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The euphoria evidenced in the aftermath of the collapse of
communist regimes in the late 1980s and early 1990s sometimes
conveyed the impression that the process of democratization would
be achieved without difficulty or tribulation. This book sets out
to provide a thorough comparative analysis of the challenges which
face the emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and
considers the impact of political change. Drawing heavily on
available survey data, the book provides an in-depth account of how
the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe have coped with
four major challenges: political fragmentation, nationalism, lack
of respect for human rights, and poorly developed civil service
systems. The book demonstrates that although the first few years of
the 1990s were marked by increasing disenchantment with the new
regimes, the change of governments as a direct result of the
electoral process and the prospects for European integration have
served to reverse this negative trend. Indeed, the authors find
that the new political systems have managed to cope with the
challenges so effectively that striking similarities with Western
democracies are now apparent. Offering new insights into democratic
transition, Challenges to Democracy will appeal to political
scientists, diplomats and policymakers, and economists with an
interest in European and comparative politics.
The Political History of Eastern Europe in the 20th Century
presents a fresh, up-to-date introduction to the struggle between
democracy and dictatorship in Eastern Europe since 1900.The book is
broken down into three different parts focusing on those time
periods when experiments with democracy threatened to change the
established order: the inter-war period, the democratic or semi-
democratic interlude in the wake of the Second World War until 1949
and the current experience with the new democracies. In discussing
the struggle between democracy and dictatorship, the authors argue
that the experience of Eastern Europe reveals the challenges which
threaten democracy and the conditions necessary for the survival of
democratic government. The book will be essential reading for
students of Eastern Europe, comparative politics, and European
history.
This major new reference book provides an authoritative and
thorough analysis of the political changes which have occurred in
Eastern Europe since the demise of communism. It offers an
historical, comparative perspective of the region and focuses on
the social consequences of the transition, historical legacies, and
variations between countries in the sequences of the changes. This
comprehensive handbook includes detailed examinations of elections,
the formation of governments, electoral systems, and constitutional
arrangements. It features country case studies on Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary,
Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria. These are supplemented by several
chapters drawing conclusions on the transition to democracy in the
region as a whole, and the consolidation of democracy in a
post-communist setting. The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern
Europe provides a state-of-the art companion which will be
indispensable for students and scholars in the social sciences
including transitional economics, comparative economic systems and
political science, as well as for policymakers and practitioners.
The Making of the European Union argues that the process of
European integration has drifted into serious crisis, perhaps the
most serious since the Danes voted against the Treaty of the
European Union in 1992. French and Dutch voters blatantly rejected
the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in the summer of
2005, thus freezing the constitutional process for at least a year.
The outcome of these referenda indicates that the views and
attitudes of average Europeans have not been sufficiently listened
to.Analysing the conditions for European integration, this book
applies a citizens' or 'bottom-up' perspective on the integration
process. The difficulties that the constitutional process has
encountered illustrate the relevance of bringing public opinion
into the analysis of the prospects for European integration. The
book describes and analyses the historical, mental, intellectual,
and attitudinal denominators of European integration, denominators
that have shaped the processes so far and will continue to do so in
the future. The authors apply a broad comparative perspective,
where European nation-states constitute the primary units of
analysis. The focus is on the foundations of European integration,
public views about the EU, including various shades of
Euroscepticism, and the long-term prospects of the EU. This is a
fascinating and penetrating look at the EU and will therefore
appeal to a wide audience including scholars and researchers in the
social sciences - particularly political science, comparative
politics and European studies. The book will also be of great
interest to journalists and all those involved in the EU, including
policy makers and civil servants throughout the EU itself.
Now fully revised and updated for the second edition, this unique
and authoritative account of the party systems in Eastern Europe
examines their development from the revolutions of the late 1980s
to the present day. The New Democracies in Eastern Europe presents
a genuinely comparative perspective on the old and new party
systems. Featuring detailed assessment and analysis of the
situation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, the volume draws
upon research and opinion from a distinguished group of European
scholars. Recognising that many of the social and political
problems of the inter-war period continue to make themselves felt,
the authors contend that the breakdown of the old authoritarian
system was a by-product of a built-in and progressively worsening
legitimacy crisis. Despite the great progress made by some East
European countries, recent events confirm the view that
authoritarianism has not lost its appeal. As an up-to-date and
comprehensive survey of political change and development in Eastern
Europe - rapidly produced to present the most recent information -
this book will be welcomed by researchers, teachers and students.
The book is the first systematic and comparative effort to capture
political culture in the Baltic countries, including political
orientation and support for democracy. Revolving around public
opinion data from the 1990s and onwards, including two recent
surveys commissioned by the authors, the book takes stock of the
political climate prevailing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania a
quarter of a century after reclaiming independence and fifteen
years after becoming members of NATO and the EU. These three
countries share the same geopolitical fate and many contemporary
challenges, and yet each has been marked by their own transitions
and struggles between nation building and European integration,
Western and post-Soviet orientations, and past experience and
future aspirations.
This original and thought provoking book addresses the major issues
in the present debate surrounding the EU, including the impact of
eastward enlargement as well as the prospect of further
expansion.Treating the EU as a single political entity comparable
to other political systems, the authors discuss the implications of
the neighbourhood programmes, the balance between vertical and
horizontal integration, the constitutional crisis and the
foundations of a potential European society. They also focus on
topics rarely raised in the political and academic debate including
the hybrid nature of the EU: It does not qualify as a state, but it
is not just another intergovernmental organisation; it promotes
democracy, but it is not yet a democracy in its own right. The EU
is placed within a global federal context, and it is argued that
the territorial expansion from the EU15 to the EU27 has added
substance, but also complexity to the EU. All this makes the book a
unique addition to the current literature. Applying a broad,
pan-European comparative perspective, this invaluable research tool
will strongly appeal to academics and students of European studies
and political science and institutions such as foreign offices,
embassies and EU organizations.
This third edition of The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern
Europe provides an authoritative and thorough analysis of the
political changes, which have occurred in Central and Eastern
Europe since the demise of communism. It offers an historical,
comparative perspective of the region and focuses on the social
consequences of the democratization process. The country-specific
chapters are written by scholars with well-documented area
expertise on their respective cases: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania,
Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Each chapter includes detailed
examinations of elections, the formation of governments, electoral
systems and constitutional arrangements. These in-depth and
up-to-date analyses are supplemented by conclusions on the party
systems and emerging political structures in the region as a whole,
as well as the consolidation of democracy in a post-communist
setting. The revised and expanded version of The Handbook of
Political Change in Eastern Europe provides a state-of-the art
companion, which will be indispensable for students and scholars in
the social sciences including political science, comparative
politics, European studies and political history, as well as for
policy makers and practitioners. Contributors: F.H. Aarebrot, D.
Auers, C. Berglund, S. Berglund, W. Crowther, G. ular, K.
Deegan-Krause, T. Donais, K. Duvold, J. Ekman, J.O. Haukaas, A.
Henjak, R. Hislope, M. Jurkynas, G. Karasimeonov, T. Knutsen, M.
Lagerspetz, M. Lyubenov, Z. Mansfeldova, A. Murati, S. Popa, O.
Protsyk, B. Stanley, O.-V. Suciu, B. Todosijevi , G. Toka, H. Vogt,
D. Zajc, N. Zako ek
The book is the first systematic and comparative effort to capture
political culture in the Baltic countries, including political
orientation and support for democracy. Revolving around public
opinion data from the 1990s and onwards, including two recent
surveys commissioned by the authors, the book takes stock of the
political climate prevailing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania a
quarter of a century after reclaiming independence and fifteen
years after becoming members of NATO and the EU. These three
countries share the same geopolitical fate and many contemporary
challenges, and yet each has been marked by their own transitions
and struggles between nation building and European integration,
Western and post-Soviet orientations, and past experience and
future aspirations.
Now fully revised and updated for the second edition, this unique
and authoritative account of the party systems in Eastern Europe
examines their development from the revolutions of the late 1980s
to the present day. The New Democracies in Eastern Europe presents
a genuinely comparative perspective on the old and new party
systems. Featuring detailed assessment and analysis of the
situation in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, the volume draws
upon research and opinion from a distinguished group of European
scholars. Recognising that many of the social and political
problems of the inter-war period continue to make themselves felt,
the authors contend that the breakdown of the old authoritarian
system was a by-product of a built-in and progressively worsening
legitimacy crisis. Despite the great progress made by some East
European countries, recent events confirm the view that
authoritarianism has not lost its appeal. As an up-to-date and
comprehensive survey of political change and development in Eastern
Europe - rapidly produced to present the most recent information -
this book will be welcomed by researchers, teachers and students.
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