Although the new international economic order (NIEO) has mostly been assessed as a failure, its ideas still seem relevant in today's crisis environment. The new context clearly shows that the existing liberal international order is ineffective and calls for deep changes like in the times of the developing countries' fight for the NIEO. The article considers whether its principles remain of relevance today, which ones have been amended and which should be newly introduced, all based on NIEO-related lessons. Dilemmas between international law or a rules-based order as a framework for global governance and whether the proposed new inclusive global economic order is to be based on values (and if so, which) are evaluated. Keywords: new international economic order, new inclusive global economic order, rules-based order, values, principles, international law, global governance, lessons
The article contributes to the theoretical debate on the current state of the global economic system and the implications it holds for the (re)distribution of social and economic power. The theoretical framework of the discussion builds upon critical accounts of the rise of platform capitalism – an economic and social system founded on digitalised work. The imagining of futures is based on the mapping of possible actors and paths of the continuation or disruption of ongoing trends. Although digitalisation in principle holds the potential to foster economic growth and reduce inequalities, the accelerated development of the digital economy in the last few decades has been accompanied by unequally distributed positive and negative economic outcomes. Overcoming the precariousness of work and life as a universal problem should be founded in simultaneous local, short-term, partial resistance and attempts to limit the negative impacts and spread of precariousness on one hand and conceptualising and promoting comprehensive and universal solutions to precariousness on the other as part of a general rethinking of the social, political and economic order of our age. Keywords: digital technology, digital economy, precarious work and life, platform economy, platform capitalism, economic power, economic inequalities
Staranje prebivalstva v Sloveniji, Evropski uniji (EU) in v drugih državah po svetu zahteva določene prilagoditve in spremembe v družbi, ki bodo omogočale kakovostno življenje vseh generacij. Namen članka je predstaviti koncept srebrne ekonomije in aktivnega staranja, ki vplivata na javno in individualno porabo treh skupin starejših; tistih, ki so dejavni, tistih, ki so krhkega zdravja in tistih, ki so v stanju odvisnosti. K spremembam demografske slike prispevajo tudi novi vzorci, kot je večje število enočlanskih gospodinjstev, selitve v mesta, ki vodijo v depopulacijo podeželskih območij, beg možganov in tudi v migracijske tokove. Z raziskavo smo ugotavljali stanje aktivnosti starostnikov v pretežno podeželskih občinah Pesnica in Kungota, ki sodita v ruralno območje Podravske regije. Anketirali smo starejše občane in zbrane podatke primerjali s prosto dostopnimi podatki statističnih baz in z rezultati indeksa aktivnega staranja v državah EU. Po indeksu aktivnega staranja se slovenski starostniki, v primerjavi s starostniki v EU, starajo precej neaktivno. Na slovenskih podeželskih območjih, kjer je delež starejših oseb višji kot v mestih, so starostniki sicer aktivni, vendar ne na vseh obravnavanih področjih. Ena izmed vzpodbud za aktivno staranje je srebrna ekonomija, ki hkrati predstavlja tudi odlično priložnost za gospodarski in družbeni razvoj. Z vključevanjem in upoštevanjem starejših generacij, z vzpodbujanjem aktivnega staranja in s pričakovanim razvojem dejavnosti srebrne ekonomije se bo povečal delež aktivnega prebivalstva na podeželju, ki bo vplival na izboljšanje gospodarskih razmer in dvig kakovosti življenja. ; The age structure of a population is changing, in Slovenia as well as in many countries of the EU and other regions of the world. The process of population ageing requires adjustments and social and economic changes that will enable the quality of life for all generations. The article is based on an economic and social analysis of existing resources and on our own research. A critical review of the literature, secondary sources, and websites dedicated to demographic problems, the silver economy, and the quality of life of the elderly was conducted. We conducted a survey of the elderly population of the municipalities of Pesnica and Kungota, which lie in the Podravska statistical region in the Republic of Slovenia. The silver economy enables the social and economic development of individual geographical areas with potential for new markets and economic activities. In this context, it is necessary to ensure access to sustainable long-term care systems for active and healthy ageing. The concept covers lifelong learning, intergenerational cooperation, research and innovation, and institutional change. In 2017, Slovenia with Strategija dolge družbe (Active Ageing Strategy) accepted the conceptual framework of the proposed changes in the areas of: the labor market and education of the elderly; independent, healthy and safe living; involvement and participation in society and the creation of capacities and environments for activity in all stages of life. All these areas coincide with the scheme of an internationally comparable system of active ageing index indicators. The research was used to determine the activity status of 81 older people in the Podravje region, in the predominantly rural municipalities of Kungota and Pesnica. There were no employees among the respondents. The survey involved active pensioners who were mainly engaged in gardening, hobbies and farming. We note that the respondents are quite independent, physically active and in good health. While independence or autonomy of the elderly is not called into question, financial security is a matter of concern, as most respondents receive low monthly incomes. The analysis of the state of activities of the elderly shows the potential for the development of the silver economy, which would help increase the income of the elderly through active policies and projects of all participants at the local and regional level (Quadruple Helix). An important area is capacity and the environment, which enable active ageing. The research showed that some respondents use ICT for educational purposes or they learn to use a computer, while others use ICT to communicate. We did not perceive social exclusion, isolation or loneliness among the respondents. The most common forms of communication are getting together with relatives and friends. The identified characteristics of the rural area in question provide insight into the situation and opportunities in the field of active ageing and at the same time indicate areas where there is potential for the development of the silver economy.
Magistrsko delo je osredotočeno na področje zanesljive oskrbe z energijo, ki zraven trajnosti in konkurenčnosti predstavlja enega izmed treh ključnih ciljev evropske energetske politike. Natančneje opredeljuje gospodarski pomen in cilje zanesljive oskrbe, tveganja, povezana z zanesljivo oskrbo, kakor tudi Akcijski načrt EU za varnost preskrbe in solidarnost pri preskrbi z energijo. Zanesljivost oskrbe je eden izmed ključnih ciljev energetske politike Evropske unije (v nadaljevanju EU), zato je posebna pozornost namenjena tudi evropski energetski politiki, njenemu nastanku, ciljem in potencialnim ukrepom kakor tudi trenutnemu stanju in izzivom energetike v EU. Slednja se danes namreč sooča z vrsto izzivov, med katerimi največji izziv predstavlja visoka uvozna odvisnost, zato je bistveno, da EU ukrepa zdaj in s skupnimi močmi, da bi si zagotovila konkurenčno, trajnostno in predvsem zanesljivo oskrbo z energijo. V ta namen si pospešeno prizadeva oblikovati skupno energetsko politiko. Ker je tudi Slovenija članica EU, magistrsko delo podrobneje predstavlja tudi izhodišča in cilje energetske politike Slovenije, zanesljivost oskrbe v Sloveniji ter njene cilje in pomen. Praktični del magistrskega dela analizira energetsko uvozno odvisnost EU in Slovenije ter vlogo obnovljivih virov energije (v nadaljevanju OVE) pri zagotavljanju zanesljive oskrbe. S pomočjo statistične primerjave, obogatene s tabelaričnimi in grafičnimi prikazi, so predstavljeni proizvodnja, viri in poraba energije v EU in v Sloveniji, kar je osnova za nadaljnjo analizo, tj. analizo uvozne odvisnosti kot glavnega pokazatelja zanesljivosti oskrbe. Predstavljena je vloga OVE pri zagotavljanju zanesljive oskrbe z energijo, hkrati pa so analizirani dejavniki, ki povzročajo razlike med državami članicami EU glede izkoriščanja OVE. Posebna pozornost je namenjena tudi napovedim za prihodnost na ravni EU kot tudi v Sloveniji. Na ravni EU sta podrobneje analizirana dva scenarija, ki analizirata evropske energetske trende do leta 2030, t. i. referenčni scenarij in scenarij Baseline 2009. Za napovedovanje energetske prihodnosti Slovenije pa so natančneje predstavljene in analizirane dolgoročne energetske bilance do leta 2030, izdelane za več scenarijev. Poseben poudarek je na projekcijah kazalnikov za spremljanje zanesljivosti oskrbe v Sloveniji. Za boljše razumevanje sta na začetku magistrskega dela predstavljena nastanek in razvoj EU ter v okviru tega Slovenija kot članica EU. ; Master's thesis is focused on the area of security of energy supply, which is next to sustainability and competitiveness one of the key objectives of the European energy policy. It specifies the economic importance of the objectives of security of supply, and the risks associated with the supply, as well as the EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan. As already stated, the security of supply is one of the key objectives of EU energy policy, therefore, special attention is also given to the creation of the European energy policy, its objectives and potential actions, as well as the current situation and challenges of the energy sector in the EU. Today the EU is facing with number of challenges, among which the biggest challenge is the high import dependency, so it is essential for Europe to take action now and work together to ensure a competitive, sustainable and above all, reliable energy supply. To this end, the EU accelerated its efforts to develop a common energy policy. Because Slovenia is also a member of the EU, master's thesis also presents origins and objectives of the Slovenian energy policy, security of supply in Slovenia and its objectives and importance. In its practical part master's thesis focuses on the analysis of the energy import dependence of the EU and the Republic of Slovenia and the role of renewable energy sources (RES) to ensure security of supply. With the help of statistical comparisons, enriched with tabular and graphic representations are presented production and consumption of energy in the EU and Slovenia, which is the basis for further analysis, i.e. analysis of import dependence, as the main indicator of security of supply. It is also presented the role of RES in providing security of energy supply, and analyzed the factors that cause differences between the EU Member States on the exploitation of RES. Special attention is also given to the predictions for the future, both at EU level as well as in Slovenia. At EU level two scenarios to analyse the Europe's energy trends by 2030 are presented, the so-called reference scenario and baseline 2009 scenario. To predict the energy future of Slovenia long-term energy balances by 2030, designed for more scenarios, are presented and analyzed. Special emphasis is placed on the projected indicators for monitoring the security of supply in Slovenia. For a better understanding of master's thesis is at the beginning also presented the formation and development of the EU as well as Slovenia, as an EU member.
Local communities have an important role in society. According to states legislature they execute local public policies. Those processes include local democracy, public administration, local economy and social entities. Also they combine public and private resources. All of these groups of factors have their own capacity. Capacity is their ability to achieve goals and consists from inside and outside factors. Capacity of local self-government is integrated capacity. It represents holistic capacity for those units. It tells us, whether they are capable of doing things they should do, according to social and political system and its demands. Local units have different level of capacity. With conceptual model and field research we tested our research hypothesis. Our hypothesis is that local self-government communities with higher capacity offer their residents broader local public services and goods. Also we studies influence of political stability and autonomy on capacity. On representative sample of municipalities in Republic of Slovenia we confirmed all ours research hypothesis. Conceptual model of capacity is a tool for analysing individual communities and for analysing the whole system of local-self government. Also many suggestions for improvement can be made.
Platform work is often characterised by economic insecurity, dehumanising control procedures, isolation, deepening racial, economic and gender inequalities, and other socio-economic problems. There are lively debates underway concerned with how to regulate or limit the negative effects of platform capitalism. This article reviews two of the most common calls for action – regulation and platform co-operatives. We argue that there is also an unexplored, complementary option, which uses the network effects of platforms to provide greater benefits for platform workers. To understand this alternative, we introduce the American Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) mechanism for employee buyouts, redefine the model according to the main cooperative values, and apply it to the platform economy. We conclude that there is a third option is available to governments and municipalities, namely to require an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in the local subsidiary of the platform company. Keywords: Platform economy, platform co-operativism, employee buyouts, platform ESOP
Članek poskuša konceptualizirati odnos med individualnim (stro-kovnim) in strukturnim v obdobju razmeroma korenitih sprememb v družbi. Izzivalna in razkrivajoča dialektika takih odnosov je analizirana s kombinacijo avtoetnografskih razmislekov, ob naslonitvi na arhivske dokumente, ki prikazujejo spremembe v delovanju strokovnega sveta v državi, ki je doživela tri temeljne miroljubne prehode in se tudi spopadla z njimi: prehod iz samoupravnega socialističnega gospodarstva v tržno gospodarstvo, prehod iz enopartijskega socialističnega sistema v repre-zentativno liberalno demokracijo in prehod iz republike, ki je bila del zvezne države, v neodvisno državo. Strokovni svet Socialistične republi-ke Slovenije (takrat še del Socialistične republike Jugoslavije), pozneje preimenovan v Strokovni svet Republike Slovenije (takrat že liberalna demokracija s tržnim gospodarstvom in z neodvisno državo), lahko slu-ži kot primer produktivnega prepletanja individualnega (strokovnega) in strukturnega pri oblikovanju in izvajanju preobrazbe izobraževalnega sistema. Kontekstualizirani prikaz in ocena premikov, ki so skupaj pri-pomogli k nastanku neodvisne države in njenega oblikovanja izobraže-valnega sistema, opisuje zapletenost in pomen refleksivnega upravljanja v času tranzicije, ki sama po sebi v ospredje postavlja vrsto pomembnih vprašanj ter vabi in podpira spremembe v izobraževalnem sistemu. Ta-kšne priložnosti država in njeni edukatorji ne bi smeli zamuditi. ; This article attempts to conceptualise the relationship between the indi-vidual (professional) and the structural in a period of relatively radical changes in society. The challenging and revealing dialectic of such rela-tions is analysed through the combination of auto-ethnographic reflec-tions and archival documents showing the changes in the functioning of a council of experts in a country that experienced and coped with three fundamentally peaceful transitions: the transition from a self-managed socialist economy to a market economy, the transition from a one-party socialist system to a representative liberal democracy, and from a re-public that was part of a federal state to an independent state. The Ex-pert Council of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia (then still part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia), later renamed the Expert Council of the Republic of Slovenia (at that time a liberal democracy with a mar-ket economy and an independent state), can serve as an example of the productive intertwining of individual (expert) and the structural in the formulation and the implementation of the functional transformation of the educational system. The contextualised account and assessment of the shifts that together helped bring about the independent state and its education system formation outlines the complexity and importance of reflexive governance in the times of transition, which, in itself, brings to the fore a number of relevant issues and invites and supports change in the educational system. Such an opportunity should not be missed by the country and its educators.
Globalizirani svet, v katerem živimo danes, je zaznamovan z gospodarsko odvisnostjo, ki jo lahko merimo z medsebojnim sodelovanjem držav. Zaradi tega je tudi gospodarstvo z leti prevzelo osrednjo vlogo pri diplomatskem delovanju. Razlika med tradicionalno in moderno diplomacijo je vse manjša. Gospodarska diplomacija je postopoma postala osrednja aktivnost diplomacije in mednarodnih odnosov. Analizirana in obdelana je bila na teoretičnem področju, kjer jo lahko razumemo kot sredstvo zunanje politike. To velja tudi za Republiko Hrvaško, ki je država z zelo dolgo zgodovino diplomacije. Že v času Dubrovniške republike je oblast prepoznala pomen mednarodnega sodelovanja za doseganje medsebojnih koristi. Tudi danes, v globaliziranem svetu, lahko prepoznamo pomen gospodarske odvisnosti in s tem tudi intenziviranja gospodarskih odnosov med državami. Da bi gospodarsko dobro sodelovala z ostalimi državami, je tudi Hrvaška razvila model gospodarske diplomacije, s katerim lahko zaščiti svojo gospodarsko rast in razvoj ter se pozicionira v mednarodnem okolju. Veliko vlogo pri tem ima Hrvaška gospodarska zbornica, ki je odprla svoja Predstavništva v različnih delih sveta. Cilj tega delovanja je promocija hrvaških podjetnikov ter privabljanje tujih naložb in s tem tudi večanje ugleda države v mednarodni areni. Hrvaška gospodarska zbornica ima velik vpliv na hrvaško gospodarstvo zaradi delovanja v tretjih državah, kjer sodeluje pri organizaciji sejmov in celotni promociji države. Tako delovanje Hrvaške gospodarske zbornice predstavlja most med državo in gospodarstvom in je zaradi aktivne udeležbe na mednarodnih trgih njeno delovanje velikega pomena za hrvaško zunanjo politiko in (gospodarsko) diplomacijo. ; The globalized world we live in today is marked by economic dependance, which can be measured by the mutual cooperation of countries. As a result, the economy has also taken on a central role in diplomatic action over the years. The gap between traditional and modern diplomacy is getting weaker, since they often overlap. Economic diplomacy has gradually become a central activity of diplomacy and international relations. Economic diplomacy has been analyzed in the theoretical field, is understood as means of foreign policy. This also applies to the Republic of Croatia, a country with a long history of diplomacy. The authorities in the times of the Republic of Dubrovnik already recognized the importance of economic dependance and thus the intensification of economic relations between countries. In order to cooperate economically with other countries, Croatia has also developed a model of economic diplomacy with which it can protect its economic growth and development, while also positioning itself in the international environment. The Croatian Chamber of Commerce plays an important role with opening different Representative Offices all over the world. The aim of these operations is to promote Croatian enterpreneurs and attract foreign investment. The Croatian Chamber of Commerce has a great influence on the Croatian economy, especially because of its operations in third countries. Thus, operations of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce represent a bridge between the state and the economy, and due to its active participation in international markets, its operations are important for Croatian foreign policy and (economic) diplomacy.
Leta 2005 se je v Evropski uniji govorilo o biogospodarstvu kot dolgoročni viziji, ki bo omogočila dvig konkurenčnosti, boljše izkoriščanje virov in zmanjšanje ogljičnega odtisa. Biogospodarstvo bo ena izmed ključnih usmeritev evropskih držav v bližnji in daljni prihodnosti. Smernice razvoja je začrtala tudi Evropska komisija, temu pa sledijo podporni inštrumenti, ki omogočajo vpeljavo akcijskih načrtov in strategij. Nekatere evropske države, med njimi vodilna Nemčija in Nizozemska, imajo tovrstni sistem že močno zakoreninjen v gospodarskih reformah, vse od krožnega gospodarstva, uporabe biomase, principa kaskade dodajanja vrednosti in vpeljave biorafinerij za nove produkte. Priložnosti so tako na vseh področjih, od kmetijstva, lesne in lesnopredelovalne industrije do ribištva in bioosnovane industrije. Namen raziskovalne naloge je bil preveriti dejavnike, ki vplivajo na razvoj biogospodarstva v Sloveniji. Raziskavo sem izvedel s poglobljenimi polstrukturiranimi intervjuji z več predstavniki iz industrije in raziskovalnih ustanov ter s kreatorji politik (državnih ustanov) in grozdov. Izkazalo se je, da v slovenskem prostoru nimamo strategije, namenjene prehodu v biogospodarstvo, in tako prihaja zgolj do kratkotrajnih primerov dobrih praks na tem področju. Zaradi nizkih industrijskih vlaganj, nerazvitega trga in nizke stopnje ozaveščenosti, tovrstnih produktov tudi še ni na tržišču kljub mnogim raziskavam, ki potekajo na tem področju. Potencial grozdenja pa ostaja neizkoriščen. ; Bioeconomy in the European Union was considered a long-term vision leading to increased competitiveness, better use of resources and reduction of carbon footprint already since 2005. Bioeconomy remains one of the key strategies by European countries in the immediate as well as more distant future. The European Commission developed the guidelines, which were followed by instruments enabling the implementation of action plans and strategies. In some European countries, among them Germany and the Netherland as the leading ones, such systems are already deeply rooted in their economic reforms. This includes circular economy, use of biomass, principle of added value cascade and biorefineries. There are opportunities in the field of the processing industry, different fields of biomass production and processing such as agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, food and wood processing, as well as general biobased industry. The aim of this research was to assess the bioeconomy opportunities and factors influencing bioeconomy. Our study was conducted by in-depth semi-structured interviews with several shareholders from industry, research institutions, policy makers and clusters in Slovenia. Surprisingly, we have observed, that in Slovenia, there is practically no strategy focusing on the transition towards bioeconomy, but only few short-term examples of good practice in this field. Although a number of research projects have been conducted in this sector, and considering very low availability of investments in this field, an underdeveloped market and low awareness-level, there are only few biobased products avaiable on the Slovene market. The potential of clustering has thus become been underexploited.
V obsežni raziskavi smo identificirali ključne sektorje gospodarstev držav EU. Sektorske multiplikatorje smo lahko izračunali za 16 držav članic EU(Avstrijo, Belgijo, Češko, Nemčijo, Dansko, Finsko, Francijo, Veliko Britanijo, Grčijo, Irsko, Italijo, Litvo, Nizozemsko, Poljsko, Portugalsko in Slovenijo). Medtem ko ni bilo možno izračunati sektorskih multiplikatorjev za 12 držav članic EU(Bolgarijo, Ciper, Estonijo, Hrvaško, Latvijo, Luksemburg, Madžarsko, Malto, Romunijo, Slovaško, Španijo in Švedsko), ker matrike niso imele definiranega inverza. V analizi smo ugotovili, da so najbolj odporni na krizo sektorji, ki so v daljšem obdobju v opazovanem gospodarstvu imeli največji vpliv na povezanost za nazaj in povezanost za naprej. V obdobju od leta 2001 do 2011 smo analizirali ključne sektorje v opazovanih 16 državah članicah EU. Ugotavljali smo podobnosti in razlike v spreminjanju medsektorskih povezav in s tem strukture gospodarstva v državah članicah Evropske unije. Identificirali smo tiste sektorje, ki so najbolj pripomogli , da so opazovane države članice Evropske unije čim prej okrevale po gospodarski in finančni krizi. ; In a large study, we identified key sectors of the economies of the EU. Sectoral multipliers, we can calculate the 16 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia). While it was not possible to calculate the sectoral multipliers for the 12 EU Member States (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden), whereas the matrix did not have defined inverses. In the analysis, we found that the most resistant to the crisis sectors over a long period of observation economy had the greatest impact on the integration of back and forward integration. In the period from 2001 to 2011 were analyzed for key sectors in the observed 16 EU Member States. We seek to determine similarities and differences in changing cross-cutting links and the structure of the economy in the Member States of the European Union. We have identified those sectors that have most contributed to the observed Member States of the European Union as soon as possible to recover from the economic and financial crisis.
Abstract. The author assesses the relevance and analytical significance of authoritarian liberalism and interprets it as one of the modern conceptual models of ordoliberalism and European integration. The basic concepts of authoritarian liberalism and ordoliberalism emphasise the political and ideological connection between the authoritarianism of the strong state and the economic liberalism of market rationality. As a flexible market-oriented form of authoritarian liberalism, ordoliberalism means a rational strategy for maintaining and promoting the European integration project towards which the market economy and the technocratic elite are moving to contain crises. Due to the presence of the values of political liberalism, pluralism and the rule of law, authoritarianism in this structure is not repressive or monocentric, but subject to democratic criticism in relation to the supranational regulation of European integration. Keywords: authoritarian liberalism, ordoliberalism, market capitalism, democracy, eurocrisis, European integration
Abstract. Many risks are associated with the Covid-19 crisis and related lockdown measures in the areas of employment, the economy, and everyday life. Working parents have faced the challenge of combining their work and family obligations following the closure of schools and kindergartens. A considerable number have encountered a bigger risk of unemployment and the linked financial instability. The extensive literature analysing changes during Covid-19 suggests that women have tended to suffer more, been faced with both less stability since their employment statuses appear to be more precarious, and been disproportionally affected by the heavier burden of balancing family care and work obligations. Our own analysis of the most reliable survey data available shows corresponding changes in Slovenia, confirming that the crisis reveals certain less visible, already existing inequalities along with particular new gender inequalities, and in this respect also presents specific research design conditions for assessing otherwise hidden disparities. The results indicate the consequences for the subjective well-being of women compared to men of the more precarious employment and the stronger demand for family care. Keywords: Covid-19, gender inequalities, employment flexibility, work from home, family care, life satisfaction
Ko slišimo za pojem korupcija, takoj pomislimo na zlorabo javne službe za doseganje lastnih koristi. Posamezniki in podjetja podkupujejo administrativne uslužbence, da le-ti uredijo zadeve, ki morajo biti rešene. Gre torej za izsiljevanje rent od gospodarskih udeležencev in posledično od ekonomije same izključno za zasebne koristi politikov in uradnikov. Tovrsten pristop k obravnavanju pojava je v zadnjih letih začrtal popolnoma novo smer analiziranja in merjenja korupcije. Korupcija se predstavi v popolnoma novi podobi, v kateri posamezniki, skupine oziroma podjetja vplivajo na formulacijo zakonov, ali celo spreobračajo že oblikovana pravila igre, da bi si s tem zagotovili pomembne ugodnosti. Korupcija je in vedno bo obstajala v svetu, edina razlika je v tem, da se z razvojem družb spreminja, prevzema bolj prefinjene oblike, zaradi katerih jo je težje odkrivati in preprečevati. Vse bolj razsežne in destruktivne posledice, ki jih ima korupcija na gospodarsko rast in družbeno stabilnost, nujno zahtevajo praktične strategije omejevanja korupcije. Problem korupcije se ne omejuje na določeno regijo, kajti z njenimi grožnjami se ubadajo tako razvite države kot tudi države v razvoju in tranzitne države. V postsocialističnih državah so sočasni procesi razvijanja tržne ekonomije, oblikovanja novih političnih in socialnih institucij ter prerazporejanje družbene lastnine ustvarili rodna tla za pojav korupcije. Zaradi kompleksnosti fenomena in predvsem zaradi vse večjega zavedanja, da vzroki za prevzem države presegajo golo neučinkovitost in šibkost državne uprave, je potrebno za razumevanje in odpravljanje state capture razsvetliti problem širših strukturalnih povezav, kot so interna organizacija političnega sistema, odnosi in zveze med ključnimi državnimi institucijami, interakcije med podjetji in državo ter povezave med državo in civilno družbo. ; When we think about corruption, an image quickly comes to mind of abuse of public office for private gains. Individuals and firms are bribing bureaucrats to »get things done«. Behind this view lies an understanding of the state extracting rents from the economy for the exclusive benefit of politicians and bureaucrats. Such an aprroach has had a powerful impact on the way corruption has been analyzed and measured in recent years. Corruption has taken on a new image – that of individuals, groups, or firms manipulating policy formation and even shaping the emerging rules of the game to their own, very substantional advantage. Corruption has always existed across the world and it will never disappear, the difference is that has become more sophisticated and thus more difficult and costly to detect. With the increasing recognition across the globe of the damaging effects of corruption on economic growth and social stability, the demand for practical strategies to reduce corruption has grown dramatically. The problem is not confined to any particular region, and developed, developing and transition countries alike are confronting these challenges. In postcommunist states the simultaneous processes of developing a market economy, designing new political and social institutions and redistributing social assets have created fertile ground for corruption. With regard to complexity of phenomena and with increasing recognition that the roots of state capture extend far beyond weaknesses in the capacity of government, we need to be aware of factors underlying the persistence of corruption that is broader structural relationships, including the internal organization of the political system, relationships among core state institutions, the interactions between the state and firms, and the relationship between the sate and civil society.
V Sloveniji se že vrsto let odvijajo razprave o ustanovitvi druge ravni lokalne samouprave, kljub več poskusom in ustavni zahtevi pa zaenkrat še vedno nimamo pokrajin. Regionalna in širša lokalna samouprava sta stalnici v večini držav Evropske unije (EU), eden izmed ključnih in najpomembnejših vidikov vzpostavitve take oblike oblasti pa je prav gotovo skrbna in ciljno naravnana določitev pristojnosti. V osrednjem delu te naloge so predstavljene okvirne ureditve nalog pokrajin v državah EU po naslednjih vsebinskih sklopih: zdravstvo, regionalni razvoj, gospodarstvo in turizem, izobraževanje in kultura ter infrastruktura, varstvo okolja in kmetijstvo. Naloga na kratko predstavi tudi prispevek Sveta Evrope in EU k razvoju lokalne samouprave na tej vmesni ravni, za jasnejše razumevanje pa poskuša jasno določiti tudi ločnico med federalno in unitarno ureditvijo ter regionalno in širšo lokalno samoupravo. Na koncu dodaja pregled stanja v Sloveniji v povezavi z ustanovitvijo pokrajin, določitvijo njihovih pristojnosti, njihovo ureditvijo v ustavi in trenutni predlagani zakonodaji. Ustava Republike Slovenije iz leta 1991 namreč predvideva tri vrste pristojnosti, in sicer naloge širšega lokalnega pomena, zadeve regionalnega pomena in naloge iz državne pristojnosti. Pri tem bomo morali biti pozorni, da pokrajinam ne bomo naložili preveč državnih pristojnosti in jim tako otežili ali celo onemogočili učinkovito opravljanje njihovih izvirnih pristojnosti. Ustrezna določitev pristojnosti je namreč ključnega pomena, pri tem pa nam je lahko v veliko pomoč poznavanje dobrih praks drugih držav, vendar pa se moramo vedno zavedati, da jih je treba razumeti v luči njihove družbene realnosti in ne pričakovati popolne preslikave pri nas. ; In Slovenia, discussion about the establishment of the secondary level of local self-government have been going on for years, but despite numerous attempts and a constitutional order, we still do not have provinces. Regional and local self-government are regularities in the majority of States of the European Union (EU), but one of the crucial and most important aspects of the establishment of such an authority is for sure a careful and goal-oriented determination of competences. In the main part of this thesis, we present framework regulations of the tasks of provinces in EU States by the following content sets: healthcare, regional development, economy and tourism, education and culture, infrastructure, environmental protection and agriculture. The thesis also briefly presents the contribution of the Council of Europe and EU to the development of local self-government at this intermediate level, but for better understanding, it tries to set a clear boundary between the federal and unitary regulation and the regional and wider local self-government. Finally, it adds an overview of the state in Slovenia in relation to the establishment of provinces, the determination of their competences, their regulation in the constitution and current proposed legislation. The 1991 Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia namely assumes three types of competences ; tasks of wider local importance, matters of regional importance and tasks within the State competence. In this manner, we will have to be careful to not assign to many State competences to provinces and thus complicate or even prevent provinces from effectively execute their original competences. Appropriate determination of competences is namely crucial and in this matter knowledge about good practices of other States can be of great help to us, but we have to be always aware that we have to understand them in the light of their social reality and not expect their perfect reflection in our case.
