Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
49
result(s) for
"Democratization -- Social aspects -- Europe, Eastern"
Sort by:
Remembrance, History, and Justice
The twentieth century has left behind a painful and complicated legacy of massive trauma, monstrous crimes, radical social engineering, or collective/individual guilt syndromes that were often the premises for and the specters haunting the process of democratization in the various societies that emerged out of these profoundly de-structuring contexts. The present manuscript is a state of the art reassessment and analysis of how the interplay between memory, history, and justice generates insight that is multifariously relevant for comprehending the present and future of democracy without becoming limited to a Europe-centric framework of understanding. The manuscript is structured on three complementary and interconnected trajectories: the public use of history, politics of memory, and transitional justice. Key words 1. Europe, Eastern—Politics and government—1989– 2. Collective memory—Europe, Eastern. 3. Memory—Political aspects—Europe, Eastern. 4. Democratization— Social aspects—Europe, Eastern. 5. Europe, Eastern—Historiography—Social aspects. 6. Europe, Eastern—Historiography—Political aspects. 7. Social justice— Europe, Eastern. 8. Post-communism—Europe, Eastern. 9. Fascism—Social aspects—Europe, Eastern. 10. Dictatorship—Social aspects—Europe, Eastern.
eBook
Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe
In societies divided on ethnic and religious lines, problems of democracy are magnified – particularly where groups are mobilized into parties. With the principle of majority rule, minorities should be less willing to endorse democratic institutions where their parties persistently lose elections. While such problems should also hamper transitions to democracy, several diverse Eastern European states have formed democracies even under these conditions. In this book, Sherrill Stroschein argues that sustained protest and contention by ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Slovakia brought concessions on policies that they could not achieve through the ballot box, in contrast to Transcarpathia, Ukraine. In Romania and Slovakia, contention during the 1990s made each group accustomed to each other's claims and aware of the degree to which each could push its own. Ethnic contention became a de facto deliberative process that fostered a moderation of group stances, allowing democratic consolidation to slowly and organically take root.
eBook
Finding the Right Place on the Map
Finding the Right Place on the Map is an international comparison of the media systems and democratic performance of the media in post-communist countries. From a comparative east-west perspective, this groundbreaking volume analyzes issues of commercial media, social exclusion, and consumer capitalism. With topics ranging from the civil society approach, public service broadcasting, fandom, and the representation of poverty, each chapter considers a different aspect of the trends and problems surrounding the international media. This volume is an up-to-date overview of what media transformation has meant for post-communist countries in the past two decades.
eBook
Remembrance, History, and Justice
The twentieth century has left behind a painful and complicated legacy of massive trauma, monstrous crimes, radical social engineering, or collective/individual guilt syndromes that were often the premises for and the specters haunting the process of democratization in the various societies that emerged out of these profoundly de-structuring contexts. The present manuscript is a state of the art reassessment and analysis of how the interplay between memory, history, and justice generates insight that is multifariously relevant for comprehending the present and future of democracy without becoming limited to a Europe-centric framework of understanding. The manuscript is structured on three complementary and interconnected trajectories: the public use of history, politics of memory, and transitional justice. Key words 1. Europe, Eastern-Politics and government-1989- 2. Collective memory-Europe,Eastern. 3. Memory-Political aspects-Europe, Eastern. 4. Democratization-Social aspects-Europe, Eastern. 5. Europe, Eastern-Historiography-Socialaspects. 6. Europe, Eastern-Historiography-Political aspects. 7. Social justice-Europe, Eastern. 8. Post-communism-Europe, Eastern. 9. Fascism-Socialaspects-Europe, Eastern. 10. Dictatorship-Social aspects-Europe, Eastern.
eBook
Policy knowledge production in de-democratizing contexts
Abstract
In an era of post-truth, the legitimacy of policy knowledge is questioned, especially in de-democratizing contexts where governments purposefully engage in post-truth politics to support their regimes. In such contexts, technocratic evidence-based policymaking is undermined, and the role played by policy advice changes. Recognizing the significance of political contextual factors that might differ across de-democratizing contexts, we analyzed how changes in policymaking and public administration in de-democratization contexts impact policy advice, focusing on think tanks in two de-democratizing countries of the European Union: Hungary and Poland. We identify four aspects of policymaking that are particularly consequential for the role of think tanks and the knowledge they produce in policymaking processes: questioning and politicizing expertise, centralizing policymaking, politicizing public administration, and dismantling accountability mechanisms. We argue that changes in policymaking along these four aspects are conducive to a controlled policy advice system, favoring short-term policy advice aligned with government ideology, while marginalizing and excluding the actors and knowledge that do not align. Our research, along with other literature on knowledge regimes in consolidated autocracies, suggests that control in these European Union–based contexts is not complete, and the think tank field continues to be characterized by diversity, particularly contestation and polarization between those who are aligned with the regime and those who oppose it. We substantiate our claims using an original interview dataset on think tanks in Hungary and Poland.
Journal Article
The Ball That Failed to Curve: The 2023 “Populist Polarizing” Referendum in Poland
In October 2023, Poland’s illiberal right-wing government held a referendum modeled after the one held in Hungary one year earlier. Organized in conjunction with the parliamentary elections under the pretext of “saving costs,” the 2023 Polish referendum constitutes the most recent example of how populists can use direct democracy to mobilize their electorate. However, unlike Hungary’s experience a year earlier, this referendum highlights how “populist polarizing” referendums can become a double-edged sword. Building on previous work by Bartolini and Mair, and Enyedi, this article introduces a new type of referendum: the populist polarizing. Initiated by populist parties to amplify political divisions for partisan gain, this referendum-type frames choices in starkly oppositional terms, creating an “us vs. them” dynamic that intensifies polarization. We contrast this with the more known and studied “cleavage referendums.” In particular, using both primary and secondary data, we demonstrate how Poland’s populist government employed the referendum instrumentally. They posed thematically differentiated questions on issues such as relocating migrants within the EU, selling state assets, raising the retirement age, and removing a border barrier. By exploiting emotionally driven political divides, the government aimed to polarize the campaign and mobilize their voters in the lead-up to the general elections. Departing from the case-study literature, we present an innovative argument: opposition parties can counteract populist governments’ strategies and successfully defend democracy by encouraging a selective boycott—voting in elections while refusing to participate in the referendum. The Polish experience illustrates how populist polarizing referendums, initially aimed to increase polarization and undermine democracy, can paradoxically be used to reverse democratic backsliding and safeguard liberal democracy. The Polish case shows that populist polarizing referendums are not infallible. While populist forces typically exploit polarization, referendums can also become a tool for the opposition. However, for the strategy to be effective, the opposition must take a constructive and strategic approach.
Journal Article
Illiberal Politics in Europe: Ideology, Policies, and Impact
Our thematic issue focuses on the ideological and discursive foundations, policy outputs, and institutional impact of illiberal parties in Europe. The contributions highlight how illiberal actors reshape democratic institutions, popular attitudes, cultural narratives, and welfare policies. They also consider how illiberal ideas spread through mainstream political discourse. Crucially, the issue explores both the diversity of illiberal ideologies and the mechanisms of democratic resilience. Together, these studies show that illiberalism is not merely a rhetorical style but a substantive challenge to liberal democracy that operates through institutional changes, policy, and discourse.
Journal Article
Can Disability Rights Flourish in Backsliding Democracies? – The Case of Hungary
Disability advocacy organisations face challenges in eroding democracies. Populist governments often employ strategies to curb the operation of organisations critical towards their policies. This study explored how the disability movement can advocate for human rights in an eroding democracy. Data was collected in Hungary, a 'poster child' of illiberalism, covering the last 25 years. Results show that the space for disability rights advocacy has been shrinking for the Hungarian disability movement. Opportunities to influence and monitor public policy-making have been diminishing. Disability advocacy organisations have been less included in consultations and decisions about policies affecting disabled people. Due to fear of repercussions, disability movement actors often employ self-censorship when talking publicly. The meaning of human rights and civil society have changed in the public discourse. Legal obligations to consult with the disability movement, existing human rights laws, and statutory human rights bodies seem less and less effective amid eroding democratic structures. The disability movement has become fractured. Keywords: disability movement, democratic erosion, Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary, disability advocacy, human rights
Journal Article