Nazwa
Western Balkans

Two decades of Polish and British cultural diplomacy in the 21st century: conclusions and recommendations for Poland

Two decades of Polish and British cultural diplomacy in the 21st century: conclusions and recommendations for Poland

Authors

Pages

53-62

Abstract

The article analyses and compares the cultural diplomacy of Poland and Great Britain in the 21st century. Its main objective was to identify the areas for improvement in Polish cultural diplomacy and to determine what actions, drawing inspiration from the UK’s cultural diplomacy efforts and expertise, Poland should take to improve its cultural diplomacy The article consists of three parts. Part one comprises a theoretical introduction. Part two consists of two subsections: the first subsection discusses the structure of British and of Polish cultural diplomacy; the second subsection focuses on coordination and evaluation of the activities of Polish and British cultural diplomacy institutions. Part three includes the conclusions and recommendations for Poland. The research methods used were the source analysis and the comparative method. The following recommendations can be proposed for Poland: to create one coordinating institution with legal power to oversee the performance of cultural diplomacy institutions; to establish a platform for consultation and cooperation among the entities conducting cultural diplomacy; to change Polish law so as to allow more involvement of the interested ministries in the activities of cultural diplomacy institutions; to define clear goals and invent a coherent system of evaluation of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and other cultural diplomacy institutions; and to harmonise the activities of these institutions with Polish foreign policy.

Brexit, the stateness and the flow of Foreign Investment in the Western Balkans: a case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brexit, the stateness and the flow of Foreign Investment in the Western Balkans: a case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Authors

Pages

27-38

Abstract

Attracting foreign direct investment to the Western Balkans has been in the last decades a major challenge for administrations and political parties ruling the respective countries. However, the perception that their legal system is slow, pressured by political influence and political frictions, that the government policies are unreliable, corrupted and affected by direct interference (immixtion directe) of the national political systems and their policies, have prevented foreign investors to invest massively in SEE. 
Against this background, the findings of the article show that factors related to good governance such as the rule of law, including judicial efficiency, freedom from corruption, political environment and stability, efficiency in the public administration, environmental politics, risk and crisis management may be more relevant to attracting Foreign Direct Investment in the post war period than factors related to the economic potential or the capital and labor of the market, or other controversial elements such as taxation, wage variation, exchange rates, growth or trade balance. 
However, in periods troubled by secessionist movements and tendencies, the process initiated by the UK government to withdrawn from the EU – the Brexit process, could send a negative signal to the states where economic and political nationalism is an important factor in the rhetoric of the political class.