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55222. EWI Baltic Initiative Fund
- Author:
- Rado Petkov and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 10-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- In this report we wish to provide a brief account of what the EWI Baltic Initiative Fund has accomplished in its first year, and of some of the things we are hoping to achieve in the future. Our experience over the past eighteen months has convinced all of us at EWI that there is a job to be done, and that we have a real contribution to make. The very favorable responses we continue to receive from our Baltic partners encourage us to believe that our program is indeed worthwhile and fills an important need.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Eastern Europe and Maryland
55223. Russian Financial Crisis Assessment 5: September 9, 1998
- Author:
- Rado Petkov and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 09-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- The Communist dominated Duma sent a stern message to President Yelstin on September 7th by rejecting his nominee, Viktor Chernomyrdin, for the second time. The vote was 273 against and 138 for (with one abstention). While Chernomyrdin's showing improved substantially from the Duma's first ballot, he still fell far short of the 226 votes needed for Duma approval. Furthermore, his gains came largely from Zhirinovsky's nationalist faction, which has a crass history of trading votes to “the highest bidder.” Yelstin's opposition, on the other hand, benefited from the support of independent deputies comprising a group called “Regions of Russia”: their approval of Chernomyrdin dropped from 86% to 50% in the second round.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
55224. Russian Financial Crisis Assessment 4: August 31, 1998
- Author:
- Allen Collinsworth, Robert Orttung, Rado Petkov, and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- At approximately 12.30 p.m. EST today, the Duma rejected Chernomyrdin's nomination as Prime Minister by an open ballot vote of 251-94 (with 105 abstaining). 226 votes are needed to confirm him. Chernomyrdin's own Our Home Is Russia party provided most of his support (64 votes). Zhirinovsky's party, the Liberal Democrats, abstained (49 votes). Analysts underscored the weakness of support for Chernomyrdin by noting that, in the first round of voting on the nomination of Prime Minister Kiriyenko five months ago, Kiriyenko polled 143 votes in favor. This was in secret balloting, however, which to some extent invalidates the comparison.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
55225. Russian Financial Crisis Assessment 3: August 27, 1998
- Author:
- Rado Petkov and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- The latest private reports from Moscow indicate that the Duma is very likely to reject Viktor Chernomyrdin's candidacy for Prime minister next week. Tomorrow, Aug. 28 th , at 3:00 pm, the Duma and the Federation Council will meet to decide whether to recommend a vote on Chernomyrdin's candidacy. Whereas Chernomyrdin's chances are bleak, the fluid nature of current Russian political situation makes it impossible to firmly rule out his confirmation as prime minister, a post which he very much wants.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
55226. Russian Financial Crisis Assessment 2: August 25, 1998
- Author:
- Rado Petkov and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Since our Aug. 20th report, the situation in Russia has developed dramatically. On Friday (Aug. 21st), the lower house of the Russian parliament (the Duma) overwhelmingly called for Yeltsin's resignation and changes in the government and the leadership of the central bank. The Duma also passed a non-binding resolution demanding nationalization of some banks and restriction of foreign participation in domestic capital markets. In response, the RTS index of leading Russian shares fell 5.56% to 81.76 on negligible trading volume of $4.2 million. Central bank head Dubinin announced plans to activate Russia's precious metals reserves (approximately $5 billion of $15.1 billion total foreign exchange reserves) to support the ruble. On Sunday, Aug. 23rd, in an action anticipated in our Aug. 17th report, Yeltsin dismissed Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko and installed in his place Viktor Chernomyrdin.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
55227. Russian Financial Crisis Assessment 1: August 20, 1998
- Author:
- Rado Petkov and Rick Petree
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Russian capital markets were already in what George Soros described as a “financial meltdown in . . . its terminal phase” on August 12th. Since then, capital markets have deteriorated significantly in reaction to measures announced by the Russian Government on Monday, Aug. 17th (summarized in Section II below). IEWS is actively evaluating the nature and extent of the crisis and trying to project its likely course.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, and Government
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, and Asia
55228. Modelling a Multi-Ethnic Society
- Author:
- Dr. Renata Dwan
- Publication Date:
- 06-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Since 1992-93, the Institute for EastWest Studies (IEWS) has been organizing meetings of a 'Strategy Group for Strengthening Cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe'. The Strategy Group brings together representatives of the Central and Eastern European Associates of the European Union and Ukraine (and Western states and neighbouring countries where appropriate) to discuss the security challenges facing the region. The Strategy Group aims to foster the development of cooperative solutions to the problems facing Central and Eastern Europe. Participants in Strategy Group conferences and workshops come from diverse backgrounds, including governmental representatives, politicians, business people, academics and non- governmental representatives.
- Topic:
- Development and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Maryland
55229. Subregional Relations in the Southern Tier: Prospects for Development
- Publication Date:
- 05-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Doubts were expressed as to the extent one could define the Caucasus and Central Asia as a single region, particularly for the purposes of exploring the potential for subregional cooperation to develop among its constituent states. External considerations (complex relationship between Russia and the states involved; presence of other outside actors; energy transit perspectives; influence of external conflict, i.e. Afghanistan) may point towards consideration of the Southern Tier as one region. However, internal perspectives, geographical, historical, political and cultural, suggest that treating subregionalism separately in the Caucasus and Central Asia might be a more realistic and potentially fruitful approach.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- New York, Europe, Eurasia, Eastern Europe, and Maryland
55230. Deposit Insurance Funds: An Instrument of Banking Stability and Issues of Authority, Information and Effectiveness
- Author:
- Eugene Spiro
- Publication Date:
- 03-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- The EastWest Institute is interested in the issue of banking supervision as one of the primary goals of our Economics Program since 1990 has been to support the establishment of a reformed, market-based banking system in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Former Soviet Union (FSU). As an integral component of our broader work in providing expert support to commercial bank managers and economic policymakers on the concrete aspects of implementing reform-oriented practices and strategies, we see the underlying stability and transparency of the banking system to be of critical importance. In Hungary as elsewhere, banks are indispensable to the smooth functioning of the economy, and the EWI has long subscribed to the view that the banking sector (e.g. in the context of privatisation) is a 'special' sector and requires special treatment.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Eastern Europe, Soviet Union, and Maryland
55231. Subregional Cooperation and the European Union
- Author:
- Dr. Renata Dwan
- Publication Date:
- 04-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Since 1992-93, the Institute for EastWest Studies (IEWS) has been organizing meetings of a 'Strategy Group for Strengthening Cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe'. The Strategy Group brings together representatives of the Central and Eastern European Associates of the European Union and Ukraine (and Western states and neighbouring countries where appropriate) to discuss the security challenges facing the region. The Strategy Group aims to foster the development of cooperative solutions to the problems facing Central and Eastern Europe. Participants in Strategy Group conferences and workshops come from diverse backgrounds, including governmental representatives, politicians, business people, academics and non- governmental representatives.
- Topic:
- International Organization and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Ukraine
55232. Globalisation: Challenges and Opportunities
- Author:
- G.B. Madison
- Publication Date:
- 01-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, McMaster University
- Abstract:
- Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon. In this paper I seek to discern some of the challenges it poses, as well as some of the opportunities it offers. To this end, attention is focused on three major aspects of globalization: the economic, the cultural, and the political. Particular consideration is given to the political-economic lessons to be learned from the recent East Asian financial (and economic) crisis; the homogenizing and civilizing ramifications of globalization in the realm of culture; and the relation between economic globalization, the threat it poses to the traditional notion of national sovereignty, and the prospects for the development of civil society, the rule of law, and democratic governance. The paper concludes by arguing that, as a result of the emerging global economy, we are witnessing the emergence of a new form of capitalism, qualitatively different from both 19th-century laissez-faire capitalism and 20th-century “managed” capitalism.
- Topic:
- Economics, Globalization, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- East Asia and Asia
55233. Rival Views Of Postcommunist Market Society
- Author:
- Béla Greskovits
- Publication Date:
- 10-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for European Studies at Cornell University
- Abstract:
- While reviewing various interpretations of the postcommunist transformation it is demonstrated that the manner social scientists think about postcommunism has much in common with the ideas of their predecessors who faced the emergence of capitalism over the past centuries. What explains the continuity of the major views? Why did the debate on the perspectives of capitalism and on the nature of its strengths and weaknesses reappear in the new historical case of postcommunist market society? This author argues that neither the specific historical nor the systemic context of capitalist expansion can account for the prevalence of competing interpretations. Rather the latter is the standard way social scientists think about systems and systemic change in general. But the trench-war between rival views of postcommunist market society also reflects the impact of new psychological, political, and institutional factors specific to the mass-production of social science ideas towards the end of the XXth century.
- Topic:
- Communism and Economics
- Political Geography:
- Europe
55234. Building a Composite Polity: Popular Contention in the European Union
- Author:
- Sidney Tarrow
- Publication Date:
- 03-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for European Studies at Cornell University
- Abstract:
- While much research has focussed on the interest group process growing up around the institutions of European union, far less attention has been given to the contentious forms of politics appearing at the base of the process of European integration. Part of the problem lies in models of integration that either focus on single levels of the European Union — states or supranational entities — or on vertical policy networks and domains. But another important part results from the difficulty of systematically analyzing the reactions of ordinary people to EU directives. This paper both reports on a new, computer-assisted method of studying European contentious politics and draws on a case study of recent industrial conflict to demonstrate how supranational actors, national political elites, domestic social actors and the press are beginning to interact to produce a composite — and contentious — European polity.
- Topic:
- Government
- Political Geography:
- Europe
55235. Efficiency of the Welfare State
- Author:
- Pierre Pestieau and Claudine Gouyette
- Publication Date:
- 01-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Institute for European Studies at Cornell University
- Abstract:
- In general, when the concepts of efficiency and of welfare state are coupled, one first thinks of the effects of the welfare state, notably including the taxes it implies and the benefits it generates, on the efficiency of the economy. This topic has been widely discussed in recent works. One of the main charges addressed to modern welfare states is, indeed, that they would hurt economic performance and international competitiveness. Another charge just as widespread is that they would be inefficient in the provision of social services, and be responsible for the proliferation of transfer programs that are costly and miss their target populations. This charge is thus different from the first one, though not totally unrelated. It concerns the economic efficiency of the welfare state per se, and this is the topic of this paper.
- Topic:
- Government and Political Economy
55236. Conflict in Kosovo: Failure of Prevention? An Analytical Documentation, 1992-1998.
- Author:
- Stefan Troebst
- Publication Date:
- 05-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
- Abstract:
- Not too much of inside knowledge of the Balkans was needed to realise that the winter of 1997/98 turned the formerly autonomous Yugoslav province of Kosovo inhabited predominantly by Albanians into one of the most violent-prone crisis zones in Europe. In September 1997, a massive protest movement of Albanian students gained momentum; from November 1997 on, an underground "Liberation Army of Kosovo" (UÇK)) with an estimated strength of several hundred fighters increased the number of attacks on and assassinations of Serbian officials and police officers; and the regime retaliated first by police violence, show trials, long-term sentences, and nationalist tirades, then by bringing more and more security forces into the central part of Kosovo. In January 1998, The Economist depicted Kosovo as "Europe's roughest neighbourhood”.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Ethnic Conflict, and International Organization
- Political Geography:
- Eastern Europe, Kosovo, Serbia, Balkans, and Albania
55237. Global Banking
- Author:
- Tom Barry, Martha Honey, and Christian Weller
- Publication Date:
- 05-1998
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Abstract:
- International banking activities frequently result in financial instability and serious economic downturns as financial markets become more open and deregulated. Competition from multinational banks has reduced the availability of credit to small- and medium-sized enterprises, to low- and middle-income consumers, and to farmers. While economies experience financial instabilities and declining credit, governments are losing the means to protect their domestic markets.
- Topic:
- Economics, Government, International Organization, and International Trade and Finance
55238. How Will the European Union Meet the 21st Century
- Author:
- Pal Dunay
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
- Abstract:
- The story of post-World War 2 European integration had started before integration theory gained popularity. One has to bear in mind, however, that the idea of European integration was launched with modest objectives in the 1950s. Except for some visionary statesmen, like Jean Monnet and some others, both the subject matters to be covered by integration and the geographical scope was limited. Six countries aimed at establishing a free trade zone and not much else was on their "plate" when they signed the Rome Treaty on 25 March 1957.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Europe
55239. Muddling Through? A Strategic Checklist for the United States in the Post-Cold War World
- Author:
- John Lewis Gaddis
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
- Abstract:
- The single most striking feature of the post-Cold War environment is the diffusion, not the disappearance, of threats. The half-century extending from 1941 to 1991 was, for the United States, one in which threats were both focused and obvious. From the time of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor until the final collapse of the Soviet Union exactly fifty years later, we knew who our enemies were, or at least might be. As a consequence, we abandoned the isolationism that had characterized most of our history in favor of an unaccustomed but - as it turned out - highly effective internationalism.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Europe
55240. Prospects for Europe and the Atlantic Alliance at Century's End
- Author:
- William I. Hitchcock
- Publication Date:
- 08-1998
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
- Abstract:
- Ever since the end of the Cold War, analysts have engaged in long discussions about what sort of international order would replace it. Though these discussions have ranged widely in their assessments, they usually took as their starting point a common assumption: that the Cold War order and the basic structure of international relations it represented, was over and done for. From 1989 until about 1995, this assessment seemed accurate: the alliance was falling apart, war broke out in Europe, the western economies were in a tailspin, and the delicate architecture that bound Germany to the states of Western Europe seemed to be in jeopardy, overburdened by the arrival of a united, powerful Germany. Whatever order we had, it didn't seem like anything we had seen before.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Europe