Final Energy Consumption Trends and Drivers in Czech Republic and Latvia

This paper analyses the trends of final energy consumption in Latvia and Czech Republic. Analysis of final energy consumption during 2000-2013 period indicated the main driving forces of final energy consumption during and after world financial crisis of 2008. The paper aimed to evaluate the impact of economic activity and other factors on final energy consumption. The decomposition of the final energy consumption is assessed by analyzing effect of different drivers by the main end-users sector (industry, transport, households, agriculture, services), activity, demography, lifestyles, structural effects, energy savings etc. The results show that the reduction in final energy consumption in most EU members states before and after year 2008 can be related to the decline in energy intensities within endusers sectors. At the same time, the increase in final energy intensity after the year 2008 is attributed to expansion of energy demand sectors. Comparison of final energy consumption trends and drivers in Latvia and Czech Republic indicated that Czech Republic implemented more policies and measures in industry and tertiary sector and this provided for final energy consumption decreased and huge energy savings in these sectors

Contemporary substitutes of the political economy

The subject of this paper is a critique of the selective theoretical modelings of economic realities, which are monistic (quasi-neoliberal) and mathematical-statistical in nature. In this sense, the theme named Contemporary Substitutes of the Political Economy is defined. The aim of this research is that the above-mentioned modeling of economic reality would be described as a deliberate motion from the analysis and explanation of fundamental economic problems towards secondary issues. Therefore, we characterize them as unfair and programmed ways of fogging the essence of economic problems and crisis. We start from the hypothesis that these modelings replaced and virtually eliminated the former synthesized and useful political-economic analysis. In this paper, we have used a descriptive, comparative methods, panel sample and a schematic logic modeling. The results of our research show that the substitution of political economy by neoclassical and neoliberal economics is performed over a longer period, and through prioritizing the mathematical and statistical econometric analysis. As a proof, we present our selective research panel using a sample of 39 issues from five international journals, which can be found in databases SSCI and Scopus. This research is limited by the unavailability of most journals on the Internet and in printed publications. The application area of the research results is an economic theory. In conclusion, we ascertain the need for greater affirmation of political economy, which in combination with new institutional theory, enables a more realistic view of social and economic reality

Public sector management as a development problem in the countries of Southeast Europe

In the period of nearly three decades of post-socialist transition in the countries of Southeastern Europe (SEE), there were numerous synergistic, destructive and anti-developmental hindering institutional factors that directly caused the creation of social and economic insecurity. Many developmental problems, as well as social, economic and institutional deformations, have generated a lasting and deep crisis. This paper analyzes the basic deformations of public sector management, which has emerged as a driving force for all development problems in the SEE countries. It starts with two assumptions: first, weak and slow institutional changes were deliberately programmed by the nomenclature of government, in order to eliminate institutional competition and affirmation of the quasi-institutional monism of neoliberal type, which have enabled the substitutive development of the so-called alternative institutions; and second, highly interest-oriented motives of the government nomenclature have been the main cause of ignoring rational recommendations by representatives of non-institutional economic theories

Valstybinio sektoriaus valdymas kaip plėtros problema Pietryčių Europos valstybėse

In the period of nearly three decades of post-socialist transition in the countries of Southeastern Europe (SEE), there were numerous synergistic, destructive and anti-developmental hindering institutional factors that directly caused the creation of social and economic insecurity. Many developmental problems, as well as social, economic and institutional deformations, have generated a lasting and deep crisis. This paper analyzes the basic deformations of public sector management, which has emerged as a driving force for all development problems in the SEE countries. It starts with two assumptions: first, weak and slow institutional changes were deliberately programmed by the nomenclature of government, in order to eliminate institutional competition and affirmation of the quasi-institutional monism of neoliberal type, which have enabled the substitutive development of the so-called alternative institutions; and second, highly interest-oriented motives of the government nomenclature have been the main cause of ignoring rational recommendations by representatives of non-institutional economic theories.Per beveik trijų dešimtmečių perėjimo iš post-socialistinės sistemos laikotarpį Pietryčių Europos valstybėse, šalyse vyko daugybė sinergetinių, destruktyvių ir plėtrą trukdančių institucinių veiksnių, kurie tiesiogiai prisidėjo prie socialinio ir ekonominio nesaugumo. Daugelis vystymosi problemų, tokių kaip socialinės, ekonominės ir institucinės deformacijos, sukėlė ilgalaikę ir gilią krizę. Šiame straipsnyje yra analizuojamos esminės viešojo sektoriaus valdymo deformacijos, kurios pasitarnavo kaip varomoji jėga visoms vystymosi problemoms Pietryčių Europos valstybėse. Straipsnis prasideda dvejomis prielaidomis: pirmoji yra ta, kad silpni ir lėti instituciniai pokyčiai buvo sąmoningai užprogramuoti pagal vyriausybės nomenklatūrą, siekiant panaikinti institucijų konkurencingumą ir įtvirtinti neoliberalinio tipo kvazi- institucinį monizmą, kuris leido pakaitinę plėtrą taip vadinamoms alternatyvioms institucijoms; ir antroji prielaida yra ta, kad labai orientuoti į interesus valstybės nomenklatūros motyvai buvo pagrindinė neinstitucinių ekonominių teorijų atstovų racionalių rekomendacijų ignoravimo priežastis

Modelling of Institutional Changes in Transition Countries the Gap Between the Theory and Practice

The first part discusses the consequences of the deficit of real institutional changes in post-socialist SEE countries, and their substitutions by the various anti-developmental institutional imitations, which essentially had the character of alternative quasi-institutions and were in a function of enrichment for the privileged individuals. It points to the importance of neo-institutional economic theories (NET), which provide a sound grounds and recommendations for explanation of the imitation changes, which had anti-institutional and anti-development character

Modelling of Institutional Changes in Transition Countries - the Gap Between the Theory and Practice

The first part discusses the consequences of the deficit of real institutional changes in post-socialist SEE countries, and their substitutions by the various anti-developmental institutional imitations, which essentially had the character of alternative quasi-institutions and were in a function of enrichment for the privileged individuals. It points to the importance of neo-institutional economic theories (NET), which provide a sound grounds and recommendations for explanation of the imitation changes, which had anti-institutional and anti-development character

Testing the Level of Alternative Institutions as a Slowdown Factor of Economic Development: the Case of Montenegro

The purpose of the article is to test public's perception of the opportunistic behavior and alternative institutions existence and the degree of their influences on reproduction of the economic crisis. For that purpose, besides the theoretical considerations, the paper comprises quantitative analysis of affecting the inability of economic development, and reproduction of crisis, by the following factors: (a) non-market enrichment and log-rolling structures, (b) parties’ monopolies and lobbyism, and (c) systemic corruption. Multiple regression linear approach is applied on a sample of 300 selected respondents in five towns in Montenegro: Podgorica, Niksic, Cetinje, Herceg Novi, and Kotor. On the basis of the conducted statistical examines: standard error of the regression estimate, correlation coefficient, and coefficient of determination are calculated on the basis of previously determined regression coefficients and forecast values of the linear function of free variables (factors: a, b, and c). The regression plots for each of the considered cases, which verify the starting hypothesis, are shown along with the discussion and conclusions. Our results indicate the need to reduce and eliminate effects of the above factors in the society and economy, since they represent concrete manifestations of alternative institutions’ negative impacts. The main conclusion of the research is that the authorities in Montenegro should identify all of the channels through which alternative institutions do affect the reduction of social and economic choices. In this sense, it is proposed overcoming the monistic neoliberal policies, along with affirmation of institutional pluralism

Issues of the state and society security (part I) : ensuring public security in the fight against crime

The Part I of article presents the current issues and latest trends of one of the public security policy one of priority – ensuring public security in combating crime. In article covers the main quantitative and qualitative indicators of the present-day crime in Lithuania and in the world; the key problems of crime prevention optimization and legal regulation and institutional problems of criminal process control are elucidated. This research focuses in particular on the importance of creating models for control and prevention of new crime acts. Also, the problems of prevention and control of some conditionally distinguished criminal processes – shadow economy, corruption, fight against human trafficking and violence in family environment – are scrutinized. As a result in this research is emphasised the importance of decentralisation in combating crime; the main guidelines of optimization and modernisation in this field are presented. The authors applied general scientific methods of studying objective reality, peculiar to legal sciences: systematic document analysis, metaanalysis, structural-functional analysis, teleological, comparative, critical approach, generalisation and prediction