Journal of International Relations Security and Economic Studies

Fiscal Federation and Revenue Allocation in Nigeria: An Empirical Study

Tyodzer Patrick Pillah — 2024-04-18

Nigeria's politics surrounding the distribution of federal money among the federating units have never been easy. Thus, this study looked into Nigeria's politics around revenue allocation and fiscal federalism in practice. In order to get some results, it used the secondary method of data collection and documentation analysis. The federalism idea served as the study's location and direction. According to the study, the revenue allocation formula is not so much used for allocating shares of the so-called national cake to different segments of the population as it is for preserving political stability, social justice, and fiscal efficiency—all of which are necessary for ensuring growth and sustainable development within the confines of well-defined national objectives. However, the report claimed that throughout time, the Nigerian federal government has usurped most powers and centralized resources at the expense of the federating units. As a result, there have been persistent calls for the federating units to have more authority and resources. These initiatives, which have included the politics of derivation, the reconsideration of the sharing formula, and the struggle for resource control, have frequently been confrontational and violent, dividing the nation along long-standing ethno-regional lines. The report made several recommendations, including the need to diversify the economy, guarantee justice, equity, and accountability, and devolve authority and resources through constitutional frameworks in order to maintain Nigeria's cohesion, stability, and existence.

Moldova’s path to EU Membership and the possible activation of Article 42(7) TEU

Georgios-Orion Marias — 2024-04-18

In December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova, inviting the Council of the EU to adopt the respective negotiating frameworks once the relevant steps set out in the respective Commission’s Report have been implemented. Subsequently, certain important issues that arise from European Council’s decision are linked with Moldova’s security and defense due to its strained relations with Russia. Thus, in case of an accession, the European Council’s decision to grant EU candidate status to Moldova will instantly convert country’s security and defense issues to Union’s. Hence, the purpose of this article is to examine the possible activation of the mutual assistance clause enshrined in Article 42(7) TEU in case of Moldova’s accession to the EU. Initially, the article focuses on previous experience in the field by analyzing the implementation of Article 42(7) TEU on the occasion of the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015. Then it undertakes an institutional comparison between Article 42(7) TEU and Article V of NATO Charter in terms of their binding force.

The Positivist Research Agenda of Soft Power: A Critical Review

Alfredo Zeli — 2024-04-30

The discourse on soft power within international relations (IR) is rife with contention, particularly regarding its definition. Admittedly, the question of defining soft power bears the foundational implication of demonstrating its very existence as in contrast to hard power in international politics. Scholars engage in a seemingly endless debate over what exactly constitutes soft power, often at odds with each other. This ongoing quest has birthed a veritable cornucopia of terminologies, resulting in a confusing mishmash of concepts that frequently overlap and contradict each other. Implicit in this academic fracas is the positivist assumption that soft power is an objective reality awaiting decipherment through conceptual dissection. However, rather than elucidating the nature of soft power, this collective effort has engendered confusion, hindering scholarly progress. The proliferation of terminologies has only served to obfuscate the matter further. In light of this shortcoming, a different, non-positivist approach to soft power is warranted for a better understanding, circumventing the conceptual conundrums of the positivist agenda.