Policies on intergroup relations in Central and East European cities: a comparative analysis of Budapest, Prague, Wrocław and Tallinn

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the differences in the understanding of ‘intergroup relations’ and measures underaken in the area of intercultural policies in four Central and East European (CEE) cities: Budapest, Prague, Wrocław and Tallinn. The analysis is based on interviews and field research carried out in 2008 in these cities in cooperation with local scientific experts, representatives of the ethnic communities and officials of the Municipalities as part of the Eurofound research project CLIP1. It explores the national and local political frameworks for intergroup policy and the target groups for such strategies and policies. The main aim of this article is to carry out a comparative analysis of four cities from the CEE countries in order to indicate the similarities and differences in the understanding of intergroup relations. It investigates the type of actors involved in this process and whether their actions are catalysed from the top-down or bottom–up.