Differences between the welfare states within the European Union are a perennial topic. The recent enlargement brought the new member states into the picture. The paper looks at differences between the new and the old member states as groups as well as within the new member state group. It...

The paper reviews issues related to accession of the EU New Member States to the Eurozone. The paper was written before the global financial and economic crisis, but much of it it still relevant even for the post-crisis world

In a globalized world, knowledge of foreign languages is an important skill. Especially in Europe, with its 24 official languages and its countless regional and minority languages, foreign language skills are a key asset in the labor market. Earlier research shows that over half of the EU27...

The last few years have witnessed the exponential growth of platforms like Uber and Airbnb and the creation of countless other less well-known examples. The expansion of the on-demand economy puts huge pressure on regulators to adapt it to the existing frameworks for labour and taxation. The...

This paper examines the relationship between social capital and adult learning. We test this association empirically using measures of various types of social capital and adult learning based on the German Socioeconomic Panel. We use predetermined measures of social capital to exclude social...

The paper explores the impact of Europeanization on bureaucratic autonomy in the new EU member states using as a case study the Agricultural Paying Agency in Slovakia. The paper shows that Europeanization had limited sustained impact on the personal autonomy of senior officials; however, it...

In many European countries, significant changes in social policy are needed to ensure successful policy outcomes in employment, social inclusion and overall prosperity. However, many governments have been unable to implement the changes due to resistance by special interests as well as broader...

This paper looks at the Slovak experience with euro adoption from the point of view of perceived versus actual inflation and with a focus on a specific set of non-tradable prices. It examines whether Slovak consumers experienced or perceived (or both) an unusual price jump at the time of euro...

This chapter presents an overall picture of the Slovakia's transition to a market economy during 1990s and 2000s and of the World Bank role in that transition. The chapter is divided into three sections. The first one presents the Slovak developments from a historical perspective, starting in...