Slovakia

European Journal of Political Research -     

Prospects For Acquired Rights

A notable feature of European Union Directives is that they are initially somewhat loosely worded, necessitating constant (re)interpretation by the European Court of Justice. This process may itself eventually necessitate the publication of a new version of a Directive, once again creating tensions between member states. Few Directives illustrate this better than that concerned with the 'acquired' rights of employees in the case of business transfers which has recently been revised more than twenty years after its original publication. This article sets out to explore, mainly in the context of the UK: the context and content of the original Directive; its particular relevance for the increasingly popular practice of contracting out; the role played by the European Court of Justice in both clarifying and, arguably, clouding the issues; the process of revising the Directive. It concludes with an assessment of the current state of play.     

International volunteering for development and sustainability: outdated paternalism or a radical response to globalisation?

This article discusses the history and evolution of international volunteer-sending agencies and volunteers as a response not only to symptoms but also to causes of global poverty and inequality. It considers how international volunteers might be defined, what makes their role different from other forms of overseas development assistance (particularly their contribution to capacity development), and the positives and negatives that may accompany those differences. It also reflects on international volunteers' suitability as contributors in the transition to a globally more ecologically sustainable state, presenting some insights from volunteers and other stakeholders.     

Zuständigkeit für Klage auf Aufteilung einer Nachlasssache

Die Klage auf Aufhebung der Miteigentumsgemeinschaft an einer einzelnen Nachlasssache kann Erbteilungsklage iSv § 77 Abs 2 JN sein.     

The contradictions of class and ideology among argentine laborers and employees

This article compares Argentine trade union laborers' and employees' notions of class and ideology. The research findings were based on one-to-one structured, but openended interviews with 110 rank and file workers of Greater Buenos Aires between 1985 and 1986. Rather than a study of union structure or labor leadership, it fleshes out workers' views beyond the factory walls and office windows. The research depicts the complex, seemingly contradictory, variety of social-democratic, liberal, and conservative values and attitudes carried by the Argentine working class. Peronism remains the ideological anchor of many workers who, nevertheless, consider themselves centrist, left or right. They are centrist in their support of a liberal-capitalist economy, left in their espousal of markedly better income distribution for workers, and right in the defense of their communities and neighborhoods. Workers' historical connections, cultural outlooks, and educational levels impact heavily upon their views of democracy and sense of class. Peter Ranis is a professor of political science at York College and the Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York. He has completedArgentine Workers: Peronism and Class Consciousness, to be published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in 1992. The research for this article was made possible by a Fulbright Senior Research Grant and several PSC/ CUNY awards between 1986 and 1990. My thanks also go to the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella of Buenos Aries and the Centro de Investigaciones Sociales Sabre el Estado y la Administracíon (CISEA) for respectively making their facilities available to me in July and August of 1987 and 1990.     

Political Strategies of External Support for Democratization

Political strategies of external support to democratization are contrasted and critically examined in respect of the United States and European Union. The analysis begins by defining its terms of reference and addresses the question of what it means to have a strategy. The account briefly notes the goals lying behind democratization support and their relationship with the wider foreign policy process, before considering what a successful strategy would look like and how that relates to the selection of candidates. The literature's attempts to identify strategy and its recommendations for better strategies are compared and assessed. Overall, the article argues that the question of political strategies of external support for democratization raises several distinct but related issues including the who?, what?, why?, and how? On one level, strategic choices can be expected to echo the comparative advantage of the "supporter." On a different level, the strategies cannot be divorced from the larger foreign policy framework. While it is correct to say that any sound strategy for support should be grounded in a theoretical understanding of democratization, the literature on strategies reveals something even more fundamental: divergent views about the nature of politics itself. The recommendations there certainly pinpoint weaknesses in the actual strategies of the United States and Europe but they have their own limitations too. In particular, in a world of increasing multi-level governance strategies for supporting democratization should go beyond preoccupation with just an "outside-in" approach.