Ágnes Vass

Ágnes Vass

Head of EU-V4 Department
  vass.agnes@ajtk.hu

Ágnes Vass is the Head of EU-V4 Department where she is coordinating projects focusing on Central Europe. Her research activity primarily includes questions regarding internal politics and foreign relations of Slovakia and Czechia, minority communities in Central Europe, and minority-majority relations in the region. Before joining AJKC, she worked as a research fellow at the University of Alberta and the Institute for Minority Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. She is currently finishing her dissertation at the Corvinus University of Budapest, in which she analyses citizenship policies of Hungary and other states in the region. When not conducting research or implementing international education projects, she likes road cycling, and dancing lindy hop and other swing dances at Keep Swinging Association. 

Expectations and priorities of Slovak foreign policy in 2015

Expectations and priorities of Slovak foreign policy in 2015

The year of 2015 is going to be a period full of challenge for the V4 countries. Poland is moving into elections – both the results of presidential election in spring and the parliamentary elections in autumn might have effects on the whole region as well. Slovakia is also moving into a pre-election mood and the country will officially start the preparation to the forth-coming presidency of the European Council. The escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and the V4 countries’ different approaches towards Russia are also important issues which will determine both directly and indirectly the political and economic development of the region.

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Outlook 2020

Outlook 2020

Perspectives for the next year from the Antall József Knowledge Centre Research Team

This year, New Years’ Eve will not only see a regular new year coming but the closing of a whole decade. The aggregate analysis of the AJRC research group points toward specific likely conclusions about the world which suggest 2020 to be a concluding year of the problems of the 2010s. Many of those issues that characterised international relations for quite some time have now reached a point of rest—though not resulted in a definitive outcome.

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Wind of change – but what kind of change?

Wind of change – but what kind of change?

Campaign overview and the results of the Slovak parliamentary election 2020

The elections in Slovakia at the end of February this year were expected to revamp the current political system shaken after the murder of investigative journalist, Ján Kuciak and his fiancé, Martina Kušnírová in February 2018. The continuous stream of scandals, in which some of the party leaders and top politicians were also involved, mobilised new political powers, but it has remained an open question until the elections, who the voters will entrust to govern the country in the next four years.

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Global Demographic Outlook 2020 – Demographic Perspectives from the Antall József Knowledge Centre Research Team

Global Demographic Outlook 2020 – Demographic Perspectives from the Antall József Knowledge Centre Research Team

Global population witnessed an unprecedented growth in recent decades. From reaching 4 billion in 1974, 6 billion in 1999 and 7.8 billion people this year, the world’s population is set to reach the 8-billion mark in the very near future. This rapid growth will affect less developed nations the most; however, in strong contrast, economically advanced countries across the globe will witness a sharp drop in population, due to a set of mutually-aligned trends. Fertility rates under the 2.0-2.1 threshold required for a stable reproduction rate, combined with an increasing life expectancy, mean that these states will not only have fewer citizens, but will also have to find a solution for the increasing pressure on their current pension system, as a declining number of workers will have to support a growing number of pensioners.

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Discussion on Europe’s Future  in the post-COVID-19 era

Discussion on Europe’s Future in the post-COVID-19 era

National Perspectives

The European Union struggles to fight the recent period of different types of crises (polycrisis), as described by several books, papers and arguments in the scientific literature. The primary reasons of the European economic crisis are the global financial crisis of 2008, the Greek sovereign debt crisis, the prolonged reform process of the bank union and the lack of fiscal policy integration.

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Nemzeti álláspontok Európa jövőjéről  a poszt-COVID érában

Nemzeti álláspontok Európa jövőjéről a poszt-COVID érában

A gazdasági válság hátterében a 2008-as világgazdasági változások, a görög szuverén adósság válság, az európai bankunió régóta halogatott reformja és a fiskális politika integrációjának hiánya áll. A migrációs válság oka főként a korábban nem tapasztalt mértékű menekültáradat, amelynek hátterében a küldő országok romló gazdasági (Koszovó, Albánia, Banglades, Pakisztán) és biztonsági (Szíria, Irak, Afganisztán) helyzete áll. A különböző történelmi és kulturális tapasztalatokkal bíró tagállamok társadalmai (a volt gyarmat­tartók és a poszt-kommunista félperiféria) eltérő módon reagáltak a kihívásra, ami aláásta az európai szolidaritást, felerősítve a korábban is létező feszültségeket.

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Globális demográfiai kilátások 2020

Globális demográfiai kilátások 2020

Demográfiai perspektívák

Az elmúlt évtizedekben a világ népességének példátlan növekedését tapasztalhattuk meg. Míg 1974-ben bolygónk lélekszáma 4 milliárd, 1999-ben 6 milliárd, idén pedig 7,8 milliárd főtt tett ki, addig a közeljövőben a globális népesség meg fogja haladni a 8 milliárd főt. Ez a gyors növekedés a kevésbé fejlett nemzeteket fogja leginkább érinteni; ezzel szemben a gazdaságilag fejlett államokban világszerte – kölcsönösen összehangolt trendek miatt – a népesség rohamos csökkenése lesz tapasztalható.

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Outlook 2021

Outlook 2021

Perspectives for the Next Year from the Antall József Knowledge Centre Research Team

From our home region to East Asian, from both sides of the Atlantic to the Middle East, the research team of the Antall József Knowledge Centre sum up the major events shaping 2020, while looking ahead to the challenges of 2021.

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