Publisher's Synopsis
The exciting and rapid changes in Eastern Europe since 1988 leave many unanswered questions, not least what will be the new political impact of the sudden emergence of new states striving for democracy but liable to instability, pressures of nationalism, economic and social chaos and inexperience with the regional and global geopolitical system. Using the methods of the new political geography, this volume examines the issues raised by these questions under five headings. After a broad, theoretically important, and original introduction, the nature of the geopolitical shifts in Eastern Europe are considered, serving to introduce discussion of the social and political transformation. The fourth section presents pioneering work on the electoral geography of the region while the fifth and final section deals with the social and political uncertainties of the region in an international context. This book may be useful reading for anyone concerned with the European or world role of the new Eastern Europe.
