Description
Book SynopsisDesigning Democracy is the first systematic and in-depth study of the effects of the EU''s democratic conditionality, originally set out in the Copenhagen conditions of 1993, on the new political systems of Central and Eastern Europe. Using new material drawn from extensive elite interviews in several of these countries as well as in Brussels, the book throws much light on how far the EU enlargement process has really strengthened these new post-Communist democracies following their transitions in the 1990s.
Trade Review'The book is very well researched with extensive notes and source materials...[it] will be most useful for researchers in the area of democracy studies as it explores the recent enlargement in a comparative context and provides valuable insights into the new member states.' - Political Studies Review
Table of ContentsPreface Theoretical Perspectives on European Enlargement and Democratisation The EU's Conditionality Strategy: Its Development Before and After the Fall of Communism EU Enlargement, Democratisation and Domestic Politics in Post-Communist Europe: Patterns and Problems of Motivation Post-Communist Accession Governments: Policy Orientation, Institutional Adaptation and Implementing Democratic Conditionality The Political Arena and Intermediary Actors in Candidate Countries: Political Parties, Opinion Makers and Public Impacts The Socio-Economic Arena and Deepening Democracy: Economic Transformation, Civil Society and Ethnic Minorities in Candidate Countries Conclusion: Europeanisation and Democratisation - Convergent, Parallel or Conflicting Processes? Sources and Bibliography Index
