with the help of Russia, an authoritarian model of governance, and at the same time the social and economic crisis in the country is deepening. In international relations, Belarus is consistently moving away...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 382

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

35 years after Chernobyl catastrophe

After 35 years, the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant still affects the public consciousness – and not only in Ukraine. The Chernobyl disaster remains a symbol of the political changes accompanying the collapse of the USSR, and it reminds us of the threats generated by the development of our civilization. It is still surrounded by legends and an atmosphere of...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 381

Łukasz Lewkowicz - Visegrad Team

Slovakia: The approach to the Sputnik V vaccine divides society

The purchase of the Sputnik V vaccine by the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Igor Matovič (OĽaNO), and the resulting government crisis has caused a clear division in Slovak society. Public opinion polls have shown very high approval for the use of the Russian vaccine, while at the same time scepticism about the AstraZeneca vaccine. On the other hand, a poll conducted after the...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 380

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Albania after the elections: Edi Rama wins for the third time in a row

New parliamentary elections were held in Albania on April 24. The current Prime Minister and leader of the Socialist Party (PS), Edi Rama, was victorious and will remain in office and, for the first time in the history of Albanian parliamentarism, will be the Prime Minister for the third time in a row. The numerous anti-government protests organized in Albania in 2019 and...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 371

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Slovenia: uncertain future of the Janez Janša’s government

Janez Janša's government is losing the support of the coalition parties and the parliamentary majority that would support his actions. Two attempts by the opposition to overthrow Janez Janša ended in failure. Opposition parties are unable to provide the majority needed to form a new government.

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 358

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

The debate on constitutional changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina is gaining momentum

The systemic reforms promoted by the international community in BiH aim at reaching an agreement between the leaders of the Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats. However, it ignores the most important problems faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina and its inhabitants – the ethnicization of politics with the simultaneous state capture of individual political groups. 26 years after the end of...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 356

Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Sweden: gender equality and feminist foreign policy

Gender equality policy has been developed for many years in Sweden and is now one of the cornerstones of the country's international activities. It is visible especially in the course of Sweden’s activities on the forum of international organizations: the United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It is also the basis for feminist...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 352

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Albania: The Demographic Crisis and Its Consequences

Albania has been facing the problem of a significant population decline for years, caused mainly by mass emigration and demographic decline. Financial bonuses, paid by the state since 2019 at the birth of a child, did not help to change the trend. The declining population of the country will be one of the most important challenges facing the government that emerged after the April...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 348

Agata Tatarenko - Visegrad Team

Romania: 30 years of demographic decline

Romania is struggling with a demographic decline that has been going on for many years. Eurostat research shows that Romanians are among the youngest in Europe when they have their first child. However, this does not affect significantly the number of babies born each year. The reason for the difficult demographic situation in Romania is mass emigration, mainly to Western...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 347

Łukasz Lewkowicz - Visegrad Team

Slovakia: Political Crisis with Sputnik V in the Background

Slovakia has officially become the second EU country to approve the use of Sputnik V. According to the adopted plan, 2 million doses will be delivered to the country in the coming months. The decision was made by the prime minister, and the minister of health did not consult with the full government, which caused a serious political crisis within the government coalition. Indeed,...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 345

Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team

When food is scarce – Poverty in Central Europe

The picture of Central European poverty is clearly differentiated. In the Czech Republic, the rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion is the lowest in the entire European Union, while in Bulgaria – the highest. In total, 22 million citizens of the “new” EU countries were affected by this problem before the COVID-19 pandemic. The forecasts indicate...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 342

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Oil companies in trouble: the condition of refineries in Central European countries

The refining industry, like many other sectors of the economy, is in an extremely difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduced restrictions (e.g. closed land, sea, and air borders) resulted in a decrease in the demand for all types of fuels. There are over a dozen refineries in Central Europe which had to reduce cut runs. The persistently low refinery margins...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 343

Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Passing time: dumped chemical munitions as a challenge for states in the Baltic Sea region

Chemical munitions and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) on the bottom of the Baltic Sea and related incidents are not a new challenge for states in the Baltic Sea region (BSR). The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) and numerous international projects made it possible to initially identify the problem. However, further monitoring of the situation and research are needed to locate all dump...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 336

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

Montenegro: the deteriorating pandemic situation

Montenegro is struggling with a growing number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2. In order to avoid overloading the healthcare system, the country introduces further restrictions. Vaccines, which are still lacking, are the nation’s best chance to improve the situation. The inconsistency of messages from the Ministry of Health leads to an increase in dissatisfaction with the...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 334

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

2030 National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia. Deepening integration with the EU

On February 5, 2021, the Croatian Parliament adopted the 2030 National Development Strategy for the Republic of Croatia. The strategy was adopted after many years of waiting for a document that would indicate the strategic directions of Croatia‘s development in the medium and long term. It contains only general points of reference without giving any specific solutions. Its...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 332

Hanna Bazhenova - Eastern Team

Facilitations in taking up work in Poland for Ukrainian medics

There has been a growing deficit in recent years of employees in the Polish healthcare system. Staff shortages in hospitals and clinics have become more severe due to emigration of medical personnel and the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 28, 2020, President Andrzej Duda signed the Law “On Amendments to Certain Laws in Order to Provide Medical Staff during the Period of Epidemic...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 330

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik - Baltic Team

Latvia: Social Discontent and a Decline in Trust in the Government

Negative emotions explosiveness in the society. Despite the relatively stable political and economic situation in Latvia since the announcement of a state of emergency (see „IEŚ Commentaries”, no. 308), imposed restrictions resulted in an increase of social discontent. A state of emergency was announced on November 9, 2020, and is planned to be in force till April 6,...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 325

Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team

Money laundering in the banks: The Baltic-Nordic front against financial crime

A series of bank scandals have overshadowed the reputation of the financial sector in the Baltic and Nordic States since 2018. The collapse of the bank in Latvia and the severe sanctions for banks in and Denmark that had branches in Estonia resulted from their money laundering for Soviet States, mainly Russia. In order to stop this illegal activity, the countries of the region, in...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 320

Jan Muś - Balkan Team

Croatia: the prospect of adopting the Euro in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent earthquakes

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković leads the country through a series of disasters that hit Croatia last year – the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of earthquakes in Zagreb and central Croatia. Nevertheless, the project to adopt the euro as the official currency in 2023 remains a key element of his government’s program. Expected economic difficulties may, however, force...

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Balkan Team

IEŚ Commentaries 319

Agata Domachowska - Balkan Team

North Macedonia before the April census

This year, for the first time in 19 years, a census will be conducted in North Macedonia. The last one took place in 2002, and the decision was made by the Macedonian parliament on January 21, 2021 to finally conduct it after it had been postponed several times. Consequently, the exact number of inhabitants of North Macedonia is unknown. The census continues to evoke political...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 315

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

Joe Biden, the 46th President of the USA – Ukraine’s Hopes

Joe Biden’s election victory was welcomed in Ukraine. Donald Trump was treated with distrust resulting from the conviction that he was self-interested and did not understand the problems of Eastern Europe, and he was also accused of treating Ukraine instrumentally. Biden knows Ukraine, his administration will support Ukrainian reforms, and will probably put more pressure on...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 311

Łukasz Lewkowicz - Visegrad Team

The automotive industry in Slovakia has overshadowed by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The automotive industry is a key industrial sector in Slovakia. It is also the main source of direct foreign investment in the country. The situation in the automotive industry during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when automotive manufacturers suspended car production, had a significant impact on the Slovak economy. On the other hand, the lockdown introduced by the...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 308

Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team

New restrictions and new (better) economic forecasts in the Baltic States

The increase in COVID-19 infections in the Baltic States in recent weeks has resulted in a number of restrictions, but the second lockdown will not affect the economies of the Baltic States as anticipated. Forecasts indicated that the recession in 2020 in Lithuania and Estonia would be one of the lowest in Europe. However, the most recent restrictions – such as the ban on moving...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 298

Dominik Héjj - Visegrad Team

The Hungarian government amends the Fundamental Law for the ninth time

On November 10, 2020, a draft amendment to the Hungarian Constitution was submitted. Justice Minister Judit Varga submitted the bill with significant but politically controversial changes to the Constitution to be processed while Hungary struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of danger (article no 53 in Fundamental Law) being reintroduced. State of danger again. Due to...

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