HEALTH SECURITY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGING TRANSBOUNDARY THREATS BY BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Mirela BĂCANU I National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest /Romania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.1
Abstract
This abstract delves into the theories of Buzan and Deutsch, examining their intricate implications for shaping healthcare policies. These theories play a pivotal role in guiding strategic approaches to healthcare systems, particularly within the diverse landscape of the European Union. Moreover, this abstract sheds light on the practical relevance of these theories during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the pandemic, the healthcare systems of EU member states faced an unparalleled trial. The effectiveness of their responses was influenced not only by the theoretical underpinnings but also by the readiness of healthcare personnel and infrastructure. The pandemic underscored the crucial role of healthcare workers in crisis management, further accentuating the significance of their tireless efforts in maintaining public health. Additionally, the abstract underscores the importance of considering the quality of life of healthcare personnel. Their well-being not only impacts their ability to provide optimal care but also affects the resilience of healthcare systems in the face of crises. In conclusion, the theories of Buzan and Deutsch reverberate through healthcare policies and pandemic management in the EU. The role of healthcare personnel and their quality of life become pivotal factors that intertwine with these theories, ultimately shaping the responses to health crises and ensuring the overall well-being of society. For various reasons, nation states as well as international organizations are always looking for the best approaches to approach security challenges. In the context of political sciences, security is often discussed in terms of military threats, but in a globalized era, security also extends to areas such as health. Barry Buzan and Karl Deutsch brought significant contributions to understanding the concept of security, and surprisingly, their theories can provide valuable perspectives for understanding EU health systems.
Keywords
Crisis; Health politics; Infectious diseases; Medical staff; Pandemics; Quality-of-life; Security
NEW PATTERNS OF EUROPEANISATION: DIGITALIZING ROMANIA’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
Mihail CARADAICĂ I The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
Radu CUCUTĂ I The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
Victor NEGRESCU I The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
Radu UNGUREANU I The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.2
Abstract
As a result of the major pressure exerted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its management on students and teachers, the EU member states and institutions face the necessity to accelerate the digitalization of education. The EU interventions in this field open the debate on whether digital education will be another subject of Europeanisation as the supranational institutions are acquiring more competences, and whether a new European policy approach was generated by the pandemic. Therefore, the paper investigates whether the COVID crisis represents a major shift in the Europeanisation of digital education in the EU. We will thus try to assess this transformation by analysing the impact of the crisis on digital education, showcasing Romania and the manner in which the national government designed its public policies against the background of the EU positions, recommendations and measures.
Keywords
COVID pandemic; digitalization; education; europeanisation; public policy
THE SHAPING POWER OF EU’S CONSTITUTIONALISM AND INSTITUTIONALISM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Diana Francesca DUBARIU I Maastricht University
Maastricht/ the Netherlands
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.3
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine whether the institutional and the constitutional development of the EU represents a milestone that can dictate a shift in the interactions of the international system. The instruments the EU holds form a heterogeneous system. By incorporating and placing them into a broader context one can determine: first, if the Union represents indeed a power that is functional in exercising influence within the international structure. The argument is that even if the Union is not a power in the traditional sense, it still possesses elements that make it able to exercise influence. This idea relies on the hypothesis that the Union’s ability to influence depends on its performance as a project, generating an attractive civilizational model. Second, one can conclude if the legal being of the EU does concretely shape the dynamics of international relations. The approach is to distance the European construction from the traditional paradigm of international relations and to prove its shaping power, by providing an introspective into its legal and constitutional existence, in the light of an emerging global order. In this academic endeavour, the central research methodology used is the secondary analysis of data.
Keywords
Constitutionalism; EU; foreign affairs; institutionalism; international relations; world power
SUPERSTATE EUROPE AND EUROPE OF NATIONS: POLARIZING CONCEPTUAL TRENDS IN EUROPEAN STUDIES
Zoltán GRÜNHUT I Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
Budapest/ Hungary
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.4
Abstract
The paper introduces two emerging concepts of European Studies – Superstate Europe and Europe of nations. The two interpret the future of Europe in very different perspectives. While Superstate Europe envisions a political unification in which the supranational entity is becoming the main source of power, Europe of nations, on the contrary, tries to restore the member states’ sovereignties over the EU. Thus, both framings have explicit political contents, and neither of them can be considered exclusively academic. Of course, in the field of European Studies this is not unprecedented. Nonetheless, the emergence of two such rival ideas is symbolizing the political polarization of the EU, as well as the politicization of European Studies. In its first section, the paper describes the general logic, main points, and basic inner-linkages of Superstate Europe and Europe of nations, and then in the second part it identifies their positions in the conceptual space of European Studies. This latter effort tries to reveal the relatedness of these framings to other European integration theories. The main finding of this meta-analysis is that Superstate Europe is more embedded conceptually, and this helps to better explain or criticize certain aspects of the idea, while Europe of nations can be considered more original in the sense of reflecting on the previously unaddressed challenge of proposing a disintegration theory among many European integration theories.
Keywords
European Studies; integration theories; meta-analysis; the European Union
A STUDY ON STATE AND SOCIETAL SECURITY DILEMMA: GREAT POWER DYNAMICS AND REGIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
Kristian PANO I Department of Political Science and International Relations, Epoka University,
Tirana/ Albania
Reina Zenelaj SHEHI I Department of Political Science and International Relations, Epoka University,
Tirana/ Albania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.5
Abstract
The Russian invasion of Ukraine gave rise to discussions of hard power configurations in international politics and challenged peace statuses at a world level. Many countries revised their foreign policy strategies according to major power alliance. The global rhetoric shifted from cosmopolitanism to statism, survival and collective security systems. In the midst of a war, the WB states characterized from still high levels of corruption, flawed democracies and unresolved ethnic conflicts found themselves in rising insecurities. The study aims to address the following research questions: Has the Russia – Ukraine conflict caused a security dilemma in the Western Balkans region? To what extent would the security dilemma contribute to the intensity of ethnic disputes in the Western Balkans? The framework is primarily centered defensive realism as well as the security dilemma and its impact on regional conflicts. Anarchy, fear and misperception are the three variables used to measure state and societal security dilemma. The study concludes that states that do not belong to strong military alliances and organizations find it easier to find themselves in a security dilemma that could quickly escalate into an active conflict.
Keywords
Conflict; ethnic tensions; international organizations; realism; security dilemma; Western Balkans
IMAGINING WAR RAPE GEOGRAPHIES: VIOLENT CARTOGRAPHY OR CARTOGRAPHY OF VIOLENCE?
Andra-Mirona STAN-DRAGOTESC I West University of Timișoara
Timișoara/ Romania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.6
Abstract
In the context of global social, political, economic and cultural interactions, wartime violence against women is publicly addressed in a framework of international (power) relations and (re)actions. An important shift in discourse on this topic was identifying and recognizing wartime rape as a weapon of war, rather than a by-product of conflict. Additionally, representations of this particular form of violence in the global public sphere have multiplied and diversified. In this context, identities and power relations are constantly (re)produced, (re)framed and (re)positioned through discourse, while imaginary (b)orders are being drawn. Space is being identified through rape, which gives it meaning and situates it on the map. The following analysis illustrates the ambivalent and problematic consequences of presenting and representing the rape of women during wartime in relation to processes of imagining/identifying places. It does so by critically engaging representations of wartime rape in the Congo. Eventually, the article unveils a problematic discursive terrain where mapping rape in order to address it can indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, fuel a culturally violent social cartography and the production of imaginative rape geographies.
Keywords
Cartography; Congo; identity; rape; violence; war
EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES:
THE CASE OF KOSOVO
Ajsela TOCI I Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tirana
Tirana/Albania
Jubjana VILA I Center for European Studies, Epoka Universiy
Tirana/ Albania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.7
Abstract
Democratic education has been considered an effective way to transform long-lasting conflicts into more integrative visions. The case of Kosovo is relevant for this study considering that education has always been at the center of the dispute between Kosovo Albanians and the Serbian community and the parallel education systems constructed in identity lines have created ethnic divisions between the two communities in the public sphere. For deeply divided societies, the challenge stays in the ability to promote diversity, respect for human rights, and inclusive institutions. Considering the impact of democratic education on individual attitudes, this study explores the integration of democracy and civic identity teachings in the secondary school curricula in Kosovo. Through the combination of text analysis of civic education textbooks of secondary educational system and interviews with experts that were actively involved in the curricula organization and the overall education system in Kosovo, the study aims to identify patterns of teaching on democratic concepts and civic identity, together with the teaching and learning methodology. Findings show that democratic norms and values are discussed theoretically but a need-based or a more practical approach to the different perceptions of conflicting identities and socially inclusive strategies must be incorporated.
Keywords
Civic education textbook; civic identity; democratic education; Kosovo; secondary school
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF „THE VIRTUOUS TRIANGLE” THROUGH THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE FACILITY: ROMANIA’S EXPERIENCE
Nicolae TODERAȘ I National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
Alina COSTĂCHESCU I Ministry of Investments and European Projects
Bucharest/Romania
Doi: http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2024.18.1.8
Abstract
Over the past decade, the EU has notably reimagined the application of European funds to ensure they foster a conducive environment for coordinated investment stimulation, structured reform implementation, and the enforcement of responsible fiscal-budgetary policies. This framework, dubbed as the „virtuous triangle” by the European Commission (EC), has constructed an expansive conception of European public policy implementation over the past ten years. This case study delves into the application of the virtuous triangle approach via financial instruments crafted to counter the ramifications of the pandemic – specifically examining the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF employs the European Semester (ES) to bolster and predetermined control mechanisms and set national priority agendas. The study further explores the resulting initial wave of institutional effects on Member States (MS) and provides an overview of Romania’s experience in formulating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
Keywords
European Semester; Next Generation EU; Recovery and Resilience Facility; the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the EU virtuous triangle
