The Politics of Central and Eastern Europe and the New World Order

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

The roundtable participants will focus on how Central and East European countries approach what appears to be “new world order” where international relations are not primarily shaped by rules and multilateral institutions but by strongmen and deals. Roundtable participants, who are contributors to the forthcoming textbook, Central & East European Politics 6th edition, with expertise on a variety of highly relevant topics, such as nationalism, civil society and political parties, and countries, including Ukraine, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslavia, and Russia, will engage in a dialogue about the how Central and East European leaders react to and are impacted by these new regional and global power dynamics. “The West’s” promotion of Europeanization and liberal democracy in Central and Eastern Europe since the end of communist rule appears to be in the process of being eclipsed by political forces in the US, Russia, China, Turkey and Hungary promoting governance by strong men with unclear commitment to international law and democratic rights. Beyond using different approaches to critically examining CEE countries’ reactions, the roundtable participants will engage in a holistic discussion of how Central and East European actors have taken advantage of these new norms to influence the EU, domestic political institutions, party politics, policy agendas, and societies in the region. In addition, roundtable participants will discuss how the new world order impacts stability in a region where authoritarian forces seek to undermine democracy and a number of internationally recognized borders are actively contested, including by nationalist leaders engaging in the politics of memory.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Sharon L. Wolchik, George Washington U

Roundtable Speakers

• Zsuzsa Csergo, Queen's U (Canada)

• Kevin Deegan-Krause, Wayne State U

• Petia A. Kostadinova, U of Illinois at Chicago

• Paula M. Pickering, College of William & Mary