Central and East European Politics: Changes and Challenges

Review
This timely new edition of the standard text for introducing students to the politics of Central and Eastern Europe is well-timed to address the renewed importance of the region in this age of democratic backsliding. The new editorial team is an excellent choice to replace the venerable outgoing editors. -- Michael Bernhard, University of Florida
The appearance of an updated fifth edition of Central and East European Politics is a welcome event. Bringing the ‘Changes and Challenges’ facing the region down to the current problems of democratic backsliding and the arrival of the global pandemic, the new team of editors has assembled a dazzling array of experts to discuss—both by policies and issues and in comparative case studies by country—the politics of this region so crucial to European stability. Zsuzsa Csergő, Daina Eglitis, and Paula Pickering have taken up the torch from original editors Sharon Wolchik and Jane Leftwich Curry without missing a beat. This new edition will further solidify the book’s reputation as the go-to source for students, practitioners, and scholars seeking to understand the successes and challenges facing the political leaders and citizens of the European Union’s newest members -- Hugh Agnew, The George Washington University
This volume is a uniquely rich and readable analysis of the politics of East and Central Europe. What makes this book so compelling is the close attention the editors and contributors pay to contemporary and historical developments (and their relationship to one another); individual countries as well as the region as a whole; and issues—such as nationalism, regime change, and the powerful impact of international actors—that have shaped regional dynamics for centuries. -- Valerie Jane Bunce, Cornell University
A scholarly tour de force and an essential resource for teaching and research on Central and Eastern Europe. The thematic chapters and country case studies adeptly chart the region’s political development and bring it right up to date, delineating the challenges to democratization posed by the current ‘illiberal turn.’ -- David J. Smith, University of Glasgow
Now in a fully revised and updated edition, this essential text provides a comprehensive introduction to Central and Eastern Europe, including the Baltics and Ukraine. Broad but nuanced, it offers a reader-friendly overview of the globally and regionally significant changes and challenges the region faces. Divided into two parts, the book first presents thematic chapters on key issues, including nationalism and challenges to democratic institutions and practices, the contentious politics of memory, debates over demography and migration in a region with a shrinking population, and Russian efforts to retain regional influence through hard and soft power. The case-study chapters that follow highlight key political developments after communism as well as providing a strong foundation for readers on regional history and the political and economic experiences of the communist years. Each covers the foundational topics of political history, political competition, economic development, social problems, relationships with European institutions, and threats to good governance. For students and specialists alike, this book will be an invaluable resource on this dynamic region of Europe.