The International Politics of East Central Europe (Regional International Politics)

The countries of East Central Europe - Hungary, Poland and what was then Czechoslovakia - played a starring role in the central political drama of the late-20th century, the 1989 revolutions. Adrian Hyde-Price analyzes the changing nature of international politics in the region since 1989, and the influence upon it of history, national identity and geography. Developments in East Central Europe today are acting as a catalyst for the reshaping of international politics throughout Europe. This book considers the changing bilateral relationships in the region; the prospects for multilateral co-operation and conflict; relations with the new states to the East; relations with the West; and regional security issues. The author argues that the "return to Europe" of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia not only has profound implications for domestic politics and national identity in the region; it will also significantly alter the dynamics of the European integration process, and consequently the shape of the international system into the next century. The book concludes by assessing the impact of political democratization, institutional integration and globalization on international politics in contemporary East Central Europe.