In this paper, the stability of party and government systems in the "new" member states of the European Union from Central and Eastern Europe is investigated, as well as the process of democratic consolidation in those countries. The research aim is to examine how significant the discrepancies between the established Western democracies and the postcommunist EU members still are, three decades now after the system transformations in the early 1990s. Besides the rather broad comparison between West and East, variances among the different postcommunist states and over time is examined.
For this purpose, a literature review is made by summarizing and then comparing the findings of multiple authors, before an own evaluation of current data from the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) is made. In the end, the main conclusion of this paper is that there are similarities as well as differences between the "old" and the "new" EU member states thirty years after the collapse of communism. In terms of government stability and democratic consolidation, however, the considerable differences mainly do not exist on an interregional, but rather on an intraregional level, given the significant variance among the postcommunist states. Therefore, the results are not completely unambiguous, leading to the necessity of further research in this field.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework
3. Methodological Approach
4. Empirical Analysis
4.1. Government Stability in Central and Eastern Europe
4.2. Democratic Consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objective and Focus Areas
The research objective of this paper is to examine the current level of democratic consolidation and government stability in postcommunist European Union member states. By comparing the developmental trajectory of these nations three decades after the fall of communism against established Western standards, the paper aims to determine the extent of their systemic adaptation and identify remaining regional discrepancies.
- Comparative analysis of government stability within postcommunist EU member states.
- Assessment of the democratic consolidation process at various levels.
- Integration and evaluation of scientific literature and the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI).
- Examination of intraregional versus interregional variances in political systems.
- Critical review of existing empirical studies on party government systems in Central and Eastern Europe.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Government Stability in Central and Eastern Europe
In order to assess the postcommunist stability of Central Eastern European governments first, some core findings of the used literature sources are summarized and compared as a starting point.
In the collected edition of Grotz and Müller-Rommel (2011), several authors discuss and investigate different aspects of the government systems in Central and Eastern Europe. The two teams of authors Grotz and Weber as well as Grotz and Müller-Rommel deal with the topic of coalition stability in their articles from different perspectives. The former two authors diagnose an overall present, relative coalition instability across the Central Eastern European governments, taking into account the average duration of a coalition, which is two and a half years, and the average percentage of coalitions that survive until the regular ending of their tenure, which is 37% (Grotz and Weber 2011, 207) – calculated from all the current postcommunist EU members except for Croatia. Grotz and Weber infer from those values that the overall coalition stability remains on a relatively low level, whereby they identify considerable differences between the investigated states. Whereas in Latvia and Estonia every single government coalition collapsed prematurely, in Hungary, by contrast, 80% of the coalitions survived until the regular ending of their tenure (ibid., 207). The average duration of coalition governments ranges from rather low levels in Latvia (16 months), Poland (21 months) and Estonia (23 months) to significant longer durations especially in Hungary (43 months), Bulgaria (37 months) and Slovakia (36 months) (ibid., 207). Grotz and Weber list multiple approaches and theories explaining the tendency towards a low coalition stability, linking it particularly to the effects of different coalition types as well as to fragmentation and polarisation of the party systems (ibid, 207-208). Comparing the findings to Western Europe, they draw the conclusion that there are similarities as well as fundamental differences among the ‘new’ and ‘old’ EU members in terms of party systems and coalition stability.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical context of the post-1989 transformation in Central and Eastern Europe and defines the research scope concerning democratic consolidation and government stability.
2. Theoretical Framework: This section reviews existing literature and academic debates surrounding government systems and the definition of democratic consolidation in postcommunist states.
3. Methodological Approach: This chapter details the literature review process and the selection of the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) as an empirical foundation for assessing current consolidation levels.
4. Empirical Analysis: This chapter presents a comparative evaluation of coalition stability and consolidation levels, incorporating both historical research findings and recent BTI data.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, confirming that while these states have adjusted to Western standards, significant intraregional differences necessitate further research.
6. Bibliography: This section provides a list of all scientific sources and literature referenced throughout the paper.
Keywords
Democratic Consolidation, Government Stability, Postcommunist States, European Union, Comparative Politics, Party Systems, Transformation Research, Bertelsmann Transformation Index, Coalition Stability, Central Eastern Europe, Political Institutions, System Transformation, Democratization, Minority Governments, EU Accession.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this research paper?
The paper investigates the stability of party and government systems as well as the progress of democratic consolidation in Central and Eastern European member states of the European Union.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work focuses on comparative politics, specifically analyzing government coalition durations, the quality of democratic structures, and the structural adaptation of post-communist states to Western political models.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to examine how significant the discrepancies between Western democracies and postcommunist EU members remain thirty years after the political transformations of the 1990s.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study relies on a systematic literature review and an empirical evaluation of data from the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) to compare consolidation levels across countries.
What is discussed in the main body (Empirical Analysis)?
The main body evaluates coalition stability, government duration, and the "dilemma of simultaneity," while critically assessing various academic perspectives on how these nations have consolidated since the collapse of communism.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Democratic Consolidation, Government Stability, Postcommunist States, Comparative Politics, and Party Systems.
How does the author define the "dilemma of simultaneity"?
It refers to the parallel triple transformation processes in former communist states: the shift toward democracy, the transition from a planned to a market economy, and the national foundation of new states.
Why does the author rely on the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI)?
The BTI is used because it provides standardized, biennial data on political and economic transformations that allows for a comparative analysis of the consolidation levels of the examined EU member states.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2020, Democratic Consolidation in Postcommunist Party Systems in Central and Eastern Europe, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1388995
