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Abstract: Democratic Innovations in Central and Eastern EuropeAccording to Elisabeth Bakke's (University of Olso) review of Democratic Innovations in Central and Eastern Europe, Sergiu Gherghina, Joakim Ekman and Olena Podolian have edited a book on 'democratic innovations' in more or less democratic countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Bakke finds that, while several of the contributions are well written and interesting, 'democratic' may not be a particularly precise label in a context where, as it turns out, the 'innovations' do not contribute much to increasing either participation or democracy.

The development of the telecommunications infrastructure is seen as an important prerequisite for economic development in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The financing of the upgrading of the infrastructure becomes a major future problem for these countries, especially with regard to investment in the local telephone networks. This article gives an overview of recent developments and different approaches to telecommunications development and the reform of the regulatory framework in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the 'Old Europe' of cobblestones co-exists with mobile phones, horse carts fight for road space with cars, and farmers' markets compete with mega-stores.Western business professionals hoping to expand or start up new ventures in this complex environment must possess knowledge that is both comprehensive and subtle. What is it like to live and work in Central and Eastern Europe? How is business conducted there? What happened in Central and Eastern Europe to make integration into the rest of Europe so difficult? What important social and cultural issues must be mast

This handbook on racist extremism in Central and Eastern Europe is the result of a unique collaborative research project of experts from the ten new and future post-communist EU member states. All chapters are written to a common framework, making it easier to compare individual countries and include sections on:racist extremist organizations (political parties, organizations, and subculturesthe domestic and international legal frameworkmembers and types of racist extremist incidentsstate and civic responses to the threat.Mudde's conclusion examines the region as a whole and compares it with W

The historical trajectory of Central and Eastern Europe differed significantly from that of the West. The region became the periphery of a transforming West during the early modern centuries. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were characterized by repeated attempts to catch up with the West. Romanticism brought in Western ideas and generated struggles for national independence and modernization. Failures paved the way for desperate revolts in the inter-war years. Left- and right-wing revolutions engulfed the region. Authoritarian, Fascist and Communist regimes looked for short cuts to finish nation-building and industrialization. In the end, all versions of state-run modernization failed, and the region revolted against them. At least its western rim seems to be successfully returning to Europe at the turn of the millennium.

The most salient theoretical cleavage in contemporary literature in International Relations on institutions & on the EU is a rational/constructivist (or sociological) dichotomy. Both, rational choice theorists & constructivists agree that "institutions matter" in the sense of exerting an independent causal influence in the social real, but they differ in their arguments about "how institutions matter." While many scholars recognize possible complementarities between rational choice & constructivist institutionalist variants, the "metatheoretical" debate about institutions often hampers the theoretical, methodological & empirical dialogue. In her essay, the author seeks to integrate insights from both rational choice & social constructivism in order to understand the effects of international factors, in particular, the EU on domestic structures of the countries of Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). 37 References. Adapted from the source document.

Market transitions are thought to inevitably produce spiraling inequality on the road to economic growth. This review provides an overview of research evaluating inequality in income and wages in Central and Eastern Europe since 1989. The empirical studies agree that inequality has increased, but disagree about the amount, pace, source, and explanation of change. Patterns of inequality are unrelated to economic performance, to the pace or timing of reform, or to rates of subsequent growth. Inequality increased the most in the least successful countries and the least in those countries with historic cultural connections to the West. Inequalities by age, education, region of the country, and health status increased; differences by gender appear to have declined. Although data are plentiful and promising, it is not yet possible to conclude that patterns of inequality among postcommunist countries are due to the genesis of capitalism, to social and cultural assimilation to the West, to adaptations of redistributive institutions to deal with poverty and unemployment, or to globalization.

Utilizing a wide range of empirical cases, the contributions in this volume highlight the different aspects of the role, development, and societal background of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. The first part of the book deals with dissent under socialism. The second part of the book looks at the role of civil society in the Western Balkans in the context of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the related ethnic conflicts. The third part examines the role of civil society in the post-Soviet region, which is marked by authoritarian tendencies. The fourth part returns to Central Eastern Europe with an analysis of the impact of EU accession on the role of civil society and considers the underlying aspects of a 'common European memory'. The final section of the book looks at two cases -- one from Central Eastern Europe, one from the CIS region -- of political participation and lobbying by civil society organizations