| Popis: |
Building on the work of 27 authors and a survey of 400 experts, this volume provide a map of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The analysis comprises 16 CEE countries in four distinct country groups: a) the Visegrád group, which consists of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, b) Slovenia and Croatia, c) Bulgaria and Romania, and finally, d) the non-EU countries Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and Moldova. Austria serves as a reference country for comparing CEE civil society with a traditional Western European civil society. For each country, a chapter provides an overview over recent historical developments, the shapes and forms of civil society, its most important fields and activity, and an assessment of its institutional environment. Chapters also contain an analyisis of trends and future developments in civil society. In addition, the volume contains a synthesis chapter which provides a general investitgation of civil societes across the region. We find that, even though the four groups are very diverse, similarities and shared patterns can be identified, such as the important role of the European Union and the accession process in shaping the institutional framework. Analyses also reveal distinct features of civil society within the four country groups, such as a particularly high level of donor dependency in the non-EU country group and a low level of institutional trust in Bulgaria and Romania. Despite recent challenges, including the withdrawal of foreign donors and political tensions in some countries, the outlook we provide for this dynamic region remains largely optimistic. |
