Central and Eastern Europe

Historical Overview & Current Developments

Introduction

• 1991

• academic year 2003-2004:

- December 2003: Russian Duma elections

- March 2004: Russian Presidential Elections

- May 2004: EU accession Central European states

• rich and varied culture and history divergent trends

• Structure of the course :

– historyhistory of the region how central and eastern Europe took their geographical, institutional and political shape.

– recent developmentsrecent developments in this area

1. History

• Countries shifted back and forth between East and West througout history - part of different empires

• Currently: line often drawn between EU and non-EU countries. Europe divided in three belts:

- Western Europe (the current EU member states) - Central Europe (mainly comprising the candidate member states - Eastern Europe ( ‘European’ part of CIS)• Soon: second belt will ‘dissolve’ into the first one

European map redrawn• fear of newly emerging ‘dividing lines’ / polarisation.

Historical highlights

• 8th-11th C: christianity Moscow and Novgorod cities develop

• 1240: Mongol invasion by Golden Horde (until 1480) Russia cut off from the West

• 15-16th C: Renaissance in Central Europe. Russia misses out.

Turkish invasions:Hungary and Croatia turn to the

Habsburg empire for protection nascent affiliations

• 1569: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Baltic to Black sea

• 17th C: Hungarian lands subjected to Habsburg domination. Russian empire developing fast

(eastward)

• 18thC: Russian empire expanding westward, Habsburgs eastward

e.g. Partition of Poland 1773, 1793 and 1795

• 18th C: innovative reforms of Peter the Great & Catherine the Great

• 19th C: numerous wars and revolutions

• WWI & Russian Revolution 1917: independence in many central European countries

• 1930s: Stalin: collectivisation and dekulakisation, purges

• WWII: Molotov-Von Ribbentrop pact huge human loss in Central & Eastern Europe

• 1945-1989: central European regimes succumb to Soviet influence

Baltic States Soviet Union

• 1950s-60s: ‘ thaw’ (Khrushchëv) repression 1956, 1961, 1968

• 1980s: Gorbachëv - perestroika & glasnost’ gives a.o. Baltic states the opportunity to break free.

• 1989: ‘domino autumn’

• 1990 <: state sovereignty declarations e.g. Lithuania 11 March 1990

• putsch 18 Aug 1991: independence confirmed

Estonia 20 Aug 1991; Latvia 21 Aug 1991; Ukraine 24 Aug 1991; Belarus 25 aug 1991; Moldova 27 Aug 1991; Kyrgyzstan 31 Aug 1991;Uzbekistan 1 Sept 1991; Tajikistan 9 Sept 1991; Armenia 21 Sept 1991; Turkmenistan 27 Oct 1991; Kazakhstan 16 Dec 1991

• 25/12/1991: USSR ceases to exist

The Challenge of reforms (1991 - now)The Challenge of reforms (1991 - now)

• enormous challenge

• some states performed better in transition

• thematic issues in Central and Eastern Europe since independence

1. Democratisation, Civil Society and Minority Rights

• candidate EU member states made serious work of these topics

• example: Hungary: innovative legislation on minority rights, (Hungarians minorities , Roma minorities)

• example: Belarus: ‘black hole of Europe’. Almost no reforms Civil society & free press

virtually outlawed NGOs constantly persecuted

2. Divergent foreign policies Central Europe

Central Europe: clear European choicethree reasons:

- Economic: market economies

- Political: common position on foreign policy and political priorities

- cultural-historical: ‘return to Europe’

- Consequence: Russia?

The Outsider States

• Ukraine, Belarus: problems, lack of reforms

• Ukraine: corruption, scandals in 2000 ‘multi-vector policy’ ambiguous

signs to EU and CIS

• Belarus: even worse in corruption, reforms , democratization

state-led economy, energy dependence

Union State with Russia (1999) National identity

The CIS

• Eastern European answer to the European Union?

• empty box

• bi-annual meeting of CIS leaders: talking shop for Putin maintaining bilateral relations with the other members.

• CIS as economic backyard of Russia

• subregional initiatives: Eurasian Economic Community; Common Economic Zone; GUUAM; Shanghai five

Conclusion

• history of this region still affects the countries in policy choices and reforms

• this year: challenging for those who want to study Central and Eastern Europe.