1. Central and Eastern Europe:
Beyond 1989

2. Key questions: What kinds of polities? What kinds of economies?
Role in Europe?
Role in and impact on the international system?

3. Transitions to democracy
Problems:
Privatizing the economy
Establishing framework of law for a market economy
Establishing an independent civil society - bases for autonomous rather than mobilized or control political participation
Channelling political forces
Learning to tolerate opposition

4. Reuniting Germany The rapid collapse of an independent east
Reunification in 1990
Via formation of 5 eastern laender (provinces)
Conversion of ostmarks at par
Collapse and sell-off of the East German economy
Trimming of the east German welfare state
Different experiences of “Ossies” and “Wessies”
Differences in de-nazification
Social-market economy vs. socialism

5. Politics – incorporating the East
Problem of tainted connections
“colonization” of east by west German parties, politicians & bureaucrats
Continuing disparities
High unemployment
Fewer opportunities at any age level
Political differences
Initial support for Christian Democrats
Continued support for Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) – former Communists

6. Poland Rapid transformation
sell off/privatization of state sector
Quick development of market economy
Emergence of a large number of political parties
Fragmentation on the right following break-up of Solidarity trade union
Government from centre-left under former Communists (now reformed)
Relatively smooth transition

7. Hungary Rapid privatization Smooth transition to multiparty politics
Split of former Communists
Hungarian Socialist Party (reformed ex-communists) as a governing party
Split of Civic Forum
Well-established pattern of coalition governments

8. Czechoslovakia Transition in 1989 –Velvet Revolution
Slower “Velvet Divorce”
Slovak demands for greater autonomy greeted with complete separation
Czech Republic – smooth transition to democracy
Slovakia
Through 1998, autocratic tendencies under Meciar
From 1998, movement toward political competition

9. The former Soviet Union
Break-up in 1991
Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) move toward liberal democracy
Other states – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus…Georgia, Asiatic Republics end up as semi-democracies or authoritarian
Some competition, but opposition forces either restricted or so fluid that they are inchoate –
Systems tend to be executive dominated
Privatizations create sharp inequalities

10. The former Yugoslavia Break-up following 1990
Slovenia moves toward liberal democracy
Croatia and Serbia attempt to grab territory in Bosnia-Herzegovinia
Ethnic cleansing – interventions
Gradual stabilization under more, but not completely, democratic regimes

11. The new Europe:
Reincorporation of central Europe within larger Europe:
International and trans-national organizations used to incorporate central Europe
Admission over time to
Council of Europe
NATO
European Union
International organizations used to engage Russia – especially OSCE

12. Some trends: Reduced threat and mobilization – except on fringes
Use of international structures to engage Russia –
Shift toward
More homogeneous states – but not completely
Liberal democracy
Internally, greater disparities of wealth