Jumat, 01 Oktober 2010

EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE: URGENCY OF DEMOCRACY AND ACCESSION IN ERUPEAN UNION

There are many different ways to define Central and Eastern Europe. Central and Eastern Europe actually is not based on geographical classification but this term describing former communist states in Europe, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989/1990. In scholarly literature the abbreviations CEE are often used for this concept.[1] CEE includes all the Eastern bloc countries of the post-World War II border with the former Soviet Union, the independent states in former Yugoslavia, and the three Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania — that chose not to join the CIS with the other 12 former republics of the USSR.[2] The transition countries in Europe and Central Asia are thus classified today into two political-economic entities: CEE and CIS. The CEE countries are further subdivided by their accession status to the European Union (EU): the ten first-wave accession countries that joined the EU in May 2004 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia) and the two second-wave accession countries that joined in January 2007 (Bulgaria, Romania). According to the World Bank, "the transition is over" for the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004.[3]

For Democracy context, the states of CEE have undergone significant changes since 1989, following the collapse of the communist regimes.[4] Exactly, not only the democratize political system but also create market economies and state-building. For addition, these states undertook the arduous task of meeting the requirements laid down for entry into the European Union. If we compared between four decades ago when communist rule is conducted where there are many commonalities in one region especially in communist zone, but now after communist suffer from a loss power, there are many diversities which we can find although there are some commonalities but usually there is significant variety across the region.[5] It is one of evidence if democracy has exist in states of Eastern and Central European. Beside that it is also caused by diversity of historical experience, how the countries exited communism and the preferences of politicisians during the early transition period.

Democratisation which exist in Europe is not too similar with western country because it still young and required not just an overhaul of the institutional architecture of politics, but also formal and behavioral shifts to allow multy party democracy and civil society to flourish.[6] Institutional framework here is much more settled but still subject to change and society also undergoing a process of democratic learning. Voters’ expectation were raised in the early post communist years thanks in part to wild promises which politicians found difficult to fulfil. Equally in recent years new parties with vague programmes and lacking traditional ideological bases have come to the fore, promising to be more competent and less corrupt than the political elite. Such appeals tap into wide-spread feelings that politicians frequently put their own material interest and those of their associates, before the interests of their countries, especially in area such as privatization policy.

Nonetheless, although some of these new parties have the characteristics of these new parties have the characteristics of anti-system parties, few citizens question the legitimacy of the democratic system. There may be much nostalgia for the economic certainties of communism sections of the electorate, but there is not much appetite for a return to a pre 1989 political system.  EU accession was generally perceived by citizens and politicians to have been a necessary step, hence the acceptance to make certain sacrifices. But with EU membership achieved questions are being raised about what decisions need to be taken at the European level and which should remain or be returned to national government.

Economic reform is also debatable and become obstacle in political focus of CEE,  the countries of CEE still face the tasks of joining the Euro and the Schengen zone, but its difficulty become one of challenge to access and become member of EU.[7] After CEE get the success of this problem, CEE position is shift not just objects, but subjects of EU decision making. Now, the new member states from CEE have been active in trying to alter the EU’s foreign policy toward the East. By globalization era which can not be ignored the existence, i think that choice to access in EU as the best idea for CEE to get prosperity and development and let democracy problematic grow in a row with change of period and society readiness.

References
Z. Lerman, C. Csaki, and G. Feder. 2004. Agriculture in Transition: Land Policies and Evolving Farm Structures in Post-Soviet Countries, Lexington Books, Lanham, MD
J. Swinnen, ed. 1997. Political Economy of Agrarian Reform in Central and Eastern Europe, Ashgate, Aldershot.
Ibid. Swinnen
Haughton, Tim. 2007. Central and Eastern Europe in Colin Hay and Anand Menon (ed). European Politics. New York: Oxford Universty Press



[1] Z. Lerman, C. Csaki, and G. Feder. 2004. Agriculture in Transition: Land Policies and Evolving Farm Structures in Post-Soviet Countries, Lexington Books, Lanham, MD
[2] J. Swinnen, ed. 1997. Political Economy of Agrarian Reform in Central and Eastern Europe, Ashgate, Aldershot.
[3] Ibid. Swinnen
[4] Haughton, Tim. 2007. Central and Eastern Europe in Colin Hay and Anand Menon (ed). European Politics. New York: Oxford Universty Press
[5] Ibid
[6] Op cit
[7] Opcit

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