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This paper aims to commemorate Albín Bráf and Josef Macek as the key figures in the history of Czech economic thinking. It focuses on three topics which their theoretical works had in common: firstly, the methodology of economics and its assesment as a social science, secondly, the solutions to social questions within the framework of economic policies and, thirdly, the significance of economic education and popularization of economics. The objective of the study is to detect continuity in Czech economic thinking and open a discusion on its posibilities within both the Communist and post-Communist period.

ThDr. Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848) was not only a mathematician and logician of European stature, a theologian, philosopher, teacher and educator, but also a critical social thinker and reformer, whose work also has distinct economic dimensions. Economic aspects play an important role in Bolzano's vision, and this does not rest on foundations that are only naively fanciful. The star- ting point of his economic considerations is the category of property. In the work of Bolzano, one can trace the vision of the welfare state, the public sector, or the germs of elements of welfare economics. It is possible to appreciate the thoughtfulness, logic and precision of the purposefully established state project. Thanks to the work On the Best State - which Bolzano refused to publish during his lifetime, and which was created in parallel with the logical treatise Vědosloví and other works - he became the most famous Czech utopian. The work remains the first original, and to this day the only, comprehensive and systematic Czech utopia.

Until now there is no scientific consensus about the concept of national competitiveness. Despite the ambiguity of its definition, it has become a goal of numerous political documents. Economic policies in many countries are devoted to raise their overall competitiveness. But an unclear definition of relations between different components of national competitiveness represents an obstacle to formulate effective political measures. The aim of this paper is to clarify the relation between the competitiveness of the Czech Republic and its export performance which is considered as one of ways to improve overall competitiveness. The contribution of external competitiveness to the export performance of the Czech Republic in European Union is quantified using an econometric version of Constant Market Shares analysis. The results suggest that the external competitiveness of the Czech Republic has significantly positive effects on its export performance. Moreover we conclude that the positive spillover effect from external to aggregate competitiveness could be reach via increasing productivity.

The topic of this study is historical analysis of the construction of the Czech railway network and the role of the state in its development in comparison with economic thought of the time. The aim of this study is to present relations between the development of theoretical economic foundations and the actual railway construction in the Czech lands from the middle of the 19^th to the beginning of the 20^th century. During this time, the railway network was constructed in the shape it functions until these days. The topic is examined as a historical sequence of interactions between actual railway construction and operation and economic opinions regarding the role of the state in construction and running of railways. The history of the relationship between the state and the railway went through a few periods differing in the approach of the state to ownership and operation. We can trace the private beginnings from the 1830s, to first state railways from 1841 to 1848, to privatization and indirect state subsidies, to the victorious definite idea of solely state railways in the last third of the 19^th century. The study follows detailed discussions of the era together with connections to economic thought of the era.

This paper investigates the possible synergies and interconnections between the circular economy and the intensity of the energy transition within the broader context of global paradigm shifts. Using panel data from EU Member States (2013-2022), a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) was applied to evaluate long-term dynamics and causality among variables including GDP per capita, material circularity, energy dependency, renewable energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and innovation outputs. The analysis identifies significant long-run relationships, particularly between GDP per capita and indicators such as circular material use, renewable energy share, and tertiary education. The findings indicate a reciprocal relationship between circularity and energy transformation, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions reduction and sustainable competitiveness. The study highlights synergies and emphasizes the need for coherent policy frameworks that leverage CE-ETI linkages to achieve EU climate neutrality goals, circularity decarbonization, and develop resilient economic systems.

Balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability remains a pressing challenge for Canada, particularly in the face of rapid technological advancement, global integration, and increasing geopolitical uncertainty. This study analyzes the effects of economic growth, foreign direct investment, ICT development, trade openness, fiscal decentralization, and geopolitical risk on Canada\'s CO₂ emissions from 1980 to 2022. Using the ARDL bounds test and Toda-Yamamoto causality method, the results confirm that economic growth and other macroeconomic and institutional factors significantly shape emission trends. FDI, trade openness, ICT development, fiscal decentralization, and geopolitical risk all raise carbon emissions in the short and long run. Causality tests show a two-way link between economic growth and CO₂ emissions, while the other factors act as external drivers without feedback. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening environmental standards for FDI and trade, expanding clean energy to support digital infrastructure, enhancing intergovernmental coordination on fiscal matters, and improving Canada\'s resilience to geopolitical disruptions. Overall, the study provides new empirical insights and actionable guidance for policymakers aiming to align Canada\'s economic aspirations with its carbon reduction commitments in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

This study investigates the asymmetric effects of economic policy uncertainty (EPU), geopolitical risk (GPR), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices on green bond returns in China from August 2012 to July 2022. Using quantile-on-quantile regression (QQR), quantile Granger causality, and wavelet coherence analysis, we examine the relationships between these factors and green bond prices across different quantiles. Our findings reveal significant asymmetric impacts of EPU, GPR, and LNG prices on Chinese green bond returns. Specifically, EPU, geopolitical threats (GPRT) and LNG prices show strong positive effects on green bonds across most quantiles and frequencies. In contrast, geopolitical acts (GPRA) generally exhibit negative relationships with green bond returns. The quantile Granger causality tests confirm bidirectional relationships between the variables across multiple quantiles. The wavelet coherence analysis demonstrates time-varying co-movements between the factors and green bond prices, with stronger correlations observed in recent years, particularly at medium to high frequencies. The results show that green bonds can be used as an effective hedge against economic uncertainty and geopolitical risks. At the same time, the findings have important implications for investors, policymakers, and market participants to develop effective risk management strategies and promote sustainable finance in the face of global economic and geopolitical challenges.

This study is the first to explore the effect of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) on multidimensional financial development. Using data from 22 countries over 20 years (2002-2021) and employing fixed effects regression and two-step dynamic system GMM estimators, the results reveal a significant negative impact of EPU on financial development. This adverse effect spans both key dimensions: financial institutions and financial markets development. The analysis further highlights how EPU hampers key dimensions of financial institutions and markets\' performance - depth, access, and efficiency. Importantly, the study highlights the positive moderating role of institutional quality, which mitigates EPU\'s negative impact, reinforcing its importance in enhancing financial resilience. Furthermore, this study differentiates between elevated and mild EPU regimes, highlighting the capacity of the latter to significantly hinder financial development. These findings underscore the vital role of strong institutions in stabilizing financial systems amid policy uncertainty.

The digital economy is unquestionably a globally recognized priority among nations, yet comprehensive scholarly discussions on the specific determinants driving its growth remain relatively limited. To fill this gap, this study pioneers an investigation into how research and development, natural resources, and economic policy uncertainty influence the digital economy in the United States, using data from 1996Q1 to 2020Q4. Given the nonlinear and non-normal distribution of the data, the study employed a series of quantile-based approaches, particularly the wavelet quantile-on-quantile regression (WQQR). The results from the WQQR reveal that research and development, globalization, economic growth, and economic policy uncertainty positively impact the digital economy, while the abundance of natural resources appears to hinder its growth. Based on these findings, policymakers in the United States should prioritize fostering innovation through R&D while addressing the challenges associated with natural resource dependence to drive the growth of the digital economy.

The transition to sustainable energy systems represents one of the most critical challenges of our time, requiring careful balancing of energy security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. This study examines the complex relationship between green finance mechanisms and energy security outcomes across 10 major economies from 2000-2023, with diverse energy profiles and development trajectories. Using a dynamic panel data approach, we analyse how different financial instruments and policy frameworks contribute to resilient energy systems while addressing the persistent challenges of fossil fuel dependency and price volatility. Our findings reveal that energy security exhibits strong path dependency, where historical investments and institutional quality create long-lasting effects that either reinforce resilience or perpetuate vulnerability. Renewables boost energy security, but require strong grids, storage, and fair access to be effective.

This study investigates the impact of economic globalization, geopolitical risk, and natural resources on carbon emissions (CO₂) in Turkey, while controlling for economic development and renewable energy. The study used annual data from 1970 to 2019 using a quantile-on-quantile-based regularized least squares (QQKRLS) approach. The findings of the study confirm a weak positive association between economic globalization and CO₂ emissions at low and high quantiles, while this association becomes strong at 0.40 to 0.65 quantiles of both variables. The study also confirms an overall positive association between geopolitical risk and CO₂ emissions; however, this correlation becomes stronger at 0.40 to 0.80 quantiles for both variables. In addition, the study also finds overall an inverse relationship between natural resource rents and CO₂ emissions, except for extremely low quantiles of both variables, the correlation becomes positive. To strengthen the reliability of our results , the study utilized a non-parametric bivariate \\\"Quantile-on-Quantile Regression (QQR)\\\" method for robustness check. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that policymakers encourage green trade practices and promote climate change action initiatives by starting joint clean projects to make this world clean for current and future generations.

Governments worldwide are grappling with the challenges of climate change. Following COP28 - the Dubai consensus - it has become even clearer that achieving CO₂ emission reduction targets is crucial to prevent the global temperature from rising above 1. 5 °C. In this context, our study assesses these ambitious climate goals through the lens of green energy and technology adoption within the E7 countries. Using quantile regression and panel ordinary least squares (POLS) techniques on data spanning from 1991 to 2021, we provide insights into the vital role of digitalization and energy choices in reducing CO₂ emissions and advancing towards carbon neutrality. The Westerlund cointegration results indicate a long-run relationship among all the variables. Quantile regression findings reveal that economic growth, nonrenewable energy consumption and green technology adoption affect CO₂, while digitalization and green energy consumption help reduce CO₂. The POLS results confirm the quantile regression outcomes, enhancing the robustness of the analysis. Additionally, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test shows that all the variables significantly predict CO₂ and vice versa. Based on these findings, we propose green growth policies supported by renewable energy and technological advancements to help E7 countries achieve their net-zero emission targets.

A recent focus on the socioeconomic impacts of military expenditures has led to a resurgence of interest in research and development activities in this domain. A comprehensive review of extant academic studies reveals a conspicuous absence of research examining the augmented Solow growth model, encompassing capital formation, labor force, military expenditures, and economic growth for Turkey. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the impact of capital formation, labor force, and military expenditures on economic growth in Turkey from 1991 to 2022. To this end, the study employs the residual augmented least square (RALS) approach. The coefficients for the variables in the long run are analyzed with the EKK method and FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR estimators. The original contribution of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of the impact of developments in military expenditures on economic growth in Turkey, thereby addressing a significant research gap. The study’s findings indicate that while military expenditures exerted a negative influence on the Turkish economy during the period 1991–2022, the augmentation in capital formation and the labor force exerted a positive influence on the same economy.

Amidst ongoing global worries over climate change and its ecological ramifications amidst rapid economic growth, the United Nations has set forth a comprehensive agenda known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to achieve them by 2030. These goals are tailored to foster sustainable socio-economic progress while enhancing the quality of the global environment. Therefore, this study explores the connections between load capacity factor, green quality of energy mix, financial development, economic growth and natural resources in alignment with SDGs 7, 11, 13 and 12, focusing on China from 1981 to 2021. The study introduces the rolling window kernel-based regularized least squares (RWKRLS) method to assess the interrelationship. The RWKRLS analysis exposes that a green quality of energy mix and financial development positively influence ecological quality. Furthermore, natural resource consumption and economic growth affect ecological quality negatively. Drawing on these critical time-varying interrelationships, a set of interactive policies aligned with the SDGs is proposed, specifically tailored to address China's unique context.

Oil rents (OR) have a significant role for oil-abundant countries; therefore, most oil-abundant countries depend on oil sectors. However, if gains from OR are not invested in the productive sectors, it may adversely affect long-term sustainable growth. As discussed in the relevant literature in the scope of the resource curse hypothesis (RCH) or Dutch disease, depending on natural resources (NR) may crowd out productive investment, resulting in decelerating economic growth (EG). However, crucial policies emerge that suggest that OR contributes to or dampens productivity in oil-rich countries. As it is observed that not many studies consider the role of OR on productive capacity, which is crucial for sustainable economic development. Therefore, the current study attempts to research the impacts of OR on productive capacity for a panel sample of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from 2000 to 2021 by adopting spatial panel econometric techniques: the spatial autoregression (SAR) model, the spatial error model (SEM), and the spatial Durbin model (SDM).The empirical findings point out that despite OR having a negative impact on productive capacity in the GCC countries, there is no spatial effect on productive capacity. This result indicates that the change in OR in any member of the GCC does not spread to other members. Moreover, foreign direct investment (FDI) inward has positive local and spatial impacts on productive capacity. Although merchandise exports (EXP) have a positive spatial impact on productive capacity, there are no local effects. Finally, economic growth (EG) has negative local and spatial impacts on productive capacity. In line with empirical findings, some insightful policy implications can be offered that policymakers in the GCC countries should direct OR to productive investments to capture long-run sustainable development. Moreover, policymakers should encourage FDI in productive sectors.

This study explores the dynamic nexus between economic growth and sustainable development for 92 countries across high-, upper-middle-, lower-middle- and low-income groups. We validate the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis from a novel perspective. We employed a novel technique of Narayan et al. (Economic Modelling, 2016, 53, 388-397) through simple cross-correlation estimates and a panel causality technique. The analysis covers data from 1990 to 2022 using annual data. Our findings show that the EKC hypothesis is supported for five out of 92 (5%) countries and that income growth will increase sustainable development for 50 (54%) countries. Notably, the analysis reveals that as income level rises, sustainable development will decrease (increase) within high-income (middle and low-income) countries in the future. The panel causality analysis finds a significant causal relationship across countries. We also address theory and policy implications.

This paper mainly aims to explore the long-term impact of net migration on unemployment in the 11 European countries for the period 1991-2022 employing the cross-sectionally augmented distributed lag (CS-DL) estimator. In addition, the Juodis, Karavias and Sarafidis panel Granger non-causality test (JKS test), a new technique, is employed to explore causal links between variables. According to the findings of the CS-DL estimator, net migration has no statistically significant effect on unemployment in the long-term. This result does not support the perception that migration increases unemployment. The findings of the JKS test also indicate that there is no causal link from net migration to unemployment, but unemployment is a cause of migration. When evaluated in terms of unemployment, the empirical result implies that the selected European countries follow a rational immigration policy.

In a contest to attain equitable economic performance, emerging economies of the Global South are rapidly strengthening their institutional framework and improving investment in the green energy sector and digitization. Also, these economies are extracting mineral resources to encourage development but still lagging in the context of an equitable growth race, which creates uncertainty among policymakers. Therefore, it is crucial to analyse the influence of mineral resources, digital economy and governance on the economic development of the emerging economies of the Global South from 1996 to 2022. In addition, the crucial role of green energy and foreign direct investment in economic growth are analysed. We use a second-generation stationarity test and a series of cointegration tests to confirm the stationarity of the variables and the stability of long-run association between them. Due to the issue of non-normality, the novel method of moments quantile regression offers robust nuances while accounting for the endogeneity issue. The outcomes indicate that mineral resources are adversely associated with sustainable economic development in the region. However, the digital economy, green energy and foreign direct investment drive sustainable growth in emerging economies in the Global South. On the other hand, institutional factors demonstrate mixed influences on sustainable economic development, where control of corruption and governance efficiency significantly lead to sustainable economic growth, while regulatory quality harms development. The study recommends strengthening the institutions, further investment in digitization initiatives, research and development and sustainable use of mineral resources to attain sustainable growth.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize the importance of energy by making affordable and clean fuel access the focus of Goal 7. Energy poverty is a widespread issue globally, particularly in developing countries. Thus, this investigation inspects the drivers of energy poverty in Brazil using data from 1997Q1 to 2022Q4. The study introduces the wavelet Zivot-Andrews (WZA) unit root test, which modifies the traditional Zivot-Andrews (ZA) test by incorporating wavelet analysis, allowing decomposition of the time series into different time scales (short-term, medium-term and long-term). This enables the WZA test to capture structural breaks and unit roots more effectively across various time scales. In addition, the study employs wavelet quantile-on-quantile regression. The results show that across all quantiles and time scales, an increase in financial globalization and economic policy uncertainty increases energy poverty. The study also shows that female political participation increases energy poverty in the short and long term. In contrast, in the medium term and across all quantiles, female political participation decreases energy poverty. Lastly, an increase in financial development decreases energy poverty across all quantiles and periods. Based on these findings, policies are suggested.

This study investigates the impact of public debt on economic growth in a panel of 27 EU economies over the period 2000-2022. As the preliminary analysis suggests a nonlinear relationship between these variables, the debt threshold analysis based on the dynamic panel threshold regression is employed. The results for the whole panel indicate that public debt supports growth below a threshold of 68.7%, but it has a detrimental impact on growth if it is above the threshold. The validity of the findings is confirmed by including the effects of crises, which also indicates that economic growth in countries with debt below the threshold was more resilient to crisis events. The robustness of the estimates is checked using the method of moments quantile regression. However, the analysis of subsamples based on a country's EMU membership and the indebtedness level reveals the variety of debt thresholds, which calls for different fiscal governance across countries to reduce the negative effects of debt on economic growth. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of adequate fiscal space to respond to economic disturbances.

This investigation explores the influence of remittances on economic growth in Algeria during the period 1970–2022 using the Fourier autoregressive distributed lags (FARDL) model. This study provides new insights by suggesting an N-shaped association between remittances and economic growth. The findings reveal a nonlinear relationship between remittances and growth in Algeria. Initially, the impact of remittances on income is positive, then becomes negative when they exceed a threshold of 1.2% of GDP, and later becomes positive again when remittances surpass a second threshold estimated at 1.894% of GDP. These results highlight the importance of increasing remittance inflows to promote development in Algeria and urge decision-makers to create conditions that encourage the inflow of these funds through official channels

In today's rapidly evolving world, the transition towards green energy remains momentous in attaining ecological sustainability. In this respect, the present study intends to elucidate factors influencing the green energy transition in OECD economies from 2004 to 2020. We use several diagnostic measures to validate the heterogeneity of slopes and cross-sectional dependence in the panel. Nevertheless, cointegration exists between the study variables, such as green energy, political risk, economic risk, financial risk, human capital, eco-innovation and energy efficiency. Using fixed effect and random effect approaches, we conclude that political risk, human capital and energy efficiency are significant and leading drivers of green energy transition in the region. However, economic expansion, financial risk and economic risk are significant barriers to transitioning towards green energy in the selected economies. The outcomes are robust, as authenticated by linear regression with a heteroskedastic panel-corrected standard error approach. We recommend the minimization of political, financial and economic risk, while improvements in environment-related R&D investment could further boost the transition process towards green energy.

We shed light on the German-Russian relationship, focusing on the complexities that underlie their economic policy uncertainties over the period 1994–2023. We start with static unconditional correlation and dynamic conditional correlation analyses to examine the strength and temporal variations in the correlation between economic policy uncertainties of these two major countries. We then utilize standard and time-varying Granger causality analysis to uncover causal relationships. Importantly, we use a novel energy policy uncertainty index for Germany to explore interconnections between economic and energy policy uncertainties. We emphasize the importance of incorporating energy policy uncertainty in economic policy decision-making and international cooperation.

In the empirical determination of the factors influencing the clean energy transition, the BRICS economies have initiated various policy reforms, such as increased R&D budgets, improvements in technology and political stability. This study analyses the critical role of political risk and economic growth, natural resources, research and development and technological innovation in the clean energy transition in the period 1990-2022. Using panel econometric approaches, this study confirms the heterogeneity of slopes and cross-sectional dependence. Using linear regression with the heteroscedastic panel-corrected standard error approach, the results show that economic expansion, political risk and the quadratic R&D term significantly enhance the clean energy transition. However, natural resources, conventional technological innovation and research and development expenditures are the leading barriers to a clean energy transition in the region. The robustness of these results is validated by a series of panel regressions. Following the empirical outcomes, this study recommends rapid enhancement of the research and development budget, strengthening of governance and institutions and investment in technological innovation to attain a sustainable transition towards clean energy sources.

The structure of the consumer society that has emerged in the world since the 1950s has led to an increase in the impact of economic activities on the environment. Recently, the incidence rates of various diseases have increased, especially in Eastern Europe , owing to environmental pollution and degradation. Therefore, this study aims to explain the impact of economic activities on the environment in Nordic countries using an ecological growth model. This study analyses causality relationships based on data on economic growth, capital accumulation, employment level, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, carbon dioxide emissions, renewable energy production, environmental taxes, waste amounts and climate change in Nordic countries between 1995 and 2022. The analysis reveals a unidirectional causality relationship between economic growth and capital accumulation, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental taxes, air pollution, renewable energy and climate change in Nordic countries.

This paper examines the profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Korean society, particularly focusing on the economic repercussions of a shock in energy use efficiency from Q1 2020 to Q3 2023. Employing advanced Bayesian estimation and impulse response function methods, the study reveals that enhanced energy use efficiency significantly boosts key economic metrics, including output, consumption, employment, energy use, real wages and investment. Additionally, an increase in real money holdings and a decrease in both deposit and loan interest rates are observed. The analysis further explores the impact of monetary policy adjustments made by South Korea to mitigate the economic challenges posed by the pandemic. Our results indicate that these policy shifts temporarily elevate the aforementioned economic variables and raise deposit and loan interest rates, despite a concurrent reduction in real wages. The findings provide critical insights for policy formulation and economic recovery strategies in the context of global health crises.

Europe's public debt situation is likely to persist in the coming years. This study evaluates the impact of public debt on growth in the EU-27 countries. The analysis, using dynamic panel threshold models, reveals an indirect connection between debt and growth from 1995 to 2023. The research identifies an indirect effect of general and central debt on economic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. While government effectiveness positively influences growth in the long run, this effect is not observed during the pandemic. To ensure the robustness of our findings, dynamic panel data models and mean group (MG) estimators are employed. The empirical results support the need for policies to reduce public debt and promote sustainable growth in the EU.

František Vencovský one of the most prominent Czech economists of the second half of the 20th century died five years ago. He has been valued for his very significant contribution to the historical development of the Czech economic theory, to the historical development of banking, monetary policy etc. Being a friend and follower of Karel Engliš, F. Vencovský applied Engliš's teleological method to the solution of contemporary issues especially in the area of money, exchange rate and monetary policy. In spite of working in different conditions than Engliš (centrally controlled economy) F. Vencovský took this attitude from the very beginning of his scientific life in the sixties and not only after 1989.

This study investigates the relationship between economic complexity, globalization, energy consumption patterns and CO₂ emissions in 12 energy-importing emerging economies from 1996 to 2020. Employing panel data analysis, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is utilized. The findings reveal a U-shaped relationship between economic complexity and air pollution, supporting the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory. Renewable energy demonstrates a significant ability to reduce CO₂ emissions over the long term, while fossil fuel use exacerbates environmental degradation. Economic globalization is associated with increased CO₂ emissions, contradicting expectations. The short-term results align with the long-term findings, highlighting significant country-specific variations. The policy implications highlight the necessity of promoting renewable energy adoption and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This research contributes to EKC literature by focusing on energy-importing economies, emphasizing the importance of multidimensional analyses in environmental policy formulation. The study underscores the critical role of renewable energy investment and carbon pricing strategies in mitigating environmental degradation while encouraging sustainable development pathways.

Socio-economic and political systems are becoming increasingly unstable under the influence of various recent global events. The resilience of territorial units and their ability to respond to new challenges is significantly different in both the international and national context. In the presented work, we try to quantify the level of socio-economic resilience of Slovak regions and districts, while evaluating its state in time sections (2010 and 2020) capturing two crisis periods: the global economic and financial crisis and the onset of the crisis associated with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We use a set of indicators that reflect the demographic, economic, knowledge society, social and public-administrative context of this resilience, which define the degree of preparedness for (ability to react to) real or potential socio-economic crises. For this purpose, a multi-criteria evaluation method is used, quantifying the level of socio-economic resilience of the analysed territorial units. They are divided into five groups using the clustering method (with very high, high, medium, low and very low levels of resistance). It turns out that during the study decade there were no major changes in the socio-economic resilience of individual regions and districts and that territorial units concentrated in the western half of Slovakia and in the hinterland of large cities are much better prepared for socio-economic crises, in contrast to the limited ability to react in peripheral areas located at the south of central Slovakia and the east of the country.