ARTISTS AT WAR
Silviu ANGHEL | Faculty of History, University of Bucharest
Bucharest /Romania
Alexandra ZBUCHEA | National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest /Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.1
ABSTRACT
At least since Antiquity, art and war have interfered. The most common aspect to consider is the propaganda associated with it. At the same time, artists took a stand for/against certain wars (or the concept of war) according to their personal values, beliefs, and experiences. The first part of the paper investigates how arts, war, and propaganda intertangled during the past two millennia. The Second World War, the most complex one to this date with globally diverse implications, seems to prove most how important artists are involved in times of war. This paper investigates how artists reacted to war and propaganda during the past two millennia. It includes a case study that analyzes the Russian aggression in Ukraine through the eyes of various artists. It follows how Russian, Ukrainian, and foreign artists responded to this shocking event. As expected, many Russian artists are supporting the war, on various grounds: they fear negative consequences, they believe the official perspective and propaganda, etc. Nevertheless, Russian artists – still living in Russia or who left the country immediately after the beginning of the war in Ukraine – are an important opposition voice despite the risks they take to express their views. It is even more relevant since the common political lines of action seem not to be possible in present-day Russia. As expected, most Ukrainian artists are publicly expressing their opinions against the war. Their art has benefited from wider attention than previously, especially in the EU, where many of them live as refugees of war, and in the US. The internet is, as expected, an important platform that gives voice to artists and allows the wide distribution of their work. In this facilitating framework, memes are also flourishing and getting viral, informing about and influencing attitudes to the war. The investigation also identified numerous foreign artists who took a public position, in most cases for Ukraine, especially in the first months of the war. The way artists reacted and related to the war, both on the Russian and the Ukrainian side, shows the complex relationships society and, above all, the arts have with war. In arts, as in society, war is both hated for its suffering and praised as a feat of patriotism.
KEYWORDS
Art and war; artists and war; wartime art; activist art; art and propaganda; art and heroism; Russian-Ukrainian war.
BEYOND MEDICAL STATISTICS: QUALITY OF LIFE AS CENTRAL PILLAR IN THE MODERN HEALTH POLITICS
Mirela BĂCANU VASILE | National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.2
ABSTRACT
In a continuously changing world, quality of life has become a basic global concern. This article focuses on the importance of quality of life in general and, in particular, on the quality of life of medical personnel. There are underlined the challenges that medical professionals face and the way they have an impact on their physical and emotional well-being.
KEYWORDS
Challenges; health; medical personnel; quality of life; wellbeing.
THE NEW ARMS RACE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE US: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AI-POWERED MILITARY AND ECONOMIC PURSUITS
Maria BEGA | National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.3
ABSTRACT
The current international system fosters change which is catalysed by a factor that is vital to any state’s growth in the 21st century – the mastery of technology. To be precise, artificial intelligence (AI) constitutes the powerful leverage that countries will need to know how to use in order to gain the hegemonic advantage. It follows that the development of AI will be paramount in revolutionising the face of future, intelligentised warfare.
This paper focuses on the elaboration of the AI narrative from a neorealist perspective, and its effects on the military and economic factors which will be most decisive in determining whether China will outpace the US in the years to follow. To this end, a comparative analysis will be employed, and document analysis will serve as the research method of choice. Not only will AI be essential to drive social change, but it will also be imperative in the development of military tools, such as target detection systems (TDS), and surveillance systems, both of which will serve as case studies to support the hypothesis that rapid AI developments stem from existing geopolitical tensions and competition, which drive the need for both countries to militarise.
The growth potential of these technologies also prophesises a return on investment, for whichever state aims to employ them, in terms of both economic and military potential, international relevance, and, ultimately, security in the international system. As such, the important role of multinational domestic companies cannot be overstated in this case, and will be discussed.
KEYWORDS
Arms Race; Artificial Intelligence; Dual-Use Technologies; Neorealism; Surveillance; Target Detection Systems.
PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS IN CYBER SPACE AS DETERRENCE TOOLS. THE TRANS-ATLANTIC VIEW
Ana Maria COSTEA, PhD | National University of Political Science and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.4
ABSTRACT
Nowadays technological development has brought new threats and risks that states need to face in cyberspace. Given the multitude of actors, reasons, strategies, various types of attacks, the classical way of viewing the state as the sole security provider no longer functions. In this framework, private companies gain more and more competencies and responsibilities, especially in the areas of critical infrastructure. The present article explores the role of public-private partnerships in the national cybersecurity strategies of each NATO member state as tools of deterrence. The paper starts by analysing the concepts of deterrence and resilience. Secondly, it emphasizes the view of NATO regarding the topic, this aspect being followed by each of the 31 NATO member states’ most recent national cybersecurity strategies, highlighting the objectives, measures, and examples of PPPs that each state has in order to highlight the status-quo at empirical level.
KEYWORDS
Cybersecurity; deterrence; national cybersecurity strategy; PPPs; NATO allies; resilience.
EMERGING PROTECTION OF THE LGBTIQ COMMUNITY: GOOD PRACTICES AND SHORTCOMINGS IN THE ASYLUM PROCESS
Laura-Gabriela FOIA | Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs National University of Political Sciences and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.5
ABSTRACT
This article aims to analyse the asylum process within the European Union, more specifically with regard to the LGBTIQ people. Firstly, it will create a list of legal instruments and complementary documents, which will determine the degree of protection offered by both international organisations and transnational NGOs. Secondly, in light of pervious evolution of interpretation, the article seeks to present the framework, which leads to the possibility of granting refugee status to LGBTIQ persons. Although gender is not a specific reference in the refugee definition, it is widely accepted that persecution and harm can be inflicted on persons non-conforming to the traditional gender roles. Thirdly, it explores the challenging factors that are taken into account when granting refugee status to applicants with such sensitive grounds for the claims. Alongside the third part of the essay lies the question the paper seeks to ask. Therefore, the research is attempting to determine the extent of the protection offered to LGBTIQ asylum seekers and what can be improved in said process, both at the European level and national level.
KEYWORDS
Asylum; refugee status; LGBT; European Union; Qualification Directive; Asylum Procedures Directive.
POLITICAL CULTURE LEGACY HINDERING EUROPEANIZATION EFFORTS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Dr. Elira LULI | Luarasi University
Tirane/ Albania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.6
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the democratization efforts required for EU integration have been challenged by authoritarian regimes’ persistence across some Southeast European countries. This study focuses on Albania as a case study, examining the endurance of political and administrative cultural legacies within its public institutions. Despite numerous reforms aimed at EU integration and democratization processes, institutional transformation remains impeded by outdated behavioural attitudes, concepts, and mindsets.
The efficacy of democracy is intrinsically linked to the adherence to fundamental principles within the realm of Public Administration, encompassing key values such as meritocracy, impartiality, professionalism, and a steadfast commitment to public service. Moreover, a resilient judiciary is pivotal in upholding integrity by acting as a bulwark against malfeasance and procedural impropriety. Additionally, the autonomy of the media and the empowerment of civil society are indispensable requisites for sustaining a robust democratic framework. Collectively, these elements serve as the bedrock for establishing and perpetuating a well-functioning democratic system.
Various scholars highlight that political culture can impact the implementation of good governance practices, values, and behavioural methods.
This research delves into the challenges Albania, an early-stage EU aspirant, encounters over three decades as it endeavours to adopt EU norms during the transformation of public institutions. The study considers the influence of internal hindrances, including political memory and past legacies, on the reform process and the Europeanization of Public Administration. By analysing these factors, the research aims to gain insights into the negative internal dynamics and provide recommendations for fostering a democratic political culture that strengthens institutions through effective reforms.
KEYWORDS
Europeanization efforts; Good governance; Obstacles; Political culture; Public institutions; Reforms.
GEOPOLITICAL VIEWS AND GEO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ON THE GERMAN STRATEGY AND EU WIDER FRAMEWORK RELATIONS WITH CHINA
Bogdan MUNTEANU, PhD | Department of International Relations and European Integration
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.7
ABSTRACT
On July 13, 2023, the German Government has released the first national strategy related to approaching China in international relations, including from a geo-economic perspective. The text of the German strategy is of significant importance for other EU member states and the EU authorities, as it encloses aspects pertaining to the industrial policy and cyber-security, serving nonetheless as a use-case and / or a model for developing a coherent approach to China, including the perspective of economic diplomacy in the larger context of policy dialogues with China. From a diplomatic stance, China has anchored international relations in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, some of which being EU members – in 2012, China forged partnerships via the “16+1” Cooperation, later extended after the Dubrovnik Summit to “17+1” by the adhesion of Greece. China looks to consolidate bilateral relations in Europe via a multi-level approach and sectorial-specific coordination (to include trade, energy, financial technologies, forestry, maritime services, etc) and the German strategy complements the projected EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership, rather than to be an alternative to it. In this context, the paper explores the implications of the German strategy towards China from the European viewpoint and analyses its value-added potential to supporting the wider angle of EU international relations towards China. The research hypothesis is that in the current international geopolitical context related to China, the German strategy enhances at the national level the guiding principles of EU approach to managing the relations with China and adds value to EU economic diplomacy instead of duplicating it. The research methodology is focused on a qualitative analysis of documented authentic scientific public resources and synthesis of key aspects from a geopolitical and geo-economical wide angle of Sino-European relations. The conclusions draw on the fact that China acts as an international challenger, on a path to consolidate its international role and the EU and the German strategies towards China support the mitigation of exposures to economic dependencies by de-risking linkages rather than economic de-coupling from “a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival” at the same time, as designated by EU.
KEYWORDS
17+1 Cooperation; Belt and Road Initiative; China Overseas Lending; Comprehensive Agreement on Investments; Derisking Strategy; Decoupling Strategy; EU-China Relations; German strategy to China.
THE BANKING SYSTEM – “LIMPING” TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. IS GREEN FINANCE A “THING” IN ROMANIA AS OF MARCH 2023?
Andreea NICA, PhD Candidate | National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.8
ABSTRACT
Green finance became a trending topic in the European Union after the 2015 adoption of the Paris Agreement, which acknowledged in Article 2 the relation between the “financial flows” and investment projects promoting “low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development”. Banks are uniquely positioned to direct financial flows toward these projects as they are the leading financial intermediaries in the European Union[1]. In this context, to understand where banks in Romania stand as of March 2023 in innovating financial products that are included in the green finance sector of the financial markets (and, in a few cases, in the social or sustainable finance sectors), I systematically reviewed public information on each bank’s website, sustainability reports (where available), press releases and a financial products consolidation website (www.conso.ro). I found that banks in Romania are “limping” toward a sustainable future because (1) only half of the commercial banks manufactured and distributed at least one green financial product, (2) many banks ticked the green financial products checkbox with the low-hanging fruit of providing loans for newly built houses which, due to EU-level regulation, should be energy efficient just because they are new and (3) only two banks engaged in issuing green/sustainable bonds.
Based on the findings from this article, the answer to the question in the title is “Yes, but…”. In the last 6 years, banks in Romania have slowly adopted green, social, and sustainability-labeled financial products and started “greening” their balance sheets. These special-purpose products accelerate the directing of financial flows toward companies and projects aligned with the Paris Agreement objectives. However, the stock of green financial products is below potential and further research is needed to understand how much greenhouse gas emissions are avoided by banks’ efforts and how the banking sector mitigates greenwashing and conflicts of interest risks.
KEYWORDS
Commercial banks; green bonds; green finance; green loans; European Union; Romania
[1] As of 2020, the assets in the banking system of European Union (EU) Member States accumulated to approximately 300% of the EU’s GDP. The banking sector represents the most significant financial intermediary, but the non-banking financial sector has been growing steadily with the accumulation of assets in pension funds, mutual funds, insurance firms, etc. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/digpub/european_economy/bloc-3d.html?lang=en.
THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC POLICIES AND PROGRAMS EVALUATION SYSTEM IN ROMANIA IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONAL RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN
Nicolae TODERAȘ, PhD | Ministry of Investments and European Projects
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.9
ABSTRACT
The implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility boosts the EU’s power to transform Member States, especially in the field of public management. The conditioning of the Member States to link proposed investments in their plans in order to overcome the effects of the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to boost the implementation of the Green Pact on structural reforms transforms this temporary instrument in the main driver for deepening European integration. In the case of Romania, one of the important results pursued as part of the reforms related to the public administration sector, correlated with those related to the reform of public finances, refers to the improvement of the planning system of public policies and programs in accordance with budgetary scheduling. In this context, it is expected that following the implementation of these structural reforms, the national system for public policies and programs evaluation will strengthen significantly.
The article aims to discuss certain aspects related to the dynamics of the use of public policies and programs evaluations in various stakes specific to the public management sector. Thus, in the first part of the article, the dynamics of the institutionalization of the national system for public policies and programs evaluation is described and analyzed. In the second part, the strengthening premises of the national evaluation system for public intervention are analyzed as a result of the implementation of a package of structural reforms which are specific to strategic planning and public management.
KEYWORDS
Public policies and programs evaluation system; evaluation capacity and culture; Recovery and Resilience Facility; the National Recovery and Resilience Plan; Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
BOOK REVIEW
Manuel DeLanda and Graham Harman. 2017. The Rise of Realism, Oxford, Polity. ISBN Paperback 9781509519026.
Radovici, Mihai Christopher Marian, PhD student |University of Economics Studies, Faculty of International Economic Relations, Doctoral School International Business and Economics
Bucharest/Romania
DOI http://doi.org/10.25019/europolity.2023.17.2.10
