Central and East European Politics

by Wolchik, Sharon L.; Curry, Jane L.

• ISBN13: 9780742567344
• ISBN10: 0742567346
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-10-31
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc

Summary

Now in a fully updated edition, this essential text explores the other half of Europe, the new and future members of the EU 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 European Union and NATO expansion, the economic transition and its social ramifications, the role of women, persistent problems of ethnicity and nationalism, and political reform. New to this edition are chapters on Albania and transitional justice. For students and specialists alike, this book will be an invaluable resource on the newly democratizing states of Europe.

Author Biography

Sharon L. Wolchik is professor of political science at George Washington University. Jane L. Curry is professor of political science at Santa Clara University.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction
Democracy, the Market, and the Return to Europe: From Communism to the European Union and NATO	p. 3
Policies and Issues
The Political Transition	p. 31
Re-Creating the Market	p. 53
Ethnicity, Nationalism, and the Expansion of Democracy	p. 83
Women's Participation in Postcommunist Politics	p. 109
EU Accession and the Role of International Actors	p. 125
Security Issues: NATO and Beyond	p. 143
Case Studies
Poland: The Politics of "God's Playground"	p. 161
The Czech and Slovak Republics: Two Paths to the Same Destination	p. 187
Hungary: Appraising the Past and Adjusting to the Present	p. 213
The Baltic States: Changes and Challenges in the New Europe	p. 231
Buglaria: Progress and Development	p. 251
Former Yugoslavia and Its Successors	p. 277
Romania since 1989: Living beyond the Past	p. 313
Ukraine: Muddling Along	p. 335
Albania: The Challenges of Transition	p. 369
Conclusion
What Now?	p. 397
Index	p. 405
About the Contributors	p. 413
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