Issue published: 30 June 2013

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The Europeanization of Czech Environmental Policy PostConditionality: Lessons from the REACH regulationand the Climate-Energy Package

Mats Braun, p. 5–26

Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to the literature on social norms in IR. The intention is to further specify how social norms influence state behaviour. The empirical material consists of a case study of how the Czech Republic has participated in EU policy making in the field of environmental policy. The paper first discusses the different reasons for why member states adapt to EU norms: i.e. rational conditionality and constructivist social learning. The former of the two is viewed as typical for the pre-accession period whereas the latter is important for our understanding of the post-accession period. In order to outline the actual socialization process a detailed case study of how the Czech Republic has dealt with two different EU policy initiatives (REACH and the climate-energy package) is presented. The conclusions suggest that even if we can find indications of socialization the process is complicated by a strong presence of competing norms.

Keywords: European integration, post conditionality, EU environmental policy, socialization, post-communism

Icon of the Orange Revolution, Evita of Kyiv, Ukrainian Icon of the Orange Revolution, Evita of Kyiv, Ukrainian Barbie doll, Jeanne d’Arc, innocent victim? The multifaceted visual representations of Yulia Tymoshenko

Karin Liebhart, p. 27–46

Abstract: The article aims at throwing somewhat light on the analysis of political images, metaphors and relating discourses and to give adequate importance to images as independent media of communication. The complex phenomenon of visual representations and image constructions is shown taking the famous Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko as an example. The exemplary analysis of the manifold visual representations of Yulia Tymoshenko, which are circulating in the public sphere, applies political iconography and analysis of metaphors and points at strategies and forms of presentation that hark back to popular image productionand entertainment formats. Popular politicians also serve as role models and “projection screens” for the wishes, desires and hopes of their audience. Political imagery and the symbolic level of politics play a crucial role in this regard.

Keywords: gender, image, imagery, political iconography, Ukraine, visual representation

Patterns of Corruption, Clientelism, and Party Patronagein Central European Communist and Post-Communist Societies

Vladimír Naxera, p. 47–68

Abstract: This article deals with the issue of corruption, clientelism and party patronage in Central Europe during the communist and post-communist eras. In comparative studies on corruption in European countries, it is common for post-communist countries of Europe to be rated worst in terms of corruption. According to many authors, the growth in corruption after the fall of communism is largely due to the legacy of cultural patterns and the institutional configurations of communism. Reasons for this stance will be researched in the following work. We will point out a number of aspects of this phenomenon which have lasted until even after the transition to democracy and which have gained new dimensions. In connection with clientelism under communism, we will also mention the nomenclature system that was one of the fundamental principles of communist rule.This system will be considered as one of the most severe forms of party patronage, which is also closely connected to clientelism.

Keywords: corruption, clientelism, party patronage, communism, post-communism, patronage, communism, post-communism, transformation, nomenclature

Governance of international migration of highly-skilled foreigners: an empirical analysis from the Czech Republic

Soňa Schovánková, p. 69–90

Abstract: This paper discusses the Czech immigration policy of highly-skilled foreigners. First, we set the definition of highly-skilled foreigners applicable to the Czech Republic that takes into account not only commonly used aspects of educationand work position of highly-skilled foreigners but also statistical classification of occupations practically used in the Czech Republic. Another part of the paper focuses on assessing the openness of the Czech migration policy of highly-skilled foreigners. In this respect, we created and applied the index of immigration of highly-skilled foreigners from third countries to instruments of the Czech admission policy distributed according to the relevant types of migration on long-term stays and temporary ones. Results indicate that the most open instrument of the Czech immigration policy is the Fast-track project of temporary stays applicable to employees of transnational corporations transferred through intra-company transfer to the Czech Republic. Also relatively open instruments of long-term movements are the Blue and Green Cards.

Keywords: highly-skilled foreigners, definition of highly-skilled foreigners, immigration policy, CZ-ISCO classification

Civil society organizations as confidence builders: conflict management perspective and what we can win for conflict management when we look at sociology of trust

Šárka Waisová, p. 91–113

Abstract: Conflict management scholars as well as practitioners are optimistic about the confidence building capacity of CSOs, especially in cases of divided conflict-prone societies. They believe that activities of CSOs in various issue areas across the society create bridges between former enemies, remove prejudices andcan or merely help create trust between them. And trust is believed to be basic stepping stone to a peaceful, working and democratic society. This optimism dominates today’s conflict management and creates a mainstream approach. What the article set out to show is the idea that our optimism about confidence building capacities of CSOs is not based on satisfactory evidence. Conflict management scholars have no clear indication and evidence about such capacities. We also have horribly little information about the circumstances in which CSOs can work as confidence builders.This article has tried to fill the gap and looking outside the conflict management field – particularly into sociology of trust – it tried to shed more light on the issue. As was shown, sociology of trust, especially those, who carried out cross-national multilevel analysis, are sceptical about the confidence building role of civil society organisations and to the impact of associational life on the level of trust. The sociological testing indicates that CSOs work together with other factors and all these factors together have an influence on level of trust or distrust. To critically evaluate the CSOs’ confidence building capacity, it can be said that CSOs can positively influence the “other factors” which were correlated with trust: CSOs can work for income equality, good governance, democratization as well as for well-being and education, but CSOs cannot work for all factors.

Keywords: civil society organizations, confidence building, conflict management, sociology of trust

BOOK REVIEWS

Lenka Strnadová: Habermas’s Unfinished Project of the Public Sphere: On Walking the Talk

Ondřej Stulík: The Workers’ State

Vladimír Naxera: Elites in Post-Communist Societies