Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe: Perceptions and Use of Contacts

Abstract

While a number of studies on the use of contacts in post-communist states have appeared in recent years, the large majority of these focus on the general public or on specific types of elites considered to be particularly vulnerable to corruption, such as politicians and public procurement officials. Less is known about the perceptions and personal experiences of those working in civil society in this regard. This article explores (i) general perceptions of the use of contacts; (ii) personal experience with contacts both as ‘users’ and ‘go-betweens’; and (iii) the maintenance of personal and/or work-related contacts—drawing on large-scale qualitative and quantitative data collected among NGO representatives in east central Europe, southeast Europe and the West Balkans. It is argued that contacts are indeed widely used by NGO representatives. The article is rounded off by a discussion of civil society's ability to perform the role of anti-corruption watchdog, given that contacts are widely used also in this sector.