Contention, Democracy, and Capitalism. A View from Central and Eastern Europe

Research on protests, social movements, and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe is indispensable in explaining global patterns of democratisation and de-democratisation, capitalism and its contestations, and geopolitical transformation. The collective volume takes a post-transition perspective, exploring contention after the institutionalisation of the region’s political, economic, and administrative orders. The chapters analyse the impact of protest events and social movements on political institutions and broader power structures, investigating the grievances, protest repertoires, socio-demographic structure, and territorial diffusion. In terms of effectiveness and outcomes, CEE protest matters, leading in many cases to party system change, to countering authoritarian tendencies, and, in other cases, to Europeanisation. However, protests and social movements have limited impact when facing authoritarian regimes engaged in widespread repression.