Central And East European Politics
This long-needed text explores the other half of Europe_the new and future members of the European Union along with the problems and potential they bring to the region and to the world stage. Clear and comprehensive, it offers an authoritative and up-to-date analysis of the transformations and realities in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Ukraine. Divided into two parts, the book presents a set of comparative country case studies as well as thematic chapters on key issues,...
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This long-needed text explores the other half of Europethe new and future members of the European Union along with the problems and potential they bring to the region and to the world stage. Clear and comprehensive, it offers an authoritative and up-to-date analysis of the transformations and realities in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Ukraine. The book presents a set of comparative country case studies as well as thematic chapters on key issues, including EU and NATO expansion, the economic transition and its social ramifications, the role of women, persistent problems of ethnicity and nationalism, and political reform. For students and specialists alike, this book will be an invaluable resource on the newly democratizing states of Europe.
Acknowledgments ixList of Illustrations xiIntroductionDemocracy, the Market, and the Return to Europe: From Communism to the European Union and NATO Sharon L. Wolchik Jane L. Curry 3Policies and IssuesThe Political Transition Valerie Bunce 33Re-Creating the Market Sharon Fisher 55Ethnicity, Nationalism, and the Expansion of Democracy Zsuzsa Csergo 87Women's Participation in Postcommunist Politics Marilyn Rueschemeyer 113EU Accession and the Role of International Actors Ronald Linden 129Security Issues: NATO and Beyond Jeffrey Simon 147Case StudiesPoland: The Politics of "God's Playground" Jane L. Curry 165The Czech and Slovak Republics: Two Paths to the Same Destination Sharon L. Wolchik 191Hungary: Dealing with the Past and Moving into the Present Federigo Argentieri 215The Baltic States: Remembering the Past, Building the Future Daina Stukuls Eglitis 233Bulgaria: Progress and Development Janusz Bugajski 253Former Yugoslavia and Its Successors Mark Baskin PaulaPickering 281Romania since 1989: Living beyond the Past John Gledhill Charles King 317Ukraine: Muddling Along Taras Kuzio 339ConclusionWhat Now? Sharon L. Wolchik Jane L. Curry 371Index 379About the Contributors 385
\ Michael BernhardWolchik and Curry have assembled an all-star cast of experts for an authoritative assessment of the progress the region has made toward liberal democracy and a market economy in the last two decades. The book's particular strength is to cast the process in terms of a return to Europe. It thus pays attention not only to crucial developments in domestic politics but also to the influence of important international actors such as NATO and the European Union. Another exceptionally useful feature is the inclusion of essays that address important issues cross-nationally, as well as in-depth studies of each country individually, making the book especially valuable to students and scholars interested in the politics of the region and those interested in the interaction between domestic issues and global political and economic forces.\ \ \ \ \ Slavic Review, Summer 2009 - Andrew Janos\ This collection of essays is a useful text and reference book. These essays are at their best in serving both area study and political sociology.\ \ \ Zvi GitelmanThis is a comprehensive, straightforward, and lucid overview of the paths taken away from communism by Central and East European states. The authors—Europeans and Americans who range from senior scholars to the youngest generation of specialists—effectively address the domestic and international influences on the course of political development in the former communist states. The book is highly recommended to anyone who wants a clear picture of a complex and important region and its constituent parts.\ \
