210065 SE BAK10: Political participation in Central Eastern Europe (2024W)

The region of Central and Eastern Europe is politically very dynamic, and various regime developments have been observed in the countries there over the past few years. In many of these countries, democracy is particularly under pressure, and authoritarian tendencies have been noticeable for a long time. Weak political participation, for example, is a central aspect that has long been discussed in political science as a significant difference between the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the older democracies in Western Europe. Cultural factors, such as the post-communist legacy, are described in the literature as the primary cause of this lower participation rate. However, this diagnosis falls short and neglects the period after 1989, the era of transformations. Additionally, the diagnosis of lower participation rates primarily refers to the indeed declining voter turnout. At the same time, the region has experienced a strong increase in protests in recent years. Many people seem dissatisfied with the political status quo and express this discontent on the streets.

In the first step, theories of political participation are discussed. A focus is placed on the different forms of participation and how they are discussed in the literature. The second part of the seminar deals with the regional specifics of the area. The final phase then addresses various forms of political participation and how they have developed since 1989, focusing on elections and protests.