The Slovak Economy and EU Membership, Economics and Politics: Has 9/11 Changed Anything?, Editors: Bruno S. Sergi and William T. Bagatelas, Publisher: Iura Edition, 2004, The books (Sk650 each) are on sale at selected bookstores.
THE RECENT elections in the USA and Slovakia's entry into the EU on May 1 make the publication of these two books particularly timely, for Slovaks and international readers alike.
The Slovak economy and the European Union are now inextricably linked. The virtually daily investments by EU and non-EU based companies prove the point - Slovakia is seen as a gateway to EU markets.
The Slovak Economy and EU Membership is a collection of 17 papers mainly by Slovak writers that focuses on developments in the Slovak economy from the fall of communism to the present day, with particular reference to the European Union.
A wide range of subjects is discussed - from structural reforms in public finance, to the role of information technology in an expanded Europe, to a consideration of Slovakia as a possible "Slavic Tiger".
In his interesting and perceptive foreword, Ján Figeľ, Slovak member of the European Commission, stresses that EU membership and the development of the economy means Slovakia has to accept a new set of values based on the principle of "unity in diversity".
Contributors to the volume include experts working in academia, research institutions, economic-policy think tanks, and trades unions.
Economics and Politics: Has 9/11 Changed Anything? is based on the premise that a new world reality emerged following the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
In his foreword, City University Rector Branislav Lichardus calls for a multifaceted approach to the problems that beset the international community today. The volume is designed to stimulate discussion, academic and otherwise, on the correct international response to 9/11.
Many of the contributors to this volume are non-Slovaks, including former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Karl-Heinz Czock, and Ann Henry, of International Relief and Development, based in Montenegro.
Subjects analysed range from international law, to tax relations in world affairs, to the relationship between culture and international relations, something that, given the gulf of misunderstanding that seems to exist between cultures, within Slovakia and internationally, is crying out for discussion.
These books, written in excellent English, are mainly aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students of economics and international relations, but for journalists and other researchers they offer an excellent overview of the economic and political realities facing us all. Not for the casual reader.
