Pension policy in the czech republic (lessons from a comparative study with hungary and poland)

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Mora
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Pension Policy ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
Accession Process ◽  
The Eu

This article deals with pension policy in three most developed transition countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Unreformed public pension systems suffer under a number of deficiencies and it is likely that pension policy will be a part of negotiations in the EU accession process, mainly due to its fiscal and social impacts. The progress in pension reform made so far differs broadly among those three countries. Hungary has adopted a multi-pillar system in July 1998 with a significant role of mandatory, fully funded pillar. Poland has made important preparation steps in the same direction and the laws have recently been approved by the Parliament. In the Czech Republic the main importance is still attached to the public pay-as-you-go pillar which was in 1994 complemented by private capital pension funds. This article search for explanations of this different development and makes some minimum recommendations for the Czech pension policy. A warning for the Czech government should be that the most pension reforms have been implemented in countries where the old system stood before collapse or had already collapsed. The Czech Republic should not wait until this moment and should take immediate actions to avoid this danger.

How the Hard Right “Europeanized” Homosexuality

2018 ◽  
pp. 57-83
Author(s):  
Conor O'Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
Quantitative Content Analysis ◽  
Lgbt Rights ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Electoral Success ◽  
Lgbt Issues ◽  
Accession Process ◽  
The Eu

This chapter presents a framework for understanding the consequences of hard-right electoral breakthrough for the framing of homosexuality and LGBT rights. It begins by describing the extant framings of homosexuality under late communism in Poland and the Czech Republic. It then compares how the differing electoral success of hard-right political parties over the course of the EU accession process led to differing degrees of reframing homosexuality in both countries. In Poland, hard-right mobilization transformed the framing of LGBT rights by linking them with EU accession, which it portrayed as a threat to national identity. Because the Czech Republic did not experience hard-right backlash, the predominant framing of LGBT rights did not become as closely identified with the EU. The final part of the chapter moves from framing contests to frame resonance by presenting a quantitative content analysis of LGBT issues in both countries’ press from 1990 through 2012.

Activism under EU Leverage

2018 ◽  
pp. 111-139
Author(s):  
Conor O'Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
European Law ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Lgbt Activism ◽  
Accession Process ◽  
Antidiscrimination Policy ◽  
Political Backlash ◽  
The Eu

This chapter shows how the onset of EU leverage began to transform the dynamics of LGBT activism in Poland but not in the Czech Republic. The arcs of activism now began to reverse, with the Polish movement strengthening as the Czech one fragmented and deinstitutionalized. In Poland, EU accession helped reframe homosexuality from a question of morality to one of European law and human rights. Polish activists also exploited the opportunity to broker between the national government and the EU regarding the implementation of EU norms. While EU conditionality helped achieve progress, especially regarding antidiscrimination policy, it also set the stage for hard-right political backlash from 2004 to 2007. In the Czech Republic, by contrast, EU accession hardly touched the politics of homosexuality. It sparked no hard-right backlash and was not taken up by rights activists as a tool of brokerage. Instead, Czech activists devoted most of their energies to a project for which the EU accession process offered no leverage, same-sex partnerships, and largely ignored the area for which it did, antidiscrimination policy.

scholarly journals Exploring successes and failures of the CEEC in the context of the EU accession. The milk and beef sectors in the Czech Republic and Poland

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 5) ◽  
pp. 189-198
Author(s):  
M. Bavorova ◽  
H. Hockmann ◽  
A. Pieniadz
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Interest Groups ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Theoretical View ◽  
Accession Process ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
Policy Direction ◽  
The Eu

The paper reviews experiences from the accession process of Poland and the Czech Republic, two countries with different accession conditions regarding the agri-food sector. The paper has two main aims. First is to discuss the scope of action in the EU and in the acceding countries from a game theoretical view. The second aim is to identify the reasons for successfully providing beneficial accession criteria. Investigating two selected agricultural sectors does this: milk and beef production. Our overall argument is that the actions, which nations and interest groups have undertaken with regard to the EU accession and future policy direction are, at least partially, a function of different external restrictions and internal national patterns; i.e., the relevance and structure of agriculture and the bargaining power of interest groups.

scholarly journals Rola dużych gospodarstw rolnych we wzroście produktywności pracy rolnictwa polskiego na tle sytuacji w innych wybranych krajach Unii Europejskiej

2018 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Józwiak ◽  
Zofia Mirkowska ◽  
Wojciech Ziętara
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Productivity Growth ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Large Farms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Group 1

The study focuses on the analysis of labor productivity in Polish agriculture in 2005 and 2016 in comparison to selected EU-15 countries (group 1) and some countries that joined the EU after 2004. In group 1, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany are included, while in group 2 - the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary. The analysis particularly considers the role of large farms, the size of which was contractually agreed at 30 ha of UAA. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of large farms on the level of labor productivity in total farms and to determine the possibility of reducing the differences between labor productivity in Polish large farms in relation to analogous farms in EU-15 countries, and determining whether changes occurring in Poland differ from those occurring in large farms in other post-socialist countries. In both groups of countries there was a decrease in the number of farms and an increase in labor productivity in agriculture in general and in surveyed classes in large farms. In the countries of group 2. the rate of labor productivity growth was higher than in group 1. However, it slightly reduced the differences. Labor productivity in agriculture in the countries of Group 1 was significantly higher than in Group 2. The increase in the number and share of large farms in the structure of farms was positively correlated with labor productivity in agriculture.

scholarly journals The performance of the Czech labour market after the 2004 EU enlargement

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (197) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Wadim Strielkowski ◽  
Jan Hněvkovský
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Foreign Workers ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
Near Future ◽  
The Eu

This paper examines whether there has been a significant change in the performance of the Czech labour market after the Czech Republic?s EU Accession in May 2004. We analyse methodological changes of measuring unemployment caused by inevitable legislative adjustments and follow the development of the Czech labour market and the inflows of foreign workers to the Czech Republic over the past two decades. Our results show that the EU Accession resulted in simplifying foreigners? access to the Czech labour market and did not cause a significant change in its performance. Our findings might be of some relevance for the countries seeking EU Membership in the near future (e.g., Serbia or Montenegro).

scholarly journals Rivalry of Advocacy Coalitions in the Czech Pension Reform

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-134
Author(s):  
Martin Potůček ◽  
Veronika Rudolfová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Advocacy Coalition Framework ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Advocacy Coalitions ◽  
Advocacy Coalition ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Clear Cut

Abstract The Czech Republic, as many other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, faced and is still facing a pension-reform challenge. The diversification of pension pillars led to the massive displacements of participant contributions from the public PAYG pension pillars to the newly constructed private, defined-contribution, fully-funded pillars. In the Czech Republic, the adoption of the relevant law was preceded by serious political conflict between supporters and opponents of this step (both among different political actors and among professionals). In an analysis of the conflict we critically apply the Advocacy Coalition Framework. We work mainly with the analysis of policy documents, public statements of the individual actors and an analysis of voting on the relevant law in both chambers of the Czech Parliament towards the identification of the crystallization process of two clear-cut coalitions between actors from both sides of the spectrum. The Advocacy Coalition Framework in exploring the dynamics of the public-policy process proved to be able to explain situations where there is sharp political conflict. Through the lens of the devil-shift of both camps (advocacy coalitions with different beliefs), each fell into extreme positions within the coalition to affirm the correctness of their arguments and positions.

The Europeanization of social movements in the Czech Republic: The EU and local women’s groups

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondřej Císař ◽  
Kateřina Vráblíková
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Opportunity Structure ◽  
Women's Groups ◽  
Political Opportunity ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Women’S Groups ◽  
Accession Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The goal of this paper is to analyse the impact the EU has had on Czech women’s groups since the1990s. Drawing on both Europeanization and social movement theories, the first section defines the theoretical framework of the paper. The second section is focused on the impact of changes in the funding of women’s groups which, since the end of the1990s, have relied more than before on European funding. The third section analyses the shift in the political context and the domestic political opportunity structure in the Czech Republic that has occurred in connection with the accession process. The fourth section analyzes transnational cooperation for which new opportunities have appeared with the EU’s eastward expansion. The paper concludes by summarizing its main findings.

scholarly journals EU enlargement and the public opinion on the Czech Republic: an explanatory analysis

Geografie ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-138
Author(s):  
Petr Dostál
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Value Orientation ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Structural Variables ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Lisrel Model

The article provides an analysis of the public opinion in EU countries on the anticipated Czech membership. Public opinion and mass interest articulations are central to studies on European integration. Macro-geographical structure of the EU and its enlarged periphery of associated countries is examined in order to derive basic explanatory assumptions. The differentiation in the support for the Czech membership is explained with the help of structural variables and public opinion variables. Statistical analysis (LISREL model) shows the importance of post-materialist value orientation of the EU populations for their support given to the enlargement with the Czech Republic. The public in rich and large countries and in French-speaking parts of the EU tends to give less support for the Czech accession indicating that a strong integrative sense of a larger European community still has to emerge.

scholarly journals The Hidden Business Costs Of European Union Enlargement: The Case Of The Czech Republic

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Phillips ◽  
Emil Stark ◽  
Jerry Wheat
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
European Union Enlargement ◽  
Western European ◽  
The Eu

Enlargement of the European Union (EU) will take place on May 1, 2004. Nine countries from Eastern Europe will become full fledged members of the union. While these countries have met the EU accession criteria many are not really ready to compete with Western European companies. One of the major impediments for firms in the East is the hidden costs of joining the union. This paper explores some of the case of the Czech Republic, what hidden costs are currently apparent, and suggests changes that would make the Czech Republic more competitive in Western Europe.

scholarly journals Land market development after the accession to EU

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 154-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Němec ◽  
J. Kučera
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Market Development ◽  
Land Market ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
Annual Sale ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Land Prices ◽  
The Eu

Land market has started to develop extremely in the Czech Republic since 2002. The annual sale and purchase of estates represented 0.2% of the total land resources between 1993−2001. The sale and the purchase have represented 2.9% of total land resources after 2002 and especially after the EU accession of the Czech Republic. These values of sale are the highest from the EU countries. On the other side, land prices decreased slightly in comparison with the prices before the EU accession. Prices of agricultural land are significantly lower than in the EU 15.

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