Chancellor Angela Merkel’s achievements and failures in the Germany’s European policy (2005–2021)

The aim of the article was to analyse the Germany’s European policy under the rule of Chancellor A. Merkel in terms of solving emerging crises in the European Union in the 21st century. The author presented a thesis that despite the scale of problems, Chancellor Merkel was successful in finding solutions favourable to Europe. Her methods were often controversial and debatable, but she was able to break the resistance of her opponents. After Brexit, her greatest objectives were to maintain the cohesion of Member States and to guide the EU safely through the COVID-19 epidemic.

Juozas Gabrys and Lithuania at the League of Nations: Press, Business, Politics

The activity of Juozas Gabrys and his colleagues at the League of Nations in Geneva from 1927 until 1939 is the main subject of this article. The questions about this group of people are analyzed through several perspectives, such as journalism, business, and politics. The territorial and ethnical problems which were addressed by Lithuania at the League of Nations and the decisions of Lithuanian diplomats and politicians were overviewed in the press publications of Gabrys in various Lithuanian newspapers. In these texts he mostly focuses on two main topics in international interwar Lithuanian politics – the question of Vilnius its regarding mutual relations with Poland and the question of Memel and its region, which was intensely disputed by Lithuanian and German influences. Simultaneously, Gabrys had the intentions to develop business relations between Lithuania and Switzerland. He and his family worked in the fields of real estate and money exchange. Also, he established the Lithuanian Information Bureau in Geneva, which received irregular donations from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yet most of the publications were funded by Gabrys himself. The answer to the question of Gabrys’s real influence on Lithuanian foreign policy could be given only partially. As for now, the possibility to measure this influence is limited only to the press and information field, as Gabrys’s work in those fields, although forgotten and underestimated nowadays, was observed and evaluated by his contemporaries. Due to his publications, Lithuanians could form an opinion about the League of Nations and its decisions as well as the situation on the level of European policy.

Polityka europejska Polski w latach 2004–2017

This article attempts to translate the Polish experience related to membership in the European Union (EU) into the European policy of Ukraine. The aim of this article is to present Poland’s European policy from 2004 to 2017, particularly from the perspective of the assumptions adopted by individual governments and the mistakes made. The Polish experience of changes in European politics may be a valuable hint for the Ukrainian political elites, particularly in the context of drawing conclusions from mistakes. Recommendations for Ukraine in relation to their membership in the EU boil down to the issue of building an appropriate state strategy and the stability of institutions that take care of the entire process. Another element is the need to develop the so-called critical European studies to initiate a real discussion among Ukrainian political elites and Ukrainian society.

An Overview of the European Policies on ESG in the Banking Sector

In recent years, European policy makers have ramped up their efforts to create a regulatory framework for improving sustainability in the financial system. We contribute to the on-going debate on Environmental, Social and Governance in the banking sector by providing an organic overview of the European policies put in place. The legislative framework is currently being enriched by policy makers and regulators that are carefully pursuing the objective of a more sustainable economic system, where financial institutions may act as catalysts. We also offer a comparison of the national level regulations for ESG practices in banking institutions and the related disclosure requirements.

An ambivalent picture

In France, English has a hegemonic position in many domains, including education, despite European policy promoting linguistic and cultural diversity to better integrate citizens in democratic processes. In 2013, the Fioraso law modified the Toubon law by allowing French universities to teach in a foreign language. Under the law, the choice of English at the expense of any other foreign language seems to have become practice. However, this practice clashes with long-standing criticism of Englishization in France. In this chapter an ambivalent picture of Englishization in French higher education arises, revealing tensions between criticism and official language policy on the one hand and language practice on the other. Translingual practices in France generate a different view of Englishization in higher education

Czech election result will depend on undecided voters

Significance A series of scandals surrounding Prime Minister Andrej Babis, including the newly released Pandora Papers, threaten to undermine ANO’s popularity. A challenge may come from the centre-right SPOLU coalition, campaigning on a strong anti-Babis programme. The key question is which way undecided voters will finally lean. Impacts The Communists, who are currently teetering on the 5% electoral threshold, could eventually disappear from high-level politics. If ANO retains power, the government's European policy will focus on defending Babis’s interests before the EU. Either of the two opposition blocs would pursue a more constructive European policy if they won. Introduction of the euro is unlikely in the foreseeable future, as supporters of the common currency are significantly in the minority.