The Communist Successor Parties of Central and Eastern Europe

What has become of the Communist parties that once held monopoly power in the east bloc? A decade ago, it was assumed that they would dissolve, but many of them have enjoyed electoral success. This book systematically examines how they have evolved. In the opening section, Herbert Kitschet and Ivan Szelenyi respectively consider post-communist party strategies and social democratic prospects in the transitional societies. Part II presents nine case studies of the major communist and communist successor parties of the region, and Part III is devoted to seven comparative studies. Appendices provide comparable electoral and party membership data.

About the Author

Andras Bozoki is associate professor of political science at Central European University, Budapest, Hungary. His main fields of research are comparative politics, democratization, political ideas, and political and cultural elites. His publications include three books in Hungarian, and Post Communist Transition: Emerging Pluralism in Hungary (1992) (co-editor); Lawful Revolution in Hungary, 1989-94 (1995) (co-editor); Intellectuals and Politics in Central Europe (1999) (editor); and The Roundtable Talks of 1989: The Genesis of Hungarian Democracy (2002) (editor). John T. lshiyama is associate professor of political science at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO. His main fields of research are post-communist party politics, institutional development, and ethnic politics in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. His recent books include Ethnopolitics in the New Europe (1998) (co-author) and Communist Successor Parties in Post Communist Politics (1999) (editor). He has also published numerous journal articles on post-communist politics.