scholarly journals PROBLEMS OF TOLERANCE/INTOLERANCE IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE OF ESTONIA AND LATVIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-153
Author(s):  
Nataliya M. Khoma
Keyword(s):  
Hate Speech ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Political ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Same Sex Couples ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The Eu

The aim of the article is to study the problems of intolerance in the Young Democracies of the EU on the example of Estonia and Latvia. The article is prepared on the basis of methodologies of neo-institutionalism, axiological (value) approach and comparative method. It has been proven that at the institutional level in Estonia and Latvia there is an understanding of the importance of preventing and combating intolerance. At the same time, in practice in these states there are manifestations of intolerance. An urgent problem is the rise of hate speech in political discourse. Tolerance towards members of sexual minorities remains acute, especially in Latvia. There has been some progress by Estonia in combating intolerance with regard to legalization for same-sex couples in civil partnerships. It is noted that the level of intolerance of Estonian society is significantly influenced by the political course of the ruling party EKRE. The author of the article argues that the voting of a significant number of Estonians and Latvians for parties that support anti-Semitic, xenophobic, homophobic, neo-racism, misogynistic ideas, shows the lack of stability of liberal-democratic values in the political and legal culture of the population. The state policy of the analyzed Baltic countries on combating intolerance covers only a part of the problems, and a number of others are silenced or openly ignored. The legal framework of Estonia and Latvia is not fully in line with EU law. Some EU recommendations on minimizing situations conducive to the spread of intolerant practices have not been implemented by Estonia and Latvia. As the range of problems of the quality of democracy in the EU countries has been steadily expanding in the last decade, their study remains a relevant area for political science. The article is theoretical in type using empirical data.

Compliance of the Baltic States with the Principle of Tolerance as Condition for the Development of the United Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataliya Khoma ◽  
Oleksii Oleksii Kokoriev
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Democracy ◽  
Hate Speech ◽  
Democratic Values ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Social Phobias ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Eu

The article studies the compliance of democracy of the Baltic States with the principle of tolerance. The study demonstrated specific social phobias (xenophobia, migrant phobia, homophobia, islamophobia, romaphobia, etc.), hate speech and other destructive trends in the Baltic countries that contradict values of liberal democracy. The authors argue that Baltic States face similar challenges of strengthening the principle of tolerance as well as how they differ in intolerance manifestations and mechanisms of their prevention and counteraction. In the Baltic States, issues related to promotion of tolerance are claimed to be common at two levels: at the institutional level (countries do not fulfil some of the EU guidelines aimed at enhancing the principle of tolerance); at the value level (population does not accept completely liberal-democratic values that the EU advocates).

scholarly journals EU Policy on Deepening Liberal Democracy: A Case Study of the Baltic States

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-105
Author(s):  
Nataliia Khoma ◽  
Ihor Vdovychyn
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Democracy ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
European Democracy ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Democratic Transformation ◽  
The Eu

The issues of the EU’s activities concerning the quality of democracy in member states are studied. On the examples of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the effectiveness of EU projects to continue the liberal-democratic transformation in member states with a post-totalitarian past where the risk of regression of democracy remains, is assessed. The current goals of the EU are described as being insufficient in terms of properly preventing and counteracting the decline of the quality of democracy, as well as for inculcating the values of liberal democracy. The need to intensify the EU’s activities in the direction of monitoring the observance of democratic standards is explained by the stagnation/regression of the quality of democracy in the countries of the recent EU enlargements, including the Baltic States. The actions of the EU’s institutions towards member states, where democracy shows stagnation/regression, are assessed as inconsistent, due to the possible consequences of this destructive process. The EU’s lack of attention to strengthening the values on which the EU is based is emphasized, which is seen as the main reason for the present deterioration in the quality of democracy. The requirement to construct a new format of European democracy and new mechanisms to ensure its quality is highlighted.

scholarly journals Evaluation of EU Activities to Strengthen Democracy in Member States of the Last Waves of Enlargement

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Nataliia Khoma ◽  
Ihor Vdovychyn
Keyword(s):  
Political Systems ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
European Democracy ◽  
Eu Policies ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Eu

The article’s purpose is to assess the effectiveness of EU policies concerning strengthen the quality of democracy in the member states. The research methods are aimed at proving the hypothesis about a decrease in impact (initiatives, control, etc.) of EU institutions on deepening democratic modernization, as a result of a discrepancy on debatable issues between the “young” democracies of the EU (like the Baltic States) and the liberal democratic course of the EU. The research is based on the methodology of neo-institutionalism, value approach and political comparative studies. The results of the study have led to the conclusion that the current goals of the EU are not sufficiently focused on the issue of the quality of democracy in the member states. The need to revitalize the EU in the direction of monitoring the observance of democratic standards is explained by the stagnation/regression of the quality of democracy in these states of the latest EU expansion. The actions of EU institutions in relation to member states, where stagnation/regression of democracy has been manifested, were assessed as inappropriate regarding the possible consequences of this destructive process. Insufficient attention by the EU to strengthening its values on which the EU is based was noted, that is seen as the main reason for the current deterioration in the quality of democracy. The urgency of this new format for European democracy, of really effective mechanisms for ensuring its quality was stated. The authors mentioned a number of open questions that require further study, in particular: 1) are EU initiatives able to reduce the democratic deficit in its member states?; 2) how strong should the EU's control be over the observance of these standards and values of democracy so that it does not contradict the principles of democracy? Attention is drawn to the need of further clarifying these mechanisms which the EU should implement in relation to its member states in order to strengthen the quality of national democratic political systems.

scholarly journals Tolerance vs intolerance: Latvia's case as an expression of value and institutional ambivalence

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (27) ◽  
pp. 126-134
Author(s):  
Oleksii Kokoriev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hate Speech ◽  
Legal Culture ◽  
Political Life ◽  
The Political ◽  
High Tolerance ◽  
Public Rhetoric ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu

The article examines Latvia's compliance with the EU's institutional and value strategy for promoting the principle of tolerance. The main manifestations of intolerance in the social and political life of Latvia as a "young" democracy are investigated. The legal gaps, the peculiarities of the political and legal culture of the population and other factors that cause intolerance in Latvia, despite this country's 2004 membership in the EU, have been emphasized. Institutional reforms aimed at strengthening the value of tolerance and preventing destructive intolerant practices are analysed. Providing tolerance for Latvia is called a challenge for this country. It was stressed that countering intolerance remains an important component of the country's still unfinished post- socialist democratization. Attention is paid to maintaining a high percentage of non-citizens in the population structure of Latvia. It is emphasized that in Latvia there is the highest level of sexual minority intolerance in the Baltic countries group, especially the expressed intolerance towards transgender and intersex people. It is noted that the legislation of Latvia is not yet fully consistent with the European Commission's General Policy Recommendation against Racism and Intolerance No. 7 in the fight against racism and racial discrimination. Attention is drawn to the lack of special services in law enforcement agencies to assist victims of hate speech. It has been stated that there is a lack of promotion of counter-speech in response to racist, homo- / transphobic hate speech on the part of high-ranking officials and public activists. This contributes to the fact that those who resort to hate speech do not feel public condemnation and increase their destructive presence in Latvia. Attention was drawn to the problem of preserving the marginalization of Roma, especially in the area of employment, provision of public health and education services. The article states that there are manifestations of anti-Semitism in Latvia, especially in Internet discourse. It is noted that despite the small number of refugees received in recent years by Latvia, there is a high level of intolerance of asylum seekers. At the same time, public opinion is often formed precisely because of the destructive public rhetoric of Latvian politicians. The general problem of Latvia is the high tolerance for violence in general – at home, at school, against certain social groups, etc. It is indicated that in this country there is a high tolerance for various destructive unlawful practices, such as involvement in the shadow economy, the purchase of smuggled goods, and so on. The author of the article argues that the reasons for the mentioned problems of Latvia are not least in the plane of the political and legal culture of the Latvians, in which the intolerance to diversity and the neoliberal-democratic values, on which the EU is oriented, are still quite strong.

scholarly journals Threat or Corrective? Assessing the Impact of Populist Parties in Government on the Qualities of Democracy: A 19-Country Comparison

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Davide Vittori
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Country Comparison ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Scholars have long debated whether populism harms or improves the quality of democracy. This article contributes to this debate by focusing on the impact of populist parties in government. In particular, it inquires: (1) whether populists in government are more likely than non-populists to negatively affect the quality of democracies; (2) whether the role of populists in government matters; and (3) which type of populism is expected to negatively affect the quality of liberal-democratic regimes. The results find strong evidence that the role of populists in government affects several qualities of democracy. While robust, the findings related to (2) are less clear-cut than those pertaining to (1). Finally, regardless of their role in government, different types of populism have different impacts on the qualities of democracy. The results show that exclusionary populist parties in government tend to have more of a negative impact than other forms of populism.

The European Dimension of Minority Political Representation

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Spirova ◽  
Boyka Stefanova
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Political Process ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
The Political ◽  
East European ◽  
European Dimension ◽  
Challenging Tasks ◽  
The Eu

The political integration of ethnic minorities is one of the most challenging tasks facing the countries of post-communist Europe. The roads to their political representation in the mainstream political process are numerous and diverse. The EU accession of the Central and East European countries has expanded the scope of the political participation of minorities by adding an electoral process at the regional level: the elections for members of the European Parliament. This article presents a comparative study of the ways in which EU-level electoral processes affect the scope and quality of minority representation on the example of the participation of ethnic political parties in Bulgaria and Romania in the 2007 and 2009 electoral cycles of the European Parliament.

scholarly journals Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência no Brasil: a qualidade da democracia em perspectiva | Human Rights, Citizenship and Violence in Brazil: the quality of democracy in perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. e50753
Author(s):  
Carlos Frederico Domínguez Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Legal System ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Democratic Quality ◽  
Basic Rights ◽  
Personal Dignity

O artigo explora a evolução recente dos Direitos Humanos, da Cidadania e da Violência, e seus impactos na qualidade da democracia no Brasil. São utilizadas como unidades de análise três conjuntos de tópicos: a dignidade pessoal, os direitos civis, e os direitos políticos. Em geral, constata-se a existência de uma distância considerável entre a proclamação normativa desses Direitos Humanos no sistema legal, de um lado, e a efetiva promoção e execução desses direitos básicos na realidade política e social do Brasil.Palavras-chave: Direitos Humanos; Qualidade da Democracia; Brasil.ABSTRACTThe paper explores the evolution of Human Rights, Citizenship and Violence, and their impacts in the study of democratic quality in Brazil. It is used three set of basic rights as topics for research: the personal dignity, the civil rights, and the political rights. At the end, it is noted some distance between the existence of opportunities for Human Rights in the legal system of the country and the actual guarantee of those set of basic rights in the political and social Brazilian reality.Keywords: Human Rights; the Quality of Democracy; Brazil. Recebido em: 30 de Março 2020.

Vorinsolvenzlicher Restrukturierungsrahmen für Deutschland unter dem Einfluss der EU-Restrukturierungsrichtlinie

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Singer
Keyword(s):  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Pressure ◽  
Cost Effective Alternative ◽  
Insolvency Proceedings ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Eu

Under the political pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German legislature implemented the EU Restructuring Directive at record speed with the StaRUG, thus creating for the first time a legal framework for corporate restructuring outside of insolvency proceedings. This study examines the highly topical transposition act in terms of its practical suitability and, on the basis of remaining regulatory gaps, develops an alternative doctrinal and structural approach that initiates further reform debates in the upcoming evaluation process. The author concludes that, de lege ferenda, German restructuring law should be enriched by a minimally invasive contractual framework that offers SMEs in particular a quick and cost-effective alternative.

Studiile de gen: un turnesol al democrației românești

Transilvania ◽  
2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Studies ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Feminist Studies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Political Values ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relevant Factors

This article argues that gender studies are a sensitive indicator for the quality of Romanian democracy. How gender studies have been established and (partly) institutionalized, the ideological and institutional obstacles that they have faced, as well as the political values and stakes that are present when they are promoted or contested are significant elements for understanding the process of democratization within the academic space, as well as the extent and quality of democracy in the country after 1989. In the first part, I analyze the dynamics of the establishment and institutionalization of gender studies in Romania, filling the gaps of current literature on the topic, especially when it comes to the more recent developments. This investigation allows the identification of relevant factors that are specific to the Romanian context and favoured or hindered the presence of these studies in local universities. In the second part, I analyze briefly the academic, ideological and political opposition to feminism, feminist studies and gender studies in Romania.

scholarly journals From Retail to Grocery: Money Politics in 2014 Indonesian Legislative Election

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-120
Author(s):  
M. Faishal Aminuddin ◽  
Natasha Hassan Attamimi
Keyword(s):  
Political Party ◽  
The Political ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Legislative Election

Money politics is a serious problem for the improvement in the quality of democracy in Indonesia. In every election, there has been a shift or variation in the pattern of money politics. This article answers the important question of what pattern of money politics applied in the 2014 elections was. This study found that the pattern was more complex and that it involved more actors between not only candidates and voters, but also the election organizers. A case study had been used to view the pattern of money politics in the legislative elections in Surabaya and Sidoarjo during the 2014 election. This study explains the connectivity between the emergence of pragmatic-rational voters, the engagement of the party oligarchy in moving the political party machinery and the covert dealings with the election organizer.

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