Category Archives: Posts by author

Pragmatismul în politică 2

by • Analysis, Andrei Cristian Vlad, Posts by author, Romanian Politics • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Măsura creşterii pensiilor, iniţiată de guvernul Tăriceanu, a stârnit o serie de controverse, cea mai evidentă fiind cea potrivit căreia un Guvern care creşte pensiile pe „spatele” contribuabililor înstăriţi are un comportament cât se poate de neliberal şi cât se paote de social-democrat.

Această teorie merită analizată mai profund. Vom discuta contextul politic al măsurii şi nu beneficiile sau dezavantajele acesteia. Pensionarii sunt una din categoriile cele mai importante, numeric vorbind, de alegatori din România.

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Neajunsurile semi-prezidenţialismului 1

by • Analysis, Bogdan C. Enache, Romanian Politics • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Palatul Cotroceni : sediul Preşedinţiei României

Există două mari modele de regimuri democratice moderne, regimul parlamentar şi regimul prezidenţial. Semi-prezidenţialismul se doreşte un al treilea, undeva la jumătatea distanţei dintre cele două. Natura sa sui generis predispune ideea de regim semi-prezidenţial la controverse. Cu toate acestea, regimul semi-prezidenţial şi-a câştigat un loc obligatoriu în manualele de ştiinte politice.

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Fricile intelectualului român (2. să nu ne temem de Gigi Becali) 3

by • Analysis, Andrei Tiut, Posts by author, Romanian Politics • Tags: , , , , , ,

În textul care îl precede pe acesta am încercat să sugerez (fără a face o demonstraţie completă) că fricile care ar popula în momentul de faţă imaginarul intelectual românesc se referă la Nicolae Văcăroiu, ca reprezentant al trecutului comunist, Gigi Becali şi Corneliu Vadim Tudor, ca reprezentanţi a două tipuri de naţionalism.

În acest text voi încerca să arăt că asemenea temeri sunt supraevaluate, în sensul că deşi parţial explicabile, ele nu mai justifică acţiunile care ni se cer în numele lor.

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United States vs. Russia: Wrangling over the Missile Shield Răspunde

by • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , ,

The announced deployment of parts of the American missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic soured relations with Russia’s, many annalists arguing that bilateral relations between the former rivals have reached their lowest point since the end of the Cold War. Besides the spat over the deployment ABM shield in Central Europe there are many other issues that have lead to the increase in tensions between Russia and the United States: American deployment of forward bases in Romania and Bulgaria, US involvement in the former Soviet space (Ukraine, Georgia, the Caucasus and Central Asia) as well as public criticism regarding Russia’s internal politics and finally the gross imbalance of power between the United States and the rest of the members of the international system. All in all Russia has many reasons to feel threatened by the United States and from its point of view the recent strategic developments in Europe are worrying.

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Romania and Russia: conflict and cooperation 1

by • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This article will deal with the current status of relations between Romania and Russia. I will argue that although there are issues when cooperation can occur between the two states, the opportunities for conflict far outweigh them.

One thing that must be cleared from the beginning is that the relation between the two countries is and was asymmetrical. This relationship is and has been asymmetrical because it involves a great power or a medium power (depending on the timeline) and a small power. Today Russia can be catalogued as an aspiring great power while Romania remains a small power (with a good prospect of becoming a regional power).

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Fricile intelectualului român (ca ipoteză de lucru) 3

by • Analysis, Andrei Tiut, Posts by author, Romanian Politics • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

În cadrul unei dispute la TVR între susţinătorii şi oponenţii preşedintelui proaspăt demis l-am putut auzi pe dl Liiceanu făcând o afirmaţie extrem de surprinzătoare pentru un discurs raţional. Anume, susţinea domnia-sa, un ziar din Europa şi cu un alt ziar sunt împreună „ziarele din Europa”.

Nu încape îndoială că vorbitorul ştia că 1+1 dau întotdeauna 2, în timp ce în Europa sunt destul de multe ziare. Poate că era pur şi simplu nervos şi/sau obosit, astfel încât i-a scăpat o frază pe care s-a sfiit pe urmă să o mai retracteze.

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Turcia este un stat laic. Ce va urma? 3

by • Analysis, Cosmin Carbunaru, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , , , ,

De cateva zile pe toate siturile de stiri ni se arata situatia politica confuza a Turciei – lupta dintre sustinatorii statului laic si cei ai partidului islamist. Propunerea partidului islamist de alegere a ministrului de externe, Abdulah Gul, un islamist convins, în funcţia de preşedinte, a starnit moblizare politica a adversarilor islamismului, cat si amenintari din partea armatei ca va interveni pentru a stopa orice incearcare de schimbare a status-quo-ului. In cele din urma aceasta alegere a fost blocată de Curtea Constituţională, care a motivat că ar fi încălcată separaţia dintre religie şi politica. Opoziţia a boicotat votul din Parlament pentru a face imposibilă alegerea lui Abdulah Gul în postul de preşedinte. Criza este in curs si pentru depasirea acesteia este nevoie de alegeri anticipate in iunie.

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A New Trend in United States’ Foreign Policy 4

by • Analysis, Andrei Cristian Vlad, English content, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , , ,

One particular bit of news, which may very well pass unnoticed sheds some light on a possible future course of United States’ future foreign policy. The news is that the US Congress has reached an agreement with the White House over new free trade policy guidelines. This agreement could ease the ratification of trade deals with several Latin American countries. Under the new policy, countries with free trade deals with the US will be committed to adopting and enforcing laws that abide by basic international labour standards as well as internationally-agreed environmental standards of business practice. US deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte, said that the Latin American states are ”strategic elements not only to our economic relations but also to our political relations”.

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Russia and the EU: Quo Vadis? 1

by • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , ,

In this article I will argue that EU’s relations with the Russian Federation are at a crossroads, with the latter gaining leverage while the former has trouble finding an adequate response to this challenge.

The differences between two actors stem from two quite different perceptions of world politics and diplomacy. Russia sees international politics from a realist perspective emphasising power politics and strategic cooperation while the EU is advancing a post-Westphalian agenda of international politics based on shared norms and values. These different approaches and understandings of the international system have lead to an impasse in EU-Russian relation.

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Cementing the Alliance: Romania’s Parliament Allows the Deployment of U.S. Forces in the Country 16

by • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , , ,

Yesterday May 2, 2007, the Romanian Parliament adopted with a comfortable majority a resolution allowing for the stationing of US troops in the country. U.S. forces will use “Mihail Kogalniceanu” air base as well as several Romanian training ranges such as: Babadag, Smardan and Cincu. These troop redeployments are a part of the new basing strategy by the Pentagon which will put U.S. forces near to the theatres of operations of Afghanistan and Iraq, and will allow for far more flexible deployments for American troops around the world. The importance of these bases for U.S operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan is revealed by the forward operating bases status given to them by the Pentagon.

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Ballistic Missile Defense: A New Divisive Issue between Russia and NATO Răspunde

by • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: , , , , , ,

A new divisive issue between Russia and NATO has come to the fore: the deployment and development of ballistic missile defenses in Europe by the United States in Central Europe.

The debate regarding missile defense is not new. It dates back to the Cold War when the United States used the Strategic Defense Initiative, colloquially known as Star Wars to bankrupt the Soviet Union. Today however ballistic defenses have returned as an issue of international politics when the United States decided to retreat from ABM treaty signed in 1972 and develop this type of strategic defense in order to protect itself from countries like Iran and North Korea – the infamous “rogue states” from the “axis of evil”.

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Constituţia este confirmată la vot Răspunde

by • Analysis, Bogdan C. Enache, Posts by author, Romanian Politics • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Conflictul politic din prezent, prilej de pasiuni populare şi interminabile dezbateri, nu ar provoca probabil atâta nelinişte, stupoare şi înflăcărare dacă, atât observatorii pasivi cât şi cei angajaţi partizan, l-ar circumscrie – cum este absolut necesar, de altfel – strict cadrului constituţional în care se desfăşoară.

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