Rubrics » Bridging News
Russia’s Trump Card Against China and Reshaping Power Dynamics
On 18 December 2019, Donald Trump, the current President of the United States of America, was impeached by the House Judiciary Committee following allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the third US President to be impeached after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton (while Richard Nixon stepped down before a vote could be cast on his impeachment). The charges brought against Trump were attempting to coerce Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky into helping him win the upcoming 2020 elections by launching an investigation against Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter regarding pressure by Biden, as Obama’s VP, to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the energy firm employing his son. Trump apparently sought to ensure Ukraine’s help by withholding American military and diplomatic support for Ukraine. More
Complicity and Complacency: American Liberalism’s Radical Turn
What will it take to bring politics back down to earth? We must stop lifting it to heaven! In this age of political religions, all ideologies are best seen as Christian heresies. Since man is made in the image of God, all imitate, covet, even worship this image. Idolatry in its countless forms is at the root of their power and popular appeal. More
Who Wins Trade Wars? A Brief Incursion into History
Intended to restore the greatness of America (how can we forget Make America great again?), the trade war triggered by the United States against uncomfortable partners such as China on the basis of secular trade deficits and other grievances is causing a wave of global concern. It has resulted, at the very least, in a slowdown in the increase of the international trade volumes, 2.6% in 2019 compared to 3% in 2018, according to a World Trade Organization Press Release. More
The Efficient Wage and Its Challenges
The standard Economics states that the gross nominal wage which is consistent (that is, non-contradictory) with the criterion of economic behaviour of the employer – the gross profit maximization – must be at most at the level of monetary expression of the marginal labour productivity (such a level could be called the optimal-based wage – OBW). Let us presume, for the sake of discussion, that the employer does not wish to exploit the employee, so he does not pay less than the OBW. But what happens if he pays more than the OBW? Here emerges the concept of the efficient wage (EW), that is that gross level of the wage which is higher than the OBW. In the present intervention, I will discuss some issues related to the concept of EW, in the very context of Romanian economy where, quite recently, such a philosophy of remuneration was implemented. More
Romania, Second Lowest Hourly Labour Cost in EU
Romania had the second lowest hourly labour cost in the EU in 2021, according to data published by Eurostat. The recorded value (€8.5) was higher than in Bulgaria (€7.0), but under the levels for Latvia (€ 11.1), Croatia (€ 11.2), Lithuania (€ 11.3) and Poland (€ 11.5). The highest labour costs were recorded in Denmark (€46.9), Luxembourg (€43.0) and Belgium (€41.6) (see infograph). More
The Iron Laws of Romanian Politics
The 26th of May European elections have produced a mixed picture across the European Union, where Eurosceptic, populist or non-mainstream parties have consolidated their gains in some of the largest Member States (such as France, Italy and, for what it is worth, the UK), while suffering losses in some medium sized and small states (such as Romania, the Netherlands and Austria), with no notable change occurring in most countries (such as Poland, Hungary, Sweden or Germany). Still, even a country now hailed as a bulwark against right wing populism, such as Spain, will feature a far-right party in the European Parliament for the first time. More
My Mauser Is Bigger than Yours
The arrival of four recently acquired Russian Su-30SM heavy multifunctional jet fighters in Armenia is far from being defined as ‘turning the chessboard on one’s opponent’, but it definitely triggers a new stage in the arms race between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Eight more jets of this kind are expected, bringing the total number to 12. The deal marks Armenia’s ambition to deconstruct Azerbaijan’s long enjoyed air superiority over the frontline and beyond. More
The Boomerang Effect of the Russia - Ukraine Conflict on the Wheat Supply Chain
One of the most significant shockwaves to be felt outside of Ukraine since the Russian invasion is not in Europe, but in Africa. With an export of $14.75 billion, Russia stood in 8th position of total exports to Africa in 2021. Even though the import statistics of Africa decreased by 35.4% YoY, the import from Russia saw an increase of 19% YoY. More
The Triad Nature - Nurture - Culture and the Social Justice in the Context of the Current Crises
Discussions about the trinomial nature - nurture - culture back in topically in situations where our living conditions are threatened. Whenever our minimal comfort is threatened, we turn to values such as personal identity, self-respect, ethics, morality, equity etc. and call for measures of justice (global, climate, energy, social etc.), trying to find solutions, again starting from the analysis of the main values that govern our existence. A brief discussion of the elements of the triad will help us understand its implication in today’s reality of economic change. More
The Romanian Electoral Spleen
The European and presidential elections to be held this year in Romania will be heralded as a turning point, but despite their importance – particularly for the broader European context, where populist parties might tip the political balance – they fall into a familiar post-communist pattern: a battle between a corrupt, populist, but highly effective governmental force and a fragmented, noisy, but often equally tarnished, incompetent and amateurish opposition, not very capable to govern either. Although Romania is usually classified as a relatively new democracy in international political analyses, because of the totalitarian and authoritarian interlude, this pattern runs deep in the country’s history, sociology and institutional make-up, encompassing pre-communist as well as post-communist elements, despite the superficial novelties of one-time electoral contests. More
Leadership à la CEE: Values & Approaches
Another book review? Of yet another leadership book? There are and continue to appear so many books on leadership from so many angles, including innovation, creativity and artificial intelligence. And yet, what makes this particular book special and entices readers to pick it up and read it are first of all the authors and the region they chose to deal with. The book in discussion is “Leading in the Age of Innovations: Change of Values and Approaches” by Lenka Theodoulides, Gabriela Kormancova and David Cole, published by Routledge, 2019, in the Routledge Studies in Leadership Research Series. You can find it here. More
Reiwa – Bright New Beginning or Small Step Forward, in Kaizen Style
Spring 2019 came brought with it a new Era in Japan, Reiwa (“beautiful harmony” – the name was inspired from the ancient Japanese collection of poems “Manyoshu”). For the first time in recent history, a Japanese Emperor abdicated.The new Emperor, Naruhito, is a symbol of things that are supposed to be changed in the Japanese society in the years to come. He is a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities in the world, University of Oxford, he speaks fluent English and during his first official meeting with a foreign Head of State, President Trump, he did not use the services of the officially designated interpreter. But, despite the modern attitude, the whole world was able to enjoy the official ceremony of crowning on May 1st, which reminded us of the period when Manyoshu was written, the Heian period. More
