Break Out of Russia: Miķelis Valters and the National Issue in Early Latvian Socialism

This article deals with the political thought of Mi?elis Valters (1874–1968), whose early writings are considered to contain the first clearly articulated argument for independent and democratic Latvia. Until now, Valters's writings haven′t been analyzed in their own historical and intellectual context, being subjected to Marxist and nationalist ‘proleptic mythologies’ instead. However, such an analysis provides us with important insights about the intellectual origins of Latvian political nationalism. Valters's early argument for independent Latvia derives much from the legacy of Russian narodnichestvo and from German liberal legal theory, rather than from Austro-Marxism, as suggested by previous commentators.     

Unthawed: post-Cold War economic ties between Kaliningrad and Europe

ABSTRACT

Kaliningrad’s post-Soviet economic interconnection with Europe is encountering obstacles due to specific Russian governmental idiosyncrasies as well as its particular regional challenges. In essence, the Kremlin’s direct control from afar and European misgivings have influenced the territory’s economic development in relation to Europe. The distance of the region from Russia, exclave status, large size for an exclave, and conflicted history subject the area to contradictory forces. On the one hand, it links Kaliningrad to Europe because of a shared history and geography. On the other, it promotes a sense of political instability and geographical isolation that discourages economic integration with Europe.     

Cultural Prototypes of the Successful Entrepreneur: Comparison of Estonia and the United States

This study compares and contrasts perceptions of entrepreneurship success factors in Estonia and the USA. The 115-item E-World survey is used to highlight differences of implicit beliefs about behaviors and characteristics of successful entrepreneurs between the USA, a country with a long history of entrepreneurial development, and Estonia, a small economy where entrepreneurship has played an important role in the transition from a command to a market economy. Cultural differences and the institutional context emerge as key models in interpreting the social obligations of entrepreneurs, thus linking future orientation and communication, and entrepreneurs’ perceptions of entrepreneurial risks and challenges.     

China's provincial diplomacy to Africa: applications to health cooperation

There is a prevailing view of China as a unitary actor in its relationships with African countries. This view is incomplete: on the contrary, China is a collection of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities with myriad strategic ties to African countries, with decentralization shaping the current form of Chinese government and its level of efficiency. In this paper, factors have been explored for why Chinese provinces have played a role in foreign cooperation in health of African countries, in addition to trade and foreign direct investment. Incentives and disincentives for Chinese provinces to engage internationally in foreign cooperation and health assistance have been identified. The concept of paradiplomacy for health has been presented and this typology has been applied to the example of Chinese medical teams. Finally, we draw linkages between China and other members of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.     

The official art of the Khrushchev Thaw: The Severe Style as an ambassador of the Estonian national school at Baltic art exhibitions in Moscow

In Estonian post-Socialist art history writing, the term ‘national’ has mostly been introduced as a defense mechanism against the Soviet regime. The aim of this article is to indicate that concept ‘national’ also played quite an important role in ‘official’ Soviet cultural politics, especially after Stalin’s death. The processes of cultivating ‘national particularities’ in the arts will be exemplified by the Baltic exhibitions in Moscow in the end of 1950s and 1960s.     

沈钧儒地方自治思想探析

地方自治思想是沈钧儒宪政思想的重要内容,沈钧儒一贯主张地方分权,认为地方自治是宪政实施的基础。在民国时期,基于反对独裁、反对专制、反对中央集权的立场,他拥护联省自治,提倡地方选举。在抗战期间,他主张实现地方自治是保证抗战胜利的条件,呼吁厉行地方自治。他对于地方权限的范围、中央与地方的均权模式等问题也进行过深入思考。沈钧儒主张地方自治,并不是反对国家统一,更不是要分裂国家。他希望建立一个在统一主权之下,以地方自治为基础的宪政共和国。     

西部城镇化——加快中国现代化进程必须解决的重大问题

文章阐述了城镇化与现代化的关系,分析了西部城镇化的状况、存在的主要问题和制约因素,指出加快西部城镇化发展对我国现代化具有重大战略意义,分析西部地区已经具备城镇化加快发展的条件,提出今后一段时期西部城镇化的战略取向和战略重点,最后提出促进西部城镇化国家应采取的若干政策措施。     

The Struggle For Baltic History

Low levels of social protection under the framework of neo-liberal ideology have characterized Baltic welfare regimes since the 1991 restoration of independence in these countries. The policies’ negative social consequences intensified during the years of austerity, 2007–2009. Although there have been trade union protests against the measures, these have been powerless and scattered. About 10% of the Latvian and Lithuanian workforce fled the country during the first decade of the 2000s, whereas an even greater proportion of the Estonian workforce has temporarily done so. In Albert O. Hirschman’s terms, “exit” occurs in the absence of “voice”. Moreover, disillusionment caused by deteriorating conditions and limited political choices generate a particular type of loyalty without a sense of influence.     

New Public Governance in the Baltic States: Flexible Administration and Rule Bending

Abstract

The New Public Governance approach advocates a more flexible and participatory public administration as means to higher efficiency and increased legitimacy. Increasing flexibility and thereby public employees’ discretion, however, may pose a risk to equality and impartiality, core values in democratic and rule-of-law societies. Using a survey among Baltic public employees, this article explores this risk. We ask whether public employees’ preferences for flexible rule application go hand in hand with acceptance of bending the rules, even if it means a breach of impartiality. We find that this is the case. We also find that contrary to what the New Public Governance approach expects, neither citizen participation nor generalized trust works as a control on rule bending. On a positive note, however, we find that control mechanisms associated with Weberian Public Administration lessen acceptance for bending the rules.