This theoretical work studies a dynamic general equilibrium model with the financial sector in which aggregate activity depends on the conditions of intermediaries' balance sheets. This environment is used to demonstrate the business cycle consequences of changes in competition in the financial industry. On the one hand, a more competitive banking sector is associated with a higher average level of aggregate output. On the other hand, however, a less competitive financial industry increases financial and macroeconomic stability. This trade-off is present both in the short run and in the long run.

The paper presents an approach for evaluation of the likelihood of damage to the transportation infrastructure in the context of the terrorist attacks on the example of a number of bridges located in Wrocław (Poland). Assuming that there will be only one bridge destroyed in a given area, in order to determine the probability of damage to one of the objects, there was one of multi-criteria optimi-zation methods used, i.e. the method of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The main advantage of the analysis carried out was that the accepted hierarchy of decision-making options could be easily explained in a scientifi c manner, not only with reference to personal knowledge, experience, and intuition.

The primary purposes of this essay are: 1. To show that Mia Couto’s fictional and non-fictional works present the writer’s view of nature on the African continent; 2 To prove that Couto’s humor discloses an ecocritical commitment and a deep concern about the current climate crisis.

The purpose of this article is to present main literary relations between an Italian novelist and playwright Luigi Pirandello and his compatriot, modern writer Antonio Tabucchi, which manifest themselves primarily in the subject matter taken up by Tabucchi: an identity crisis of a literary character. Comparative analysis of the content of the novels One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand and Pereira Maintains shows, that the ‘disciple’ of Pirandello not only liked to reach for a similar subject matter, but also referred to the poetics used by the Sicilian.

Since 1950, nerudian poetry explores humor’s expresive shades as a new aesthetic strategy to face personal and political turmoils. If such humor can be critical, it though becomes both a bitter miror, a stronghold and a releasing comfort.

The article aims to answer the question: what type of humor is the most used in times of crisis? First of all, however, one must realize that humorous discourse analysis is not the task of a single discipline. For this reason, the first part of the article presents the contributions of other scientific disciplines to the methodology used in this study.

This article focuses on the interrelationship between homeland and diaspora at times of crisis. It adopts a comparative lens to look into diasporic (dis)engagement with the homeland, specifically analysing the cases of Greece and Ukraine. The main research issues are how crises affect the engagement between homeland and diaspora – taking Greece and Ukraine as case studies – and which the defining contextual factors are that transform the diaspora engagement. The article unpacks the homeland–diaspora nexus concerning two states with different socio-political backgrounds, both going through severe political and economic crises. In so doing, the article gives prominence to the differentiation between the en-gagement of the two different diasporas with their home countries at times of crisis. Evidence suggests substantial engagement in the Ukrainian case while, in the Greek case, a more mixed attitude – leaning towards disengagement – is apparent.

We talk to Prof. Stanisław Filipowicz, Vice-President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, about the significance of truth, the role of fiction, the consequences of living in a culture of excess, and the crisis of democracy.

Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge of the German Development Institute (DIE) draws on a systems-theory perspective to show how politicians, voters, companies and countries can be addressed to take climate change and environmental challenges of the future seriously.

Housing Stock and Its Public Dimension in the Role of Infrastructure of Durable Development. Only the reciprocal composition and location of buildings and their inhabitants in relation to the location of settlement infrastructure and other spatial development components can give housing stock a public dimension. The importance of the public impact of the housing stock on civilization development results mainly from the multifaceted role of the standards of its settlement in the shaping of inhabited space. Appreciating this impact can help build a necessary community of people living in common social and settlement structures. The importance of housing policy in balancing the development of living space is highlighted by the current structural crisis of the capitalist economy. The underestimated field of overcoming this crisis is the public dimension of housing stock. The presented reasoning subordinated to such thinking is part of a wider narrative combining architectural, urban, planning and sociological issues.

In the article is taken the issue of condition of pedagogy as a research field and academic discipline. Many critical researchers and analytics arrives at a conclusion that there is a crisis of: school, higher education, upbringing, teacher’s role, educational system etc. Thus, we face common demand of changes, adaptation, reorganization, modernization, emancipation of/for/towards that what is placed within the field of pedagogy. Fundamental questions about the scientific nature and paradigmaticness of pedagogy are being moved to the further plan and giving up place to the questions about: the state of the pedagogy/pedagogics, the quality of problems considered by it and its ability/readiness to solve those problems.

The main objective of this paper is (і) to determinate the energy sector as an important part of the resource economy in conditions of increasing epidemiological risks, and (іі) to present the potential of crisis management instruments to influence and strengthen the energy sector in Ukraine. This study uses expert assessments and monographic methods (for the assessment of crisis-management instruments) graphical methods Practical measures aimed at improving and reshaping the energy sector in Ukraine are defined by means of synthesis and economic analysis; statistical and interstate comparisons are used to analyze the Spanish experience of anti-crisis management measures in the post-COVID energy sector.
The study of the world electricity distribution issue shows its direct connection with the energy production source, including renewable energy use, which increased under the impact of COVID-19. The analysis of developed crisis-management systems provides the basis to propose measures to improve and reshape the energy sector in Ukraine. Thus, the results section represents findings to strengthen the energy sector, supporting crisis-management-system development in Ukraine.
The study is a part of a research cycle on energy-sector development, its management and financing. The proposed measures to improve and reshape the energy sector in Ukraine can be applied to specific energy-sector projects, the optimization of investments in the energy sector, as well as being used for the modeling of complex crisis-management systems of various spheres of the economy.

The correlations and the influence of the monetary policy pursued by the central banks of developed countries, primarily by the Federal Reserve System (the central bank of the United States), on the economies of developing countries is a subject of research, especially since the outbreak of the last financial crisis. Decisions concerning shifts in attitudes in the monetary policy taken by the monetary authorities of the largest economies, influence investors’ behaviour. Due to globalization and financialization, short-term capital flows occur very quickly and on a significant scale. Argentina is an illustration of the consequences of monetary policy tapering by the FRS for the economy of a developing country. Argentina was supported during the period of disturbances by the International Monetary Fund. Nevertheless, it seems that this solution is insufficient in view of the globalization of the effects of the monetary policy pursued by the economically strongest countries.

The article describes Family Group Conference method, which was initiated in Poland over 10 years ago by J. Przepierski. The method is presented in historical context of their theoretical foundations and particular practical assets justifying its application in work with families in a crisis situation and moments of difficulties, which might constitute an obstacle in the use of the method.

In order to describe the features of Polish hospitality, autobiographical records containing memories of hospitality from various historical periods were compiled. The research material included about 300 episodes from 30 published sources. A targeted selection was made according to a combination of three criteria: a di versity of social positions among the authors, the biographies of the authors, and the detail of description. An analysis of the material was conducted in order to contribute to a better understanding of the social significance of hospitality. The oretical assumptions about hospitality in conditions of stability and social crisis were advanced. The analysis showed that in times of relative stability, hospital ity was biographically important when it allowed a person to transition between positions in the social structure (usually between close levels) and involved some form of promotion. On the other hand, in conditions of intensified change and crises, the order was disturbed: on the one hand, visits to the homes of persons occupying more distant positions in the hierarchy (both up and down the social ladder) became more common, but on the other hand, there could be a challenge to or rejection of traditional requirements of hospitality. The first situation occurs especially at the beginning of a crisis, and with the depletion of resources, the increase in the number of negative experiences, and socialization to a long-term threat, a survival strategy begins to take shape in which only the closest circles prevail. Such findings suggest that a more cautious look should be taken at both the theoretical concepts in which hospitality is considered a useful social invention especially in times of increased need and at the Polish self-stereotype as a nation with a culture based on hospitality, invariable generosity, and an inclination to selflessness.

The world economy is constantly faced with crises that cause a significant negative impact. Each crisis poses new challenges to the economy and, on the one hand, inhibits economic growth, and on the other hand, can become a powerful stimulus for the development and rethinking of fundamental approaches to its construction. Conducting an analysis and establishing relationships between the economic situation and the state of the energy sector make it possible not only to predict the future but also to develop specific steps to prevent crises or reduce their negative impact. At the same time, establishing and evaluating the relationship between key economic and energy indicators, the main one of which is definitely the energy intensity of GDP, will provide an opportunity to understand how improving energy security will affect the economic situation in the country. The generalization of Ukraine’s experience in rebuilding and recovering the economy after the biggest crisis creates a basis for further research in the field of energy management, crisis management, economics, and the construction of investment policy. The reconstruction of Ukraine after the war has the potential to become the most significant stimulus for development and economic growth. During the crisis, it is very important to pay attention to the country’s energy security. In particular, it is necessary to ensure the diversification of energy resources, taking into account their rising cost. Energy markets are currently experiencing extreme volatility caused by geopolitical tensions, which requires additional attention in the development and implementation of strategic guidelines for sustainable economic recovery in Ukraine.

The subject of this article are the ways of understanding democracy in Poland during a crisis of democracy. Six studies were conducted in 2016-2019 on nationwide samples of adult Poles with the use of CAWI and CAPI methodology. Using exploratory factor analysis, we found that the term democracy may have different colloquial meanings. The first one is understanding democracy as “privileges and rights” (since the second half of 2016, enriched with cultivating national values), which we interpret as a populist meaning. An accurate way of understanding democracy was revealed to have existed in the first half of 2016, after which it dissolved into a populist understanding of democracy. Identifying democracy with a Catholic state was the most stable in time. This direction of changes turned out to be sustainable in the light of the results of research conducted on representative samples in 2017 and 2019 with the use of CAPI methodology.
Additionally, it turned out that an accurate understanding of democracy increased support for democracy, while understanding democracy as a Catholic state decreased support for democracy. The populist understanding turned out to be unrelated to support for democracy. This changeability in the ways of understanding democracy is explained by events that took place in Poland since 2015 which deepened the crisis of democracy.

This paper examines migratory movements into Poland with a special emphasis on refugee mobility. In the past twenty years, almost 90 000 Chechen refugees have come to Poland, as it was the first safe country they reached. According to the Office for Foreigners data they constituted approximately 90 per cent of applicants for refugee status, 38 per cent of persons granted refugee status, 90 per cent of persons granted ‘tolerated status’ and 93 per cent of persons granted ‘subsidiary protection status’. However, a peculiarity of the Polish situation, confirmed by official statistics and research, is that ref-ugees treat Poland mainly as a transit country. The author focuses on the issue of integrating Chechen refugee children into the Polish education system, as well as Chechen children granted international protection or waiting to be granted such protection. The results of the study suggest that Polish immi-gration policy has no impact on the choice of destination of the refugees that were interviewed. None of the interviewees wanted to return to Chechnya, nor did they perceive Poland as a destination country. Children with refugee status, which enables them to stay legally in the Schengen area, ‘disappear’ not only from the Polish educational system but from Poland as a whole as well. This phenomenon hampers the possibility of achieving educational success when working with foreign children, and it challenges the immense efforts by Polish institutions to integrate refugee children into the school and the local community. Both official statistical data and research results were used in this paper.

The welfare aspects of intra-European migration remain an important and controversial topic of academic and political debates. These discussions touch upon the classical ‘welfare magnet’ or ‘welfare tourism’ hypothesis. Transcending the politicised concept of ‘benefit tourism’, our paper examines how welfare-state considerations in relation to migration decisions vary across the life course. Relying on micro-level qualitative research focusing on Spanish intra-EU movers, the paper probes deeper into how individuals perceive welfare systems, analysing the subtle and nuanced meanings of different aspects of the welfare for their migration decisions. We focus more specifically on welfare provisions in terms of health care, compulsory education, child support and other care responsibilities, unemployment and pensions and retirement. Our research indicates that, in studies on the migration–welfare nexus, it is necessary to move beyond the current narrow focus on the welfare magnet hypothesis and to examine how diverse welfare arrangements continuously and dynamically set the context for migration decisions at various stages of an individual’s life. The results of our research show how features of the Spanish welfare system, in comparison to those of potential destination countries, might act as both a trigger and/or a barrier to migration. As such, we get a ‘thicker description’ of the role which welfare might play in shaping individuals’ eventual migratory aspirations and decisions.

The aim of the paper is to describe the main patterns and challenges of Ukrainian migration to Greece with reference to the consequences of the recent economic and social crisis in the host country on the migrants’ lives. Specifically, the paper discusses the impact of the legal framework related to migra-tion in four different periods. Historically, Greece was one of the first destinations attracting Ukraini-an migrants, but the migration flows have strongly decreased during the last years and a tendency for return migration has emerged. Among the key features is the fact that the migrant’s experience is deeply influenced and shaped by Greece’s policy response to migration. The paper will therefore spe-cifically examine the impact of the legislative measures on the mobility of the migrants.

François de Curel (1854-1928) went down into the history of the French theater as an author of ‘thesis plays’. However, his works contain the features of the so-called ‘drama crisis’ which manifests itself at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, by the rejection of the canonical rules advocated since Aristotle. In fact, by analyzing A False Saint (1892), we are forced to note that the writer is undermining the dramatic structure by shifting his gaze from action to the study of the souls of the characters. Deprived of all will, they slowly get bogged down in their shady as inert world. In this way, the French playwright puts emphasis not on ‘acting character’ but on ‘retrospective character’ (passive) who dwells on his unhappy life.

One of the major conflicts between populist and non-populist forces (movements, parties, governments) as well as the European Union (EU) institutions has manifested in the area of immigration policy. This article investigates how the influx of migrants in 2015-2016 was subsequently used by populists as a policy conflict ground within the EU. In this context, it particularly looks at how the problem of migration was framed and map the policy responses in the selected EU Member States. The article covers the 2015-2018 period and includes the following countries: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Hungary, and Poland.
The article observes that the 2015-2016 migration crisis and the response to it led to (or reinvigorated existing) politicisation of the topic across the EU, forcing the parties from all sides of the political spectrum to take a position on it. Simultaneously, one may also observe a process of securitisation of migration in the political debate in all analysed countries. Irregular migration was construed as a security threat by many political parties and leaders, requiring emergency measures and justifying actions outside the normal bounds of political and legal procedures. While the securitisation strategy was most visible in the discourse of the right-wing populist parties, its elements were progressively taken by the mainstream parties, arguably in response to increased salience of the issue.
The article also finds a correlation between the ideological profile of the parties and their approach to the migration crisis and the proposed EU response. All the parties located close to the right extreme tended to take a strong anti-immigration and anti-EU stance. All of them also ranked high in the populist index. On the other hand, the populist parties located on the left side or in the centre of the political spectrum took a moderate stance on this issue.

On 24 February 2022 an unprovoked Russia attacked Ukraine, causing a mass movement of displaced persons fleeing Ukraine and in need of international protection. On 4 March 2022, the European Council established the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons, and with that for the first time in the history activated Directive 2001/55/EC, providing quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war. This action has become an exception in the treatment of forcibly displaced persons arriving at the European Union (EU) borders. The main objective of this study is to explore the complementary position that temporary protection occupies within the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), where it serves not only as a tool to provide protection to persons forcefully displaced en masse, but also to ease the pressure on national asylum systems. What makes the presented research even more interesting is the fact that although temporary protection in the EU had been regulated (at least in theory) for over twenty years, it is still highly politicized and dependent on the will of European leaders. This article combines theoretical considerations (analysis of international law and European law) with a case study of actions taken (and not taken) by the EU during the 2022 migratory pressures.