The Social Democratic Tradition of East Central Europe

The state of democracy in East Central Europe at the beginning of the twenty-first century is ambivalent. The region looks more democratic than at any previous time in its history. Democracy is the dominant form of political legitimacy-of democratic and nondemocratic rulers alike. In historical terms, given the brief timespan involved, the region has really changed beyond recognition. A closer look makes the picture somewhat less rosy though. Nationalism and imperial collapse have shown their ugly faces. East Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Caucasus particularly, have been theaters of war and genocide. [...]