Post-communist Central Europe Research Articles

Transgenerational Trauma and Resilience in Post-Communist Central Europe: A Comparative Study of Survivors, Their Descendants, and Control Groups

Transgenerational Trauma and Resilience in Post-Communist Central Europe: A Comparative Study of Survivors, Their Descendants, and Control Groups

Waiting for a Tragedy? Exploring the Czech Republic’s Ability to Detect Radicalised Individuals

Abstract Radicalisation had long been seen as something foreign, belonging more to Western Europe than to post-communist Central Europe. Considering the recent events in the Czech Republic and the 2022 Bratislava shooting, the article investigates the Concept of the Fight against Extremism and Prejudicial Hatred 2021–2026 to explore the currently involved stakeholders in its efforts to detect radicalised individuals vis-à-vis possible radicalisation-related threats emerging from its contemporary extremist landscape. As the document solely centres on the Police, Prison Service and the Probation and Mediation Service, it turns to similar institutions and services in Slovakia and Germany to outline potential inspiration and solutions for the Czech Republic. By synthesising this with the reasoning about the effective detection of radicalised individuals of predecessor Czech scholars, the article concludes that the MoI’s 2025–2026 action plan should incorporate three other stakeholders, i.e. 1) teachers, 2) children, teenagers and young people, and 3) the general public, to more appropriately meet the B2-specific objective and, crucially, to more adequately address the contemporary complexity of radicalisation.

Emigration From Post-Communist Central Europe After 1989 Interpreted Within the Aspirations/Capabilities Framework

In the period of post-communist transition, Central Europe witnessed complex and multifaceted mobility processes; permanent outmigration, of an ethnic or labour-related nature, coexisted with temporary, seasonal, or cross-border movements and an increasing influx of foreigners. To study these complex processes, we have chosen to apply a holistic and comprehensive approach, rather than limit conceptual considerations to one theory of migration determinants. We focus on eleven post-communist countries that joined the European Union (EU-11) and on the period extending from around 1989, covering the EU’s eastward enlargement, to the present. The aim of this study is twofold: first, we propose a general conceptual framework, based on the aspirations/capabilities approach, to present the main determinants of emigration from this part of the European continent. Second, in relation to each determinant, we formulate research questions postulated by selected theories of international migration and present the evidence, based on existing empirical studies, that addresses these questions. The paper contributes to the literature by providing a broad interpretation of post-transition mobility and pointing to commonly overlooked explanatory factors. We highlight the importance of economic factors that have enhanced and directed the outward migration from the EU-11 to selected EU member states and selected economic sectors; in particular, as regards capabilities, these factors include the lifting of labour market restrictions, high demand in the secondary sector of labour markets, and the roles of migration networks and the migration industry. Emphasis is also placed on aspirational factors, such as labour market failures and the substantial aspirational gap resulting from improvements in high educational attainment in the countries of origin. The aspirations/capabilities approach serves well as a general framework of migration determinants, but its explanatory power is enhanced by reference to other, more specific theories of migration. We show that a combination of the complementary approaches provides a more refined and in-depth picture of migration from the region.
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.

Does the state of emergency create an opportunity for democratic erosion? Lessons from post-communist Central and Southeast Europe

Abstract The paper’s key puzzle is the variation in lockdown-related democratic decline in the region of Central and Southeast Europe given the incumbents’ ideological and regime (dis)similarity. Why did similar regimes not respond to the pandemic in the same manner by using the opportunity to grab more executive power and diminish the authority of other institutions? While some argue that a state of emergency provides an ideal opportunity for democratic decline due to reduced costs, others believe that autocratic regimes with a ‘pre-existing condition for autocracy’ are more vulnerable. To contribute to this discussion, I examine three examples from post-communist Central and Southeast Europe (Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia) during the pandemic-related state of emergency and lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. I consider several relevant factors, the most important of which is the prospect of winning the next election. To erode democracy, autocratic incumbents must feel insecure about the outcome of the next election to use the opportunity created by the state of emergency. If they are uncertain of victory, they may prefer to expand their executive powers during the state of emergency, thus undermining democracy.

Hidden Dynamics of Religion and Human Rights in Central and Eastern Europe

The relationship between human rights and religion cannot be seen as a relationship between two entirely distinct sets of values Human rights are deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. However, throughout history religious institutions have interpreted human rights differently and have supported or hindered their implementation. This paper discusses the relationship between human rights and religion in the social and cultural matrix of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe. Our statistical analysis focuses on Hungary as an example of the region. In our view, the variations in the relationship between human rights and religion in Central and Eastern Europe are primarily determined by the region’s wounded collective identity and the resulting overriding national and state security needs. Politically and culturally, the region is characterized by its betweenness, embodied in centuries of vulnerability to the great powers. Therefore, the social status and political discourse of human rights and religion should be tied to this primary regional marker. While examining the relationship between religion and human rights, we should be aware that the primary relationship is between human rights and the collective identity of the nation-state and between religion and the identity of the nation-state.

In Memoriam: Mats Morell

In Memoriam: Mats Morell

Letter to the Editor

July 27, 2022To the Editor:Back in 1995 and 1999, I authored two articles in The Polish Review on Poland's effort to gain entry into the NATO Alliance, the Polish American Congress’ key role in this endeavor, and my involvement from 1993 to 1999 in this ultimately successful enterprise.1Here is a brief “postscript” on my experience. It comes at a timely moment, in connection with NATO's, and Poland's, response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In sharing my story with your readers, I am well aware that other ordinary citizens who worked for Poland's entry into NATO likely did far more significant things. Unfortunately, I have not seen any reference to this in print. So here's my story “for the record.”It all began in December 1997 when I got a telephone call from the Polish Consul General in Chicago, Ryszard Sarkowicz. He said he had been in contact with Wisconsin State Senator Richard Grobschmidt, whose district included many Polish Americans. Senator Grobschmidt agreed to submit a resolution supporting Poland's entry into NATO and to get it approved in both houses of the state legislature.In fact, Senator Grobschmidt, a Democrat, and his colleagues, Democrats Roger Breske, Brian Burke, and Kevin Shibilski, and Republicans Gary Drzewiecki and Robert Welch had already authored such a resolution, joined by thirteen concurring sponsors in the State Assembly, Democrats Peter Bock, Barbara Gronemus, Donald Hasenohrl, James Kreuser, Walter Kunicki, Jeff Plale, Rosemary Potter, and John Ryba, and Republicans John Dobyns, John Gard, Joseph Handrick, Alvin Ott, and Scott Walker.The resolution had been referred to the Senate committee on Economic Development, Housing, and Government Operations. It gave six reasons for approval—most notably that Poland, as a free and democratic country, was indeed prepared to be a contributing NATO member, that it was in the U.S's national interest to maintain and expand NATO to ensure the peace, stability, and prosperity of post-communist Central Europe, and that NATO's mission would be enhanced by doing so.The Senate committee scheduled a hearing on the resolution for January 7, 1998, in Madison, Wisconsin's capital. In my chat with the Consul General, he asked that I speak in its favor. At first, I was skeptical—amending the NATO treaty to admit Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic was the responsibility of the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC, not the state legislature in Madison. When the Consul persisted, I agreed to go. I then asked a friend, Terry Witkowski, a Milwaukee City government official and president of the influential Milwaukee Society lodge of the Polish National Alliance fraternal, to accompany me.My testimony took all of about forty seconds! The Committee Chair, Senator Gwen Moore of Milwaukee, stopped me in mid-sentence and said, “Thank you Professor. I believe we are now prepared to vote on this resolution.” It was then approved by a 4–0 vote. Senate passage came days later, on January 15, 1998.But Assembly approval was blocked due to a squabble between the Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled Assembly. I learned this from Senator Grobschmidt who was pessimistic about any early settlement of the dispute. But he then encouraged me to call the Republican Speaker of the Assembly on the matter. I did so and reached Rep. Gard (the Speaker's deputy) and asked why the Assembly was refusing to even take up the bill. At this point, Rep. Gard asked me my name and where I lived! I gladly assured him I was a Wisconsin resident. Then I repeated my request, and in the strongest language I could muster.Rep. Gard promised to call me back on the matter and did so just twenty minutes later, saying that the Assembly would indeed bring up the resolution the next week. On March 25, the Assembly did so, approving by a concurring resolution.The joint resolution was then immediately forwarded to the President of the United States, the President pro tem of the U.S. Senate, the two U.S. Senators from Wisconsin, Herbert Kohl and Russell Feingold, and Poland's ambassador to the U.S.On April 30, 1998, the U.S. Senate approved extending NATO membership to Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic by a vote of 80–19. (67 votes were needed to amend the NATO treaty.)2 Both U.S. Senators from Wisconsin voted for NATO expansion.3 Then, and only after all sixteen NATO members had formally approved expansion, the three states joined NATO in April 1999, the fiftieth anniversary of its founding.It had taken six long, tough years of lobbying to achieve this breakthrough; later expansions of NATO in 2004, 2009, 2018, and 2020 have since gone swiftly and smoothly. In 2022, with Finland and Sweden seeking to join NATO in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the alliance was on the verge of including thirty-two member states with over 950 million inhabitants.4Sincerely,

Elementy magii i religii w rzeczywistości społecznej kapitalizmu

The article is dedicated to the issue of magic and religion in the social reality of capitalism. The goal of the article is to present examples proving that capitalism in various places (post-communist Central Europe, San Cristobal in the Mexican state of Chiapas, Colombian department Valle del Cauca, New York) and at various times (from the 1970s to the second decade of the 21st century) was associated with elements of religion and magic through social thinking and practice, and therefore elements of social reality. On the other hand, in the discourse, capitalism is often presented as a part of nature: the existence that acts objectively, like the laws of physics. In the article, this apparent contradiction is presented as a dialectical aspect of the present day, in which the discourse and social reality are complementary.

Teby-Smoleńsk-Warszawa [Thebes-Smoleńsk-Warsaw

<i>Teby-Smoleńsk-Warszawa</i> [Thebes-Smoleńsk-Warsaw

Transformation in post-communist central and eastern Europe and analysis of success factors

중동부유럽의 체제전환은 공산정권이 약속했던 이상적인 사회주의 건설에 실패했고 이를 비판하는 목소리가 터져 나온 것을 계기로 시작되었다. 따라서 전환은 공산정권의 실패에 기인했고 새로운 정권은 이전 정권과는 완전히 다른 정치, 경제체제로의 이행을 시작했다. 이러한 배경에서 본문에서는 중동부유럽 체제전환을 크게 민주화와 시장경제화로 구분하고 국가별 민주화와 시장경제화의 과정과 그 성과를 분석한다. 여기에서는 탈공산주의 중동부유럽을 선도그룹, 후발그룹, 발칸그룹, EaP그룹, 러시아, 중앙아시아그룹으로 구분해 전환의 성과를 비교하고 그 성공 요인을 분석한다. 특히 본문에서는 전환의 성공을 EU의 역할, 민주화와 신자유주의, 제도적 측면에서 정부의 효율성과 법치구현으로 파악하고 그룹별 차이를 비교해 전환과 이행의 함의를 이끌어낸다.

Why Geography in Poland Has Never Radicalized

This paper deals with the role of social sciences, and more specifically of geography and regional planning, in the legitimization of European integration and neo-liberal economic and social reforms introduced since 1989 in Poland and, more broadly, in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe. Using the example of an intellectual biography of Antoni Kukliński, one of the most prominent Polish geographers, the role of the old intelligentsia elite and its American profes­sional experiences in the evolution of the Polish academia is also analyzed, as well as its involvement in the first non-communist government. The paper also discusses the absence of critical schools within the field of Polish geography as well as other disciplines of social sciences. This is done though the reconstruction of the basic structure of the given academic field and its evolution over time from late communist period to present days. This specific structure of the field of Polish geography, which as it is argued is similar to other fields of social sciences and humanities in Poland, also helps to better contextualize the trajectory of Kukliński.

Bank ownership and drivers of credit growth in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

AbstractIn this paper, we analyse the determinants of credit growth for banks operating in 20 countries in the post-communist Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE). We focus on foreign-owned banks and the parent-subsidiary nexus against the background of all banks operating in this part of Europe. Our goal is to determine whether the macroeconomic and bank-specific determinants for host countries have a similar impact on the entire group of banks operating in CESEE and on its subset of foreign-owned banks and whether the rate of credit growth could be considered ceteris paribus equal across the foreign-owned and the complete set of banks in the CESEE. To this end, we use panel data regressions on approximately 4,600 bank-year observations over the period from 1995 to 2014. We conclude that the determinants of banks’ behaviour in the CESEE countries are consistent regardless of these banks’ ownership, the period and their EU membership. Although having a foreign investor expands the set of relevant determinants, the presence of such investors does not overshadow the importance of local conditions.

The Economics of Religion in a Globalizing World: Communist China and Post-Communist Central Europe

Research background: Religion is often neglected by economists despite the existing studies of its importance for the economy. Religion and culture shape the development of informal and formal institutions and hence impact economic development. Considering the economic importance of China, the religious situation in that country deserves attention; at the same time, due to the peculiar conditions of religion under Communism, the future of religion in China seems rather unclear. Purpose of the article: The paper proposes that the economics of religion may be useful in the analysis of the religious situation in China. It shows the possibilities of applying the economic approach even where markets are suppressed, such as under Communist rule. In light of economic theory, it shows that the experience of Central European countries under Communist rule, particularly Czechoslovakia, may provide clues about the future of religion in China. Methods: The paper builds on previous findings in the economics of religion. It reviews the theories concerning the regulation of the religious markets and the effects of deregulation, as well as the theories specifically developed to analyze religion under heavy regelation and the strategies for its survival. The history of Communist China and Czechoslovakia are compared with regard to those theories. Findings &amp; Value added: The paper shows the similarities between Communist China and Czechoslovakia. The parallels seem useful to predict the further development of religion in China, including the effect of the possible tightening of anti-religious policies as well as those of deregulation upon the liberalization of the Chinese political regime.

How will new orbital motorways reshape accessibility in Bratislava metropolitan area?

Abstract Dynamic economic expansion of metropolitan regions in post-communist central Europe induces dynamic traffic growth, which calls for new transport network solutions and improvements to existing transport infrastructure within the regions. This is also the case of Bratislava as the capital city of post-communist Slovakia, which has recently been facing new economic and urban development challenges. A booming labour market, intensive suburbanisation processes, traffic expansion and urban (re-)development bring new conflicts and demand for grand-scale transport projects. An ongoing upgrade of the motorway system in the region of Bratislava will result in the construction of a substantial part of an orbital motorway surrounding the southern and eastern parts of the city. The potential effects of the motorway network-upgrade projects on the city urbanism are probably immense. This paper attempts to evaluate the possible changes in accessibility within the road network after completion of motorway upgrading project D4/R7 in the metropolitan area of Bratislava. The interaction potential of both population and jobs was applied here to assess possible impacts of road network enhancement on accessibility of places of residence and of work.

Between Human Rights and Transitional Justice: The Dilemma of Constitutional Courts in Post-Communist Central Europe

The essay sheds light on the role of constitutional courts in transitional justice, focusing on their role in mitigating the conflicts between transitional justice and international human rights commitments. Through a study of the Czech Constitutional Court’s case law, we demonstrate that international human rights work both as a constraint and a tool. Constitutional courts use international human rights law selectively, when it suits their reasoning and views on transition. Nevertheless, the influence of international human rights law strengthens over time, especially when supported by the adverse rulings of international bodies, and gradually prevails over transitional justice justifications.

On the re-institutionalization and diversification of Public Administration education in Central and Eastern Europe: A case study of post-communist Romania

The article provides a complementary view to those accounts of the growth of public administration education in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe that (a) explain its development primarily as a reflection of changes in administrative cultures while (b) emphasizing the ongoing process of curricular diversification. Rather, the article shifts the focus on the internal dynamics of higher education. It shows that the development of Romanian public administration education can be attributed, to a considerable extent, to unique opportunities arising in a period of post-communist re-institutionalization, of which enterprising academics ably took advantage. It further argues that, curricular variety notwithstanding, public administration departments in this country may be growing more alike in other respects. In so doing, the article contributes to an expansion of the traditional narrative of the growth of public administration education in post-communist Europe.

The Russia Connection

What explains receptivity of citizens in the post-communist world to Russian influence? popular attitudes in Central and Eastern Europe about Russia's role in the world and seeks to find answers to the question: does ideology or economic factors most influence support for Russia in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe? We use survey data from the Pew Research Center (2017) to assess the drivers for popular support of Russia. We find that the primary driver of individual-level support of Russia is political attitudes associated with the Far Right, but that this relationship also varies by country.

Banks beyond borders: internationalization, financialization, and the behavior of foreign-owned banks during the Global Financial Crisis

An internationalizing wave swept through many developing and emerging countries’ banking systems in the years before the onset of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008. Early critics of the influx of foreign banks worried that local affiliates of international behemoths could serve key nodes for transmitting turbulent conditions in the global financial hubs to the peripheries of the world economy. The eruption of the GFC and its aftermath, it would appear, decisively settled the dispute over the merits of foreign control of national banking systems in the critics’ favor. Yet the simple foreign/domestic ownership distinction cannot answer the questions that animate this article: why did foreign-owned banks play an amplifying role during the crisis in one region (post-communist Central and Eastern Europe) but not in another (Central and South America)? What accounts for the difference in how foreign-owned banks responded to a common financial shock across the two regions? I argue that financialization of banking systems in the post-communist European group of countries is a key mediating factor that explains why the heavy foreign bank presence in the region amplified the regional effects of the global credit crunch in 2008 and the years that followed.

Activism and human rights for people with mental disabilities in postcommunist Europe.

Disability activists emerged as an important influence over the first decade of the new millennium in postcommunist Central and Eastern Europe, a particularly critical time for progress in human rights and services for people with mental disabilities in that part of the world. An entrenched custodial institutional infrastructure existed for children and adults with mental disabilities in communist Central and Eastern Europe between the 1940s and the fall of communism in 1989. Activists who emerged in the subsequent postcommunist era faced multiple challenges and important new opportunities in their efforts to address human rights and quality of life for citizens with mental disabilities. Critical to their efforts were new civil society freedoms that allowed for the establishment of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which had previously been prohibited. Those activists and NGOs tended to represent one of two distinct missions: Either a focus on human rights protection with a watch-dog function, or an emphasis on service-provision and community-based support. Across both types of activism and NGO missions, the goal to reduce the imposition of custodial institutional life on people with mental disabilities was a priority. In addition to the history of mental disability activism in postcommunist Central and Eastern Europe, this article addresses the implications for American psychologists involved in cross-cultural and international work in disability issues, and notes the challenges facing psychologists who are engaged in both activism and the profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Religiosity and economic attitudes in post-communist Central Europe: Some additional evidence

Religion and religiosity are rarely the main focus of economic research; although, some studies have already shown the importance of religion for economic development. Previous research has also provided some evidence that religiosity matters in the process of formation of economic attitudes. Economic attitudes and culture in general affect social institutions and economic development, especially in the periods of institutional change. This article provides some additional evidence that religiosity has had an impact on economic attitudes in post-communist countries. Thus, religion shall be taken seriously as an explanatory variable when it comes to evaluation of transition process and its outcomes.