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The Road to Democracy in Communist Countries: Exploring the Influences in Transformation including nationalism
Xu, Jingjing ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Hanley, Seán (referee) ; Horák, Slavomír (referee)
This research delves into the transformative political journeys of Eastern Bloc countries following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, emphasizing the distinct paths they embarked upon-ranging from democracies to autocracies. Central to this exploration is the potent role of nationalism, particularly the dynamics of inclusive and exclusive nationalism, in steering these transitions. Through comparative analyses, the study unravels the complex interplay of factors that influenced the trajectories of these nations. The findings not only map the road to democracy in communist countries but also illuminate the profound influence of nationalism on such metamorphoses. By shedding light on these intricate dynamics, the research offers a robust framework for understanding and guiding democratic transitions in other regions, emphasizing the nuances of nationalism that can either bolster or hinder the pursuit of democratic ideals. Key Words: Eastern Bloc, Political Transformation, Democracy, Authoritarian Regimes, Nationalism, Post-communist
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The Role of FDI in the Green Transition of Central and East Europe Countries: From Empirical Evidence
Huang, Shiyuan ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Li, Yating (referee) ; Paulus, Michal (referee)
This paper empirically examines the role of FDI in the green transition for CEE countries from the perspectives of greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy production. For the analysis of the two perspectives, the PMG and MG estimators based on nonlinear EKC and the fixed effect model were applied to the sample of CEE countries from 2001 to 2021. The results demonstrate that FDI has an inverted U-shaped relationship with greenhouse gas emissions, indicating that FDI accelerates the transition to a greener economy by reducing emissions after the turning point. However, the effect is only significant in the long term, and the turning point threshold varies by income group. On the other hand, there was no evidence of a correlation between FDI and the growth of renewable energy production, but energy intensity would substantially reduce the growth of renewable energy production. To maximise FDI's positive impact on their green transition, empirical evidence suggests CEE nations should implement policies to encourage FDI inflow and direct more investment towards renewable production and sustainable development. Key words: FDI; Green transition; CEE countries; EKC
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EEC and CMEA in 1957-1973
Krejčová, Jana ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Lomíček, Jan (referee)
The relationship between the European Economic Community and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance went through a major transformation between 1957 and 1973. This thesis argues that the institutional interactions between these two organizations were a logical consequence of their internal development. Both represented a regional economic integration and despite political and ideological differences they have been forced to establish a certain level of cooperation, due to the expanding contacts between the member states. After the signing of the Treaties of Rome, which founded EEC, CMEA refused to recognize de jure the existence of the Community and condemned it as a discriminatory capitalist organization. At the same time the Council passed reforms that were supposed to link its economies and strengthen the cohesion of the Eastern bloc. By adoption of the Statute of 1959, the CMEA established its internal structure and operating principles. The first success of the EEC, the pursuit of its own reforms and the UK application motivated CMEA to revise its attitude to the EEC for the first time. The Soviet leadership tried unsuccessfully to get through a supranational leadership of the CMEA - principle they criticized in the EEC for being discriminatory. After the appointment of de Gaulle as...
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Poverty, Inequality and Economic Growth: the Case of Post-Soviet Countries
Ren, Jiayi ; Holub, Tomáš (advisor) ; Li, Yating (referee) ; Svoboda, Karel (referee)
This paper empirically examines the triangular relationship between poverty, growth, and income inequality in 13 post-Soviet countries between 1998 and 2020. Regression results reveal that economic growth has a significant negative impact on poverty while income inequality has a significant positive impact on poverty. Initial conditions (both initial economic growth and initial income inequality) matter in explaining the change of poverty. Poverty tends to be more responsive to the change of income inequality. Growth effect and inequality effect varied across different subgroups. Moreover, mutual causality has been found between poverty and income inequality while the unidirectional impact of income inequality on growth is inverted- U shaped. Finally, a significant moderation effect of economic growth on the linkage between poverty and income inequality has been found.
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Migration and Development: Impact of Remittances from Europe and Russia on Armenia
Strnadová, Marie ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Brisku, Adrian (referee)
- English Migration, transnationalism and remittances are phenomena that receive a lot of attention in social sciences. As part of remittances, this attention is amplified by their economical impact on the economies of entire countries. My thesis is devoted to the social influences and impacts of financial remittances on families and entire communities. The work deals with how individuals, families or entire communities are influenced by financial aid sent by one or possibly more family members from abroad. Using semi-structured in-depth interviews, the work examines the effects of remittances and the "dependency syndrome" on them. In its first, theoretical part, the thesis explains the key concepts with which it will deal - migration, transnationalism, diaspora remittances - and whose effects it will subsequently examine in the analytical part based on semi-structured interviews. The data is processed on the basis of qualitative approach, which allows sufficient analysis and insight into the issue. The conclusion of the work reflects the knowledge obtained from the interviews and the perception of migrants and their family members about the effects of remittances and, consequently, the remittances' "dependence syndrome".
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Europeanization of Gas Sector in Georgia: towards Integration?
Tkemaladze, Tamar ; Góra, Magdalena (advisor) ; Svoboda, Karel (referee)
Th e thesis explores the mechanisms and outcomes of the Europeanization process in Georgia's gas sector. The chosen approach treats Europeanization as a multi level process where the extent of the changing capacity of the supranational institutional mechanism s varies according to the contextual setting and intervening domestic factors. Through qualitative doc ument analysis of the Energy Community, AA/DCFTA and Georgian domestic legal and regulatory frameworks, first it shows that Europeanization mechanisms ope rate through complementing positive policy prescriptions with the means of adjustment to domestic oppo rtunity structure. Second, when analyzing outcomes of Europeanization, it demonstrates how gas policy harmonization, being restricted by vertical contract ual relationships, creates preconditions for the divergence in sectoral integration. Third, based on t he research findings on mechanisms and outcomes, it places the given case study in the debates on the nature of the EU external energy governance, arguing that in its horizontal operative space, it resembles network governance.
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To Run Insurgency like a Business: Self-Defeating Patronage by the Principal in Eastern Ukraine
Laryš, Martin ; Aslan, Emil (advisor) ; Svoboda, Karel (referee) ; Mareš, Miroslav (referee)
The dissertation draws on the literature on indirect warfare based on principal-agent theory, which conceptualizes indirect warfare as an example of delegation. Principals play an important role in shaping the rebellion and exerting control over it through the delegation used as a low- cost and deniable device for empowering the rebel proxies. However, the delegation is fraught with problems, especially when delegated to fragmented rebels. The literature considers the fragmented rebel militias as weak non-state actors prone to rapid failure and decay. My argument focuses on the paradox of delegation to the fragmented rebel groups. I claim that such delegation is inherently costly and visible, which contradicts the original intention of delegation as a low-cost and deniable foreign policy tool. In my dissertation, I introduce the concepts of self-defeating patronage and decentralized delegation as my contribution to the discussion on indirect warfare. The principal suffers self-defeating patronage because it must keep the barriers-of-entry low for the incipient rebel groups to overcome the collective action problem that the would-be rebels experience due to their weak social ties. Keeping the barriers low without strict control by the principal - that would raise the costs and visibility - fuels...
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Assessing the Impact of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas on Foreign Trade: the EU-Georgia, EU-Moldova, and EU-Ukraine DCFTAs
Cai, Yaqi ; Paulus, Michal (advisor) ; Akdogan, Idil (referee) ; Svoboda, Karel (referee)
Assessing the Impact of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas on Foreign Trade: the EU-Georgia, EU-Moldova, and EU-Ukraine DCFTAs Abstract The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) are three free trade areas established between the EU and Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, respectively. This paper provides the estimates on the effects of the DCFTAs on foreign trade. Using gravity model on a sample of 178 countries during 2002-2019, we obtain the following results. First, the DCFTAs have significantly enhanced the trade between the EU and three countries, and also facilitated the exports of other countries to the EU and three countries, while the exports of the opposite direction have been restrained by the DCFTAs. Second, the positive influence of the DCFTA on the trade with the EU is significant for Ukraine, and not significant for Georgia and Moldova. Third, in terms of the Central European countries, the DCFTAs have promoted the trade with three countries for Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, whereas the positive effect is not significant in cases of Austria, Germany, and Poland. For Slovenia, the impact is also insignificant but negative. Fourth, the full implementation of the DCFTAs has additional contribution to the trade between three countries and Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia....
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