Between Breivik and PEGIDA: the absence of ideologues and leaders on the contemporary European far right

In the aftermath of the Norwegian terror attacks of 22 July 2011, the question of agency with regard to the convicted perpetrator, Anders Behring Breivik, has frequently been discussed. Did he really act on his own? Were his actions self-directed? Was he, as a typical ‘lone wolf’, inspired by the prevalent far-right concept of ‘leaderless resistance’ or, simply, a blind tool, a string puppet pushed and pulled by dark forces, as some commentators have claimed? His cut-and-paste manifesto points to inspiration from ideas circulating in the European Counter Jihad Movement (ECJM), in itself a contradictory mix of ideological positions. A number of these ideas were given new life when the so-called ‘populist right-wing movement of indignation’, the Patriotische Europäer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes (PEGIDA) took to the streets of Dresden in the autumn of 2014. The driving force behind PEGIDA, Lutz Bachmann, with a past as petty criminal and doorman, is an unlikely front man for one of the most successful political initiatives in post-unification Germany. Comparing Breivik and PEGIDA, Önnerfors argues that the ECJM is part of the ‘third generation’ of right-wing discourse that is without a consistent world view, dominant leaders and prolific ideologues. Instead, in a new atmosphere of ‘politics of passion’ and ‘post-politics’, fuzzy ECJM ideology turns into a screen upon which diffuse uneasiness with current political affairs can be projected and channelled. Outside the scope of Önnerfors's article but worth noting is the considerable impact these developments have had on electoral support for right-wing populist parties such as the Front National in France, the Alternative für Deutschland in Germany and the Sverigedemokraterna in Sweden.     

More politicians,more corruption: evidence from Swedish municipalities

In the literature on political economy and public choice, it is typically assumed that government size correlates positively with public corruption. The empirical literature, however, is inconclusive, owing to both measurement problems and endogeneity. This paper creates a corruption index based on original data from a survey covering top politicians and civil servants in all Swedish municipalities. The effect of more politicians on corruption problems is analyzed using discontinuities in the required minimum size of local councils. Despite the fact that Sweden consistently has been ranked among the least corrupt countries in the world, the survey suggest that non-trivial corruption problems are present in Sweden. Municipalities with more local council seats have more reported corruption problems, and the regression discontinuity design suggests that the effect is causal.     

Zur Vorwerfbarkeit der Schimmelbildung wegen mangelnden Lüftungsverhaltens des Mieters

Bei der Auslegung von Vertr?gen ist grunds?tzlich nur auf die Umst?nde im Zeitpunkt der Vertragserkl?rung abzustellen, sodass zukünftige ?nderungen der Verkehrsauffassung oder auch der Rechtslage im Allgemeinen nicht in die Erhaltungspflicht einflie?en. Der Vermieter ist im Allgemeinen nicht zur laufenden Anpassung bzw Modernisierung des Bestandobjekts verpflichtet, sofern nicht gesetzliche oder vertragliche Mindeststandards unterschritten werden.     

Under the Kremlin's Thumb: Does Increased State Control in the Russian Gas Sector Endanger European Energy Security?

This article examines the effect of increased state control over the Russian gas sector and its ultimate impact on energy security in Europe. The various mechanisms by which the state has acquired ownership (or quasi-ownership) over several independent gas producers as well as the potential dangers this poses for European energy supplies are scrutinised. Due to the demonstrated inefficiency of Russian state-controlled companies, negative consequences, such as slowed production growth, are likely to result. The few remaining independent gas producers are still hampered in their development due to the government's reluctance to implement structural reforms in the Russian gas sector.     

Keine Berücksichtigung von mietvertraglichen Wartungs-/Instandhaltungspflichten des Mieters als Zu- bzw Abschlag zum Richtwertmietzins

Die in § 16 Abs 2 Z 1 bis 6 MRG enthaltene Aufz?hlung jener Kriterien, die Zuschl?ge oder Abstriche zum bzw vom Richtwert begründen, ist taxativ und betrifft neben der Zweckbestimmung der Wohnung – bis auf § 16 Abs 2 Z 3 MRG – durchwegs die tats?chliche Beschaffenheit des Hauses und der Wohnung, nicht aber die im Mietvertrag enthaltene Verteilung (übernahme) von Verpflichtungen, insb betreffend Wartungs- und Instandhaltungspflichten. § 16 Abs 2 Z 3 MRG und Abs 7 MRG bieten keine tragf?hige Analogiegrundlage, um eine mietvertragliche Verteilung (übernahme) von (einzelnen) Wartungs- und Instandhaltungspflichten durch Zuschl?ge oder Abstriche im Richtwertzinssystem zu berücksichtigen.     

Bestandgeberpflicht zur Abtretung der aus einem Versicherungsverhältnis bestehenden Ansprüche an den Bestandnehmer

Nur wenn und insoweit die Kosten einer energiesparenden Ma?nahme iSd § 3 Abs 2 Z 5 MRG in einem wirtschaftlich vernünftigen Verh?ltnis zum allgemeinen Erhaltungszustand des Hauses und den zu erwartenden Einsparungen stehen, sind solche Ma?nahmen dem Bereich der ordentlichen Verwaltung zuzuordnen. Jede Erhaltung im weiten Sinn des § 3 MRG setzt eine Reparaturbedürftigkeit, Schadensgeneigtheit oder Funktionseinschr?nkung voraus.     

Interactive Relations Between Universities and Firms: Empirical Evidence for Austria

In recent years interaction between universities and the business sector and the role of these collaborations in fostering innovation has received greater attention. This paper analyzes different types of interactions between the two sectors from the perspectives of universities and firms. The three major research questions address the frequency of different types of interactions, the benefits that companies derive from interaction with universities and determinants of interaction for both sectors.Two different surveys form the empirical base for this paper: One among innovative firms in Austria, one among all Austrian university departments. The methodologies we use are analyses of variance and logistic regressions. Our results demonstrate that the main channel of knowledge transfer from universities to the business sector still occurs through the mobility of human capital. The major barriers of interaction lie in the differences between cultures of the two spheres as well as lack of information at the side of firms.     

Mapping Utopias: A Voyage to Placelessness

I have a map which indicates clearly and beyond any doubt the way to Utopia. I start the journey with a survival kit of paradigmatic egalities, noumenal legalities, and nervous ideals. However, the more I move into the uncartographied space, the more I realise that my survival kit is changing, to the point of becoming porous and permeable. The journey to Utopia is condensed to a log of phenomenological bracketing, where the immersion to the Lebenswelt equals the loss of oneself, and where the descent from the Transcendental to the Natural proves to be as meaningful as the escalating bracketing from the Natural to the Transcendental. The negation of Utopia (ou-topos) displaces not only my Utopia but also my egocentric quest for identity: the ‘I’ becomes ‘me’ before it vanishes, space becomes place, intentionality turns back to itself and retraces its path. The more I approach my destination, the more negation devours distance. When I finally arrive to the designated point, where, according to the map, lies Utopia, the only thing I discover is a map, identical to the one I hold, that indicates, clearly and beyond any doubt, the way to Utopia. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.