Since the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have been trying to identify which personal resources can contribute to minimizing the mental health costs in students incurred due to the restrictions that disrupted safety and predictability in their academic lives. The aim of the study was to verify if and how individual factors (resilience and positivity) and socio-environmental factors (social support and nationality) allow prediction of the level of perceived stress. University students (n = 559) from Poland, Serbia, and Italy were surveyed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Positivity Scale (PS), and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Personal resources—positivity, resilience, and support—were found to be positively interrelated and significantly associated with stress levels. Additionally, gender and nationality differentiated stress levels. A general linear model (GLM) showed that levels of perceived stress are best explained by resilience, positivity, tangible support, and gender. The results obtained can strengthen students’ awareness of personal resources and their protective role in maintaining mental health, as well as contribute to the creation of prevention-oriented educational activities. Nationality was not a significant predictor of the level of perceived stress, which highlights the universality of examined predictors among university students from different countries and suggests that interventions aimed at enhancing these resources could benefit students across different cultural contexts.

(2020). Debate: Voting challenges in a pandemic—Poland. Public Money & Management. Ahead of Print.

Citizen e-participation – in times of rapid ICT advancement – is an important factor contributing to the development of contemporary democracies. The use of electronic citizen involvement tools provides numerous changes in the relationship between the citizen and public institution, especially by boosting citizen engagement in decision making. Civic participation is a key factor in determining effective and inclusive governance at the local and national levels. As many organizations have recognized, contemporary democracy needs to ensure a responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of those sustainable development factors. Moreover, National Councils for Sustainable Development were once considered critical to achieving integration in decision-making and participation, two dimensions that were at the heart of the sustainable development concept. The article presents citizen e-participation as an important factor for sustainable development. The purpose is to explain theoretical and empirical meaning of citizen e-participation for sustainable development. To achieve this goal, the authors used the following research methods: critical review of the literature and quantitative data analysis (data examined come from author’s own research (2018) into use and willingness to use e-government tools by Poles). Research findings may be an important contribution to the development of civic participation and the implicit value of the process. Keywords: citizen participation, e-democracy, e-government, e-participation, Poland, sustainable development.

In Poland, economic backwardness and communism delayed the transformation of the government into the e-government comparing with Western Europe. Now, it has been gradually developing and the majority of Poles declare to use electronic administration services. Comparing with other Eastern European countries, the Polish e-government is ranked second in the region, but Eastern Europe as a region has the lowest score in the whole continent. There is a noticeable underdevelopment in this part of Europe regarding e-government. The main research goal presented in the article is to diagnose the current state and barriers and opportunities for the development of e-government in Poland. To achieve the goal, the authors use the quantitative and qualitative data analysis based on their own survey made among Poles in 2018 and statistical data provided by public institutions in Poland. The article attempts to answer the question of how does e-government work in Poland from the perspective of citizens and authorities? The issue has been presented in the form of an analysis of empirical data regarding experience and opinions among Poles on electronic administration tools, as well as statistical data regarding information and communication technologies in use by public institutions and households in Poland.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss reasons for the failure of the 2020 postal-vote election reform in Poland and examine opinions of Poles on voting methods. The main goal is to answer the following research question: Which of the alternative voting methods – postal or electronic – would Poles prefer? Design/methodology/approach: The approach is quantitative and based on the statistical analysis of voters’ attitudes toward alternative voting methods, in particular postal voting. Findings: The main finding is that out of all voting methods available, most Poles favor electronic voting as a potential alternative to voting in person. On a general level, the conclusions from the Polish case highlight the need to establish special requirements and standards for democratic elections during emergency situations. The unsuccessful implementation of all-postal voting in Poland is an example of how changes to the law should not be made, especially when public health and democratic standards are at stake. Practical implications: The paper presents practical implications and recommendations for state authorities and electoral administration while implementing electoral reforms, extending the list of available voting channels, and running elections – especially in extraordinary situations. Originality/value: This paper adds to the knowledge on alternative voting channels, including their implementation during a pandemic. The Polish case is also relevant for other countries as regards safe and democratic elections during emergency situations. Policymakers are expected to benefit from the insight, as the results originate in public opinion polls and identify voting channels favored by citizens