Post-Communist interest politics: A research agenda

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on interest representation in the post-Communist democracies from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It maps out the existing contributions to our understanding of post-Communist interest intermediation in order to identify the main priorities in the research agenda and the challenges ahead. The contributions to the literature range from the most normative approaches to the applicability of a revived civil society, to the more empirically based studies of functional representation and the impact of external variables such as EU accession and international donor support. I argue that, while generally neglected by academic research, the study of post-Communist interest politics offers an excellent testing ground for comparative analysis on democratisation and transitology and the applicability of normative considerations regarding civil society, participation, social capital and associationalism. The post-Communist interest politics agenda while benefiting from the existing work can develop further by incorporating more systematic methodological approaches. There is a role for comparison beyond CEE that should not take place through the lens of the ‘exception’ but rather through a more inclusive approach. This can crucially enrich our understanding of the role of organised interests in contemporary democracies.