Politics

When Barack Obama landed at the airport in Havana, he not only did symbolicly end the period of cold war between the two countries, but has also very clearly shown what are the main objectives of his foreign policy. The presidential visit is the high point of the ongoing for a year US-Cuba relations which have been reinstated in December 2014.

The election night is always magical. It is a beautiful moment when we may spot all shades of human emotions, starting with joy and celebration, ending with consternation, sadness or even total disillusionment. Saturday’s elections in Slovakia were quite special in this respect.

Josef Šíma, President of CEVRO Institute, talks with professor Michael Munger of Duke University about the economics and politics of unicorns, sharing economy, truly voluntary exchange and the PPE approach which combines rigorous policy analysis with an acceptance of ethical obligations of charity.

Sadly, there are many parties in Slovakia that lack a broader understanding of the topics featured on front pages of the world news. The potential conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, or the Scottish push for independence are issues which require a clear position, not just a series of empty phrases.

Slovak politicians create rules for entrepreneurship as if for people living on a different planet – and that is the way it has been for many years already. It is the politics of excessive interference in economics, which inherently and often unnecessarily limits enterprise freedoms.

Ukraine may find itself with new Government in the very near future. Frequent government changes do not help the country as there is little to ensure continuity in government policies. Budget planning is done on a single-year basis, senior civil servants are frequently replaced along with politically appointed Ministers.

Financial crisis with its accompanying factors, including the high rates of unemployment, tax increase and sever cuts in public services led to the increasing popularity of the radical left-wing parties in Greece and Spain, while not rendering the same result in Portugal.

Since the people believe in the static concept of the state, they believe it is a birthright to determine entry into this belief system. They believe the state border is the moral entity of which they are a part, and they judge newcomers accordingly.

Sanders’ speeches reveal that his doctrine rests on three premises and two institutional requirements. The premises are: (1) a just society based on the equality of outcome exists and is desirable, (2) human reason can discover the rules required to bring about such a society, and (3) the political elite should enforce those formal rules from the top-down.

Apart of the geographic fact and the benefit the country derives from proximity to the German economy, and the historical traditions of the First Republic, the Czech Republic still shares more with Slovakia and Hungary than it does with France and Denmark.