Abstract. The article reflects on a key category introduced by Adolf Bibič in his 1990 theoretical work Civil Society and Political Pluralism; namely, association pluralism. Bibič introduced this concept into Slovenian political thought to grasp the diverse social and political developments of the 1980s and to open up a new view of political pluralism that moves beyond party pluralism. The author therefore asks whether the notion of associational pluralism still holds sufficient explanatory potential and is worth preserving and developing further, or whether it can be used to deal with a new social and political reality, i.e., political pluralism, which is also strongly marked by multifaceted environmental issues. Keywords: associational pluralism, political pluralism, party pluralism, civil society, state.
A concise characterization of the political-administrative system of the Greek Republic with an emphasis on its decentralized nature & territorial division/composition. It begins with basic information about the state, including official name, government type, territorial units, total area, population, population density, capital city, EU membership, official language, & currency. The synopsis describes briefly: (1) the historical foundation & constitutional basis of the state, (2) the government structure: the division between the legislature (a unicameral parliament), the executive branch, & the judiciary; the composition, election/appointment, & functions/powers of each; the term, election, & powers of the president, (3) regional & local governments, (4) division into regions, departments, & communes, & (5) local government structure (regional council, general secretary of the region, municipal council, & the office of mayor). Adapted from the source document.
Abstract. The purpose of the article is to open up epistemological space for revitalising the idea of democratic economic planning as a viable alternative vision. It argues that a proper development of the idea must be preceded by a comprehensive critical interrogation of a hegemonic multidimensional ideological mystification of capitalism and its markets. By utilizing Marxist and eco-socialist insights the article identifies and analyses several central ideological mystifications that enact an epistemic closure. These range from the obfuscation of capitalism's role in creating the climate crisis as an inherently unsustainable system, to the mystification of its non-evolutionary origins, to the obfuscation of the role economic planning plays in contemporary capitalism, to the mystification of markets as ideal spaces of freedom and innovation obfuscating the ever present market-related oppression, exploitation and environmental devastation, and to silencing concrete historical examples of democratic economic planning such as project Cybersyn that should serve as an inspiration for imagining an alternative order. Keywords: climate change, ideological mystification, democratic economic planning, capitalism, neoliberalism
Zadnje desetletje se veliko govori o ogroženosti našega planeta, ki je zaradi vse hitrejšega razvoja industrij in čedalje večje gostote prometa posledica onesnaževanja okolja. Zaradi tega se dandanes srečujemo z enim izmed glavnih okoljskih izzivov, podnebnimi spremembami. Vemo, da onesnaževanje povzročajo vse oblike transporta, a vendar smo se v nalogi omejili samo na cestni promet. In kako bi rešili ta problem? Seveda z uporabo okolju prijaznih vozil. A vendar se tukaj potem srečamo z drugim problemom, kako kupca prepričati v takšen nakup. Zato se bomo v magistrski nalogi osredotočili na dejavnike, ki vplivajo na odločitve o nakupu okolju prijaznih vozil. Reševanja, kako bi kupca pripravili za nakup okolju prijaznega vozila, smo se lotili s spletno anketo (glede različnih okoljskih vprašanj ter nefinančnih in finančnih vidikov). Ker smo želeli videti, kako razmišljajo ljudje izven Slovenije, smo si izbrali dve državi ‒ Španijo in Poljsko (z različnih koncev Evrope). V naši spletni anketi je sodelovalo okoli 350 anketirancev v vsaki državi. Na podlagi okoljskih vprašanj smo anketirance razdelili v tri skupine, kar je bilo zelo smiselno, saj smo tako prišli do njihovih mnenj o okolju in okolju prijaznih vozilih. ; Last decade, there is a lot of talking about the endangerment of our planet due to faster industry development and heavy traffic pollution. Regarding the pollution problem, today we are facing one of the main environment challenges – climate changes. We know, that all kinds of transport causes the pollution, but we nevertheless limited only to road traffic. And how to solve this problem? With use of environmentally friendly vehicles. But again there is another problem, how to convince a consumer to buy that kind of vehicle. That is why we focused on factors that influence on decisions of buying eco-friendly vehicles in our paper work. For solving the problem regarding the decision of buying eco-friendly vehicle, we used a web survey. It contained several different environmental questions and none financial and financial point of views. We wanted to see how people outside of Slovenia are thinking, so we have chosen two countries from different parts of Europe, Spain and Poland. In our web survey, there were about 350 people questioned from each country. Regarding the environmental questions, we divided the interviewees into three groups. That is how we got their opinion about environment and eco-friendly vehicles.
Namen magistrskega dela je bilo proučiti stanje ozaveščenosti glede sistema navzkrižne skladnosti. Ravno tako je bil namen proučiti možnosti poenotenja postopkov v izvajanju sistema, identificirati dobre prakse med deležniki in jih kot skupek dobrih praks, združenih v smernice, predstaviti vsem deležnikom, z namenom postati učinkovitejši v upravljanju kontrolnih sistemov. Pri tem smo kot osnovo za izboljšanje sistema analizirali izvedbeni model obstoječega sistema navzkrižne skladnosti, proučili akreditacijska merila, ki jih mora izpolnjevati plačilna agencija in jih nadgradili z zahtevami novega standarda ISO 9001:2015. Pri standardizaciji procesov smo sledili merilom, ki prispevajo k učinkovitejšemu upravljanju kontrolnih sistemov in ugotovitve združili v prepoznane pomanjkljivosti sistema ter predloge za izboljšanje delovanja modela za dosego večje učinkovitosti sistema vodenja in uspešnejšega izvajanja sistema. Precizen odgovor na učinkovito upravljanje nadzora je v raziskavi opredeljen kot rezultat primerljivosti ugotovitev rednih sistemskih kontrol izven sistema subvencij z ugotovitvami kontrol v subvencijskem modelu. Ugotovili smo, da idejna zasnova modela deluje, vendar pa je mogoče z uporabo predlogov izboljšav obstoječega modela in odpravo izpostavljenih pomanjkljivosti učinkovitejše upravljati kontrolne sisteme znotraj skupne kmetijske politike. V okviru magistrskega dela smo izvedli kvalitativno raziskavo s pomočjo intervjujev z udeleženci vodstvenega in operativnega nivoja deležnikov modela ter s kvantitativno raziskavo. Ta je temeljila na spletnem vprašalniku, posredovanem kmetijskim svetovalcem, kmetom in potrošnikom. Na osnovi raziskave, izvedene z deležniki modela navzkrižne skladnosti, smo ugotovili, da je bistvenega pomena za uspešno skupno politiko uskladitev ciljev kmetijske, okoljske in naravovarstvene politike, ki s svojim zakonodajnim okvirjem, smernicami in ukrepi bodisi neposredno bodisi posredno vplivajo na področje navzkrižne skladnosti. Te s svojim zakonodajnim okvirjem, smernicami in ukrepi bodisi neposredno bodisi posredno vplivajo na področje navzkrižne skladnosti. Izkoristiti je potrebno prožnost politik na ravni EU kot tudi specifike naše države ter postaviti jasno srednje ročno in daljno ročno strategijo kmetijstva, z načrtovanimi in ciljno naravnanimi ukrepi, ki jih podpirajo vse ključne politike in so v interesu kmetov ter hkrati dovolj stabilni v času. Usmerjenost k temu cilju bo privedla do skladnosti s standardi, trajnostnega razvoja kmetijstva, kakor tudi večje združljivosti skupne kmetijske politike s pričakovanji kritične družbe na splošno. Navedeni elementi so bili prepoznani kot cilji politike navzkrižne skladnosti. ; The purpose of the Master thesis was to examine the state of awareness of the cross-compliance system. It was also intended to examine the possibility of standardization of the system implementation procedures, to identify best practices among shareholders and to present these to all shareholders as a set of good practices joined in guidelines, in order to become more efficient in the management of control systems. The implementation model of the existing cross-compliance system was analyzed as a basis for the improvement of the system. Furthermore, the accreditation criteria to be met by a paying agency were also examined and upgraded with the requirements of the new ISO 9001: 2015. The criteria that contribute to more effective management of control systems were followed during the standardization processes. In order to achieve greater effectiveness of the management system and more effective implementation of the system the findings were combined in the identified deficiencies of the system and proposals for improving the functioning of the model. Within the study the precise answer to the effective management of controls is defined as a result of the comparability between findings based on regular system checks outside the subsidy system and findings of controls in the subsidy model. As established the concept of the model is in place. However, with the application of proposed improvements of the existing model and the elimination of the exposed weaknesses the control systems within the Common Agricultural Policy could be managed more effectively. In the framework of the Master thesis the quantitative survey and the qualitative research were carried out, the latest through interviews with managerial and operational level of shareholders model. The quantitative survey was based on an online questionnaire submitted to agricultural advisers, farmers and consumers. The results of the research conducted with shareholders of the cross-compliance model showed that harmonization of objectives concerning agricultural, environmental and conservation policy is essential for a successful common policy. The legislative frameworks, guidelines and measures of the above mentioned policies have either direct or indirect influence on the scope of cross-compliance. It is necessary to take advantage of the flexibility of policies at EU level as well as the specifics of our country and to set clear medium term and long-term agriculture strategy, with planned and targeted measures that are supported by all key policies, in the interests of the farmers and sufficiently stable in time. Direction towards this goal will lead to the compliance with standards, the sustainable development of agriculture and will make Common Agricultural Policy more compatible with the expectations of critical society in general. These elements are identified as the cross-compliance policy objectives.
Izgorevanje fosilnih energentov negativno vpliva na naš planet in v veliki meri pripomore k negativnim spremembam našega okolja. Z namenom preprečitve teh sprememb se od devetdesetih let prejšnjega stoletja v svetu, tudi v političnem opredeljevanju, vse bolj krepi zavedanje, da je treba ukrepati in s tem namenom svetovne politike vse več pozornosti posvečajo uvajanju programov, s katerimi bi te spremembe preprečili oziroma jih vsaj omilili. Evropska unija ima pri aktivnostih varovanja okolja vodilno vlogo v svetu. Predvsem pa znotraj unije skrbi za uresničevanje zastavljenih ciljev varstva okolja in državam članicam nalaga obveze za izpolnjevanje skupnih ciljev in dopušča ukrepe, ki naj bi zagotovili izpolnitev zadanih ciljev. S tem namenom dopušča tudi izjeme od načelne prepovedi dodeljevanja državnih pomoči. Le te so dopustne le, če so skladne s pravili, ki opredeljujejo njihovo dodelitev, katera so v izključni pristojnosti Evropske komisije, in uresničujejo cilje skupnega interesa, kar skrb za varstvo okolja zagotovo je. Tako je, dodeljena skladno z enimi od takšnih pravil, to je s smernicami o državni pomoči za varstvo okolja in (energijo) , izjemoma dopustna tudi državna pomoč proizvajalcem, ki proizvajajo električno energijo iz obnovljivih virov, če je predhodno tudi potrjena s strani Evropske komisije. Takšna državna pomoč, je bila leta 2009 z Energetskim zakonom uveljavljena tudi v Republiki Sloveniji, kot podpora za električno energijo, proizvedeno iz obnovljivih virov v okviru podporne sheme. Uveljavitev podporne sheme je bila smiselna in predvsem potrebna z namenom spodbuditi potencialne investitorje k investicijam, ki bodo prispevale k razvoju oziroma povečanju deleža električne energije, proizvedene iz obnovljivih virov, v skupni bruto končni rabi električne energije. Evropska unija je Republiko slovenijo z Direktivo 2009/28/ES Evropskega parlamenta in sveta o spodbujanju uporabe energije iz obnovljivih virov namreč obvezala do leta 2020 doseči 25 odstotni delež energije iz obnovljivih virov v skupni bruto končni rabi energije. Proizvajalci, ki so zgradili oziroma namestili proizvodne naprave za proizvodnjo električne energije iz obnovljivih virov so tako lahko v okviru podporne sheme pridobili podpore, namenjene za pokritje razlike med stroški proizvodnje, vključno z normalnim donosom na vložena sredstva, in prihodki od prodaje te proizvedene električne energije na trgu. Ker so bile vrednosti podpor določene administrativno, na podlagi vrednosti primerljivih investicij pred uveljavitvijo podporne sheme, in v obdobju med leti 2010 in 2012 niso bile usklajene z razmerami enakih investicij posameznih tehnologij na trgu (katerih cene so se bolj ali manj prepolovile), so v mnogih primerih proizvajalcem dodeljene podpore, za katere se izkazuje, da niso sorazmerne in presegajo dopusten obseg državne pomoči opredeljen tako v smernicah o državni pomoči za varstvo okolja in (energijo), kot tudi v nacionalni zakonodaji. V takšnih primerih bi država načeloma morala poseči v že dodeljene državne pomoči, ki se bodo proizvajalcem izplačevale za vso proizvedeno električno energijo v obdobju 15 let od namestitve proizvodne naprave, in jih, skladno z zakonodajnimi določbami, korigirati tako, da bodo služile svojemu namenu, to je pokritju razlike med stroški proizvodnje, vključno z normalnim donosom na vložena sredstva in prihodki od prodaje te energije na trgu. ; The combustion of fossil fuels has a negative impact on the environment and has become a major contributor to negative changes in our environment. To prevent these changes, the awareness that action must be taken has been present from the 1990s onward, including political actions. Global governance, therefore, pays more attention to the introduction of the programmes that prevent or at least mitigate these changes. The European Union has a leading role in the combat against climate changes. The Member States are responsible for meeting common objectives to protect the environment and to implement the measures for the fulfilment of these objectives. In this view, exceptions to the general prohibition on state aid are allowed. These exceptions are allowed only if they are in compliance with the rules that determine their allocation and falling within the exclusive jurisdiction of the European Commission, as well as if they meet the common targets related to environmental protection. In lines with one of these rules, Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy, a state aid for the production of electricity from renewable sources is permitted. This state aid must be previously approved by the European Commission. By implementing the Energy Act in 2009, Slovenia has established such state aid as a support for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources within the frame of the support scheme. The introduction of the support scheme was a sensible and above all the necessary solution to encourage investors for investments that will contribute to the development and to increasing the share of renewable electricity in the gross final electricity consumption. By the Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources Slovenia become committed to achieve a 25 percent share of energy produced from renewable sources by 2020 in the gross final energy consumption. Producers who built or installed the facilities for the production of electricity from the renewable sources received the support within the support scheme ; the support was intended to cover the difference between the production costs, including a normal return on assets, and the revenues from the sale of electricity in the market. These supports were determined administratively on the basis of comparable investments before the support scheme was implemented ; in the period between 2010 and 2012 were not in compliance with the requirements for comparable investments in the market (prices of these investments were more or less halved). Due to that, many producers were granted the supports, which are not proportional and exceed the admissible amount of state aid determined by the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy, and national legislation. In such cases, the state should intervene in already granted supports, which are to be paid to producers for the produced electricity over the period of 15 years from the installation of the production facility. In accordance with the legislation, supports should be amend in a way to serve their purpose, that is to cover the difference between the production costs, including a normal return on assets, and the revenues from the sale of electricity in the market.
Abstract. The article addresses the question of the role of the state in the protection of human rights and freedoms. Like states, rights and freedoms are also created on the basis of social conventions, and any reference to the universal nature or natural character of rights and freedoms is only an ideological moment in the pursuit of political goals. The basic prerequisite for the protection of rights and freedoms is the establishment of organised coercion in the form of state power which brings under its authority the multitude of different interests and diverse ways of implementing justice. The conclusive findings show that for its successful introduction into the lives of individuals, the moral discourse of universal human rights and freedoms needs effective state authority that embeds these rights and freedoms into the foundations of the legitimacy of its own existence. Keywords: Constitutionalism, the state, human rights and freedoms, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
Agamben's paradoxical treatments of potentiality seem to leave little room for any robust theory of the subject, political or otherwise. His Aristotelian conception of potentiality entails, in the highest instance, "that potentiality constitutively is the potentiality not to (do or be)," which suggests that even if potential is realized, it is realized only by its lack of activity. Agamben's Aristotelianism is a thread that runs throughout his work, and by looking back to The Man Without Content, particularly his discussion of Marx, it is clear that the framework of potentiality means that it is impossible for him to see in Marx anything other than an odd combination of a "metaphysics of will", and man simply as a kind of natural, living being. This in turn shapes his later discussion in Homo Sacer of the entry of zoe into the polis, which founds Agamben's entire claim vis-a-vis bare life. His wager, namely that the question "In what way does the living being have language?" corresponds exactly to the question "In what way does bare life dwell in the polis?", equates the living being with its political, linguistic, and natural potentialities so completely that there seems to be no room for any kind of historically anomalous or collectively unprecedented subject, one that would break with history or disrupt everyday order. Agamben's work could easily be criticized from the standpoint of a Marxism that would stress the constructed nature of human potential and the necessity to think through forms of organization from within shifts in the nature of work. However, in order to stay closer to Agamben's Aristotelianism, it is far more productive to compare him to a thinker for whom questions of linguistic capacity and politics are also central, and also stem from a certain complex relation to naturalism, namely Paolo Virno. This paper will thus, via a careful reading of Agamben's Aristotelian conception of praxis and potentiality alongside Virno's work on the relation between language and labor, demonstrate the constitutive reasons why Agamben cannot consider any kind of substantial notion of the subject, and why Virno's more nuanced conception of capacity, which draws upon both rationalist and naturalist theories of the subject might constitute a more relevant alternative. Adapted from the source document.
Abstract. The Covid-19 crisis that hit the USA especially hard was accompanied by intensified anti-Chinese racism fuelled by the anti-Chinese rhetoric used by the Trump Administration. Although Trump's political opponents blamed him for having mismanaged the pandemic response, the anti-Chinese stance was a bipartisan issue. The article aims to analyse anti-Chinese racism in its systemic and historical dimensions. It examines the nature and strategic utility of antiChinese racism for past, the Trump, and future administrations as well as for America's elites generally. It is shown that anti-Chinese racism was substantially transformed during the pandemic and above all utilised to address the general destabilisation of the US-dominated socio-political and socio-economic order both at home and globally. China's growing importance around the world and the potential domestic destabilisation of the US mean that the strategic utility of anti-Chinese racism may well remain important for some time to come. Keywords: Covid-19 crisis, Trump's presidency, antiChinese racism, systemic racism, foreign policy
Sub-Saharan Africa is a very diverse region with extensive natural wealth, great human potential, and a rich history. However, the majority of its countries are among the poorest in the world and about half of its 800 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa produces only 1.5% of the world's GDP and its share in world trade has fallen from 6% in 1980 to 2% today. The region's exports remain dominated by primary goods (fuels, ores, and agricultural products). The roots of the region's economic weakness lie variously in the past colonial relationships with European countries and in unjust global trade patterns as well as in misuse of power by ruling political elites in the post-independence era. Numerous civil wars and other conflicts have fragmented the sub-Saharan countries into many factions and parties fighting for domination. The region is lagging behind developed countries because of corruption, lack of infrastructure, weakness of its institutions, heavy indebtedness, lack of education and health services, and unfavorable natural conditions, among other factors. Subsistence agriculture is the source of livelihood for most Africans. Nevertheless, average yields per hectare are low and heavily dependent on climatic conditions. Compared to urban areas (except for slums), people living in rural areas have worse infrastructure and are further from achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The recent increase in food prices is threatening the limited progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition (28% of children under age five are underweight and particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases). Little progress has been made in reducing child and maternal mortality; mortality rates remain the highest in the world. In the previous decade, life expectancy in sub-Saharan countries has fallen due to the spread of HIV/AIDS and it still remains below fifty. In addition, many negative socioeconomic effects are the result of malaria, which kills approximately one million people every year, 91% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to promote gender equality and empower women, education is of vital importance. Compared to other (especially developed) regions, school enrollment rates are considerably lower and dropout rates considerably higher, particularly for girls. The majority of countries in subSaharan Africa will not be able to achieve their educational goals by 2015. Despite the fact that the region is not exceeding the carrying capacities of its environment (as measured by its ecological footprint), environmental problems in some areas are severe. Deforestation, desertification, coral bleaching, negative effects of climate changes (sea level rise, reduced freshwater availability, extreme weather events, etc.), loss of biodiversity, and soil degradation are the most worrying. Population growth is exacerbating these environmental problems and is making it more difficult to achieve a higher standard of living for all. Owing to the complexity of developmental problems, sub-Saharan Africa will have to use its own resources very wisely and make the most of development aid from developed countries.
Abstract. This research aims to give insight into the processes of public interaction between the police and antigovernment protesters during the Coronavirus Crisis in Poland by evaluating crowd control mechanisms. It addresses the research question: where does the model of anti-government protest policing developed by the Polish Police during the Covid-19 pandemic lie on a continuum of antinomic ideal types of escalated force and negotiated management? The research is embedded in studies on protest policing and draws on an intertextual qualitative analysis of police statements and media news. It shows that the policing of protests was closer to escalated force. However, a hybrid model was involved that combined elements of coercion and negotiation. In terms of protecting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and police tolerance for community disruption, this particular form of policing is close to escalated force. Still, the communication between the police and the assembly participants, the extent and manner of the arrests closely mirrored both models. One dimension, the extent and nature of the force used, indicated negotiated management. Keywords: protest policing, contention, contentious politics, de-democratisation, Coronavirus Crisis, Poland
Risk in banking business can not be avoided because the latter is strongly embedded in the very nature of it and banks should therefore be aware of the importance of effective risk management, encompassing the identification, measurement and assessment of each type of risk. Risk management can be important source of gaining competitive advantage and a way to survive in the world of banking. One of the most important risk in bank is the credit risk. Credit risk can be defined as the potential that a bank borrower or counterparty will fail to meet its obligations. The goal of credit risk management is to maximise bank´s risk-adjusted rate of return by maintaining credit risk exposure within acceptable parameters. Banks need to manage the credit risk inherent in the entire portfolio as well as the risk in invidual credits of transaction. Banks should also consider the relationships between credit risk and other risks. The effective management of credit risk is a comprehensive component of a comprehensive approach to risk management and essential to the long-term success of bank. Risk management is usualy regulated by bank directives, prescriptions, where the most important in Slovenia is the Law about banking with under law acts.
Identity of people with dementia: Opportunity for empowerment Human identity is dynamic, fleeting, and changeable and is formed in social contexts. People with dementia are considered a vulnerable group with a less stable identity due to the nature of the disease, often causing their individuality to be disregarded. Systematic review of the literature shows that the living and social environments play an important role in the consolidation, maintenance, and reconstruction of the identity of people with dementia. Interactions of people with dementia with their living and social environments enable them to learn new strategies for expressing their identity, while social capital remains a valuable source of power in the process of identity expression, consolidation, or reconstruction. The narratives of people with dementia contribute to the preservation of their personal identity and enable reviving memories. The opportunity to share experiences and participate in social interactions serves as recognition of their uniqueness and provides them a sense of worth and value. People with dementia want to participate and engage in activities, as many are an essential building block of their identity. Successful completion of activities also helps maintain a positive self-image and experience their own worth.
The need for legal regulation of essential local community relations derives from the nature of these relations, because vital conditions for life & work are regulated in a local community. In a locally conditioned form of association of people, the relative stability & predictability of relationships, which present a potential conflict of interest, can be achieved through the legal institutionalization of citizens' communication. The necessity for rationalizing the legal regulation of social relations has been emphasized lately. These trends need to be followed also in legal defining of regions. A detailed normative definition & over-organization of local self-government & performing governmental functions represent an obstacle to the implementation of authentic interests of local residents. The very satisfaction of the common needs & interests of the population in the future region represents a functional element in the legal image of the regional self-government. This image includes also territorial & organizational components. From this point of view, it is necessary to very carefully analyze the new Article 143 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia that allows starting establishing regions as a second level of local self-government. In adopting acts that define system frameworks of regions, particular attention needs to be paid to the process of forming regions, to their financing & to delegating some tasks from the state competence to regions. References. Adapted from the source document.