Between East and West: government–nonprofit relations in welfare provision in post-socialist Central Europe

Abstract

This article reviews the main developments in social welfare provision in East Central Europe (ECE), the emergence of nonprofit organizations as welfare providers, and changing nonprofit–government relations in social welfare provision since the early 1990s. In assessing the strengths and weaknesses of nonprofit organization (NPO)–government relations in social welfare provision in ECE, the article suggests that after establishing a firm basis by the mid-2000s, to varying degrees in different countries, nonprofits have not been able to maintain a secure independent role in the face of fluctuating government attitudes to their role and growing competition from private sector and church organizations.