Political actors and political roles in East‐Central Europe

Abstract

The transition from the communist power monopoly to a system of competitive politics has seen the creation of new political organizations, but it has involved also an adjustment on the part of those already existing. It is a process in which the roles of organizations as political actors are becoming defined through the interrelationships between them. A group analysis of the period since 1989 reveals: first, a lack of clarity in the distinctions between roles in the political process; secondly, strong organizational continuity from the communist period; thirdly, an influence of international factors on the internal relations between government and groups; and fourthly, a pull towards tripartite negotiations between government and employer and employee organizations. These last have a particular character that reflects the specific circumstances of the region, but they none the less vary from country to country.