Suchergebnisse

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the evolution of Russia's position in the world trade system, especially in relation to the European Union (EU). Data show that after entering into the WTO, Russia did not use this accession to develop and diversify trade flows (like China did, for example) but it augmented its specialization in fuels and raw materials, increasing its dependency on the rest of the world, and especially on European demand. Russia did not exploit its trade potential and its favorable geographic position to foster its economic development and to improve the welfare of its population. At the same time, the integration within the European Single Market and with the rest of the world both for older and new EU member formerly linked to the Soviet Union, has helped the EU to maintain high standards of living, and a relative stability, even if increasing its dependency on Russian fuels. We argue that it is also because of these differences and the related economic problems that tensions between Russia and the EU grew over time.

This paper examines the political attributes of emigrants and how their departure affects the electoral outcomes in their home countries. I argue that emigrants are different from those who remain in their political preferences as well as economic attributes, such that large-scale emigration changes the distribution of voters in sending countries. Emigration can also directly affect the policy preferences of individuals who stay in their home countries. I test these arguments in seven Central and Eastern European countries, using individual-level surveys and region-level data on emigration and elections. To address potential endogeneity issues, I use instrumental variable analysis, leveraging the surge of Polish emigration to the United Kingdom after the EU enlargement. I find that emigrants from Central and Eastern Europe tend to be younger, highly educated, and politically more progressive and that the vote shares of far-right parties are larger in regions with higher emigration rates. Also, I find that exposure to large-scale emigration affects the vote choices of individuals who remain.