Post-communism, Democracy, and Illiberalism in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union explores how the downfall of communism brought about a difficult transition for Eastern and Central Europe. The collapse of communism in this region varied from one case to another and the consequences of this process can still be noticed to varying degrees today. Although most of the countries that were part of the former Soviet bloc are now members of the NATO or of the European Union, and the democratic system in these areas seems to be a solid one, the last ten years have indicated a declining trust of the citizens in political institutions and a degradation of political systems which keeps generating vocal manifestations of populism and Euroscepticism. The end of the 1990s marked the final shift towards democracy, with the accession of the first states to NATO and the beginning of accession negotiations with the European Union. The process of consolidating democracies seemed to be an irreversible one, and steps towards respect for human rights, freedom of expression, and the development of economies that functioned according to the rules of the free market gave hope for a very fast path to reduce the gaps in relation to Western democracies.
Matei Gheboianu is associate professor in the History department at the University of Bucharest. Daniela Popescu is teaching assistant in the History department at the University of Bucharest.
Foreword, Lavinia Stan Introduction Part I: The Fall of Communism Chapter 1: 'An Observation Post': The Embassy in Bucharest and British Foreign Policy towards Romania During the Last Years of The Ceausescu Regime, Peter Siani-Davies Chapter 2: Between Political Participation and Opposition: Everyday Resistance in Communist Romania, Manuela Marin Chapter 3: 1989 - Annus Mirabilis for The Moldavian SSR, Sergiu Mustea?a Chapter 4: Searching for Tourists: Tourist Activity in Romania at The End of 1989 under The Securitate's Surveillance, Virgiliu ?arau Chapter 5: The Role of the Mass Media in the Romanian Revolution, Matei Gheboianu Part II: The Challenging Road from Communism to Democracy Chapter 6: Romania's Elections of May 1990, Ion Bucur and Daniela Popescu Chapter 7: The Difficult Transition from Totalitarianism to Democracy in Romania after December 1989: Political Myths, Manipulation and Violence, Hadrian Gorun Chapter 8: Romania and NATO in the Early 1990's: The Difficult Search for Romania's Post-Cold War Status, Mihail Dobre Chapter 9: The Nation under Siege - A Hungarian-Romanian Perspective, Csaba Zahoran Chapter 10: Thirty Years After: Major Sports Events in Europe. Case Study: Romania, Anita-Diana Sterea Chapter 11: All in The Architecture? The Unfolding Metamorphosis of Central-Inner Warsaw (1989-2019), Peter Martyn Part III: Reflections Three Decades Later Chapter 12: Transformation, Post-communism, and the Deficiencies of Liberal Democracy in Poland: A Case Study, Krzysztof Brzechczyn Chapter 13: Romania's Protest Culture Thirty Years After the Regime Change: Hegemonic Discourses and Western Ideals, Ruxandra Gubernat and Henry P. Rammelt Chapter 14: Thirty Years Later: An Essay on Open Wounds and Lessons for The Future from Communism and Thirty Years of Transition, Ana Adi Chapter 15: The Fall, Rise and Decline of Democracy in Europe and the World, Daniel Chirot About the Editors and Contributors
