Moving from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the present day, this book traces the trajectory of the six East Central European former satellites of the Soviet Union (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria) that have joined the European Union. It seeks in particular to explain these countries’ disenchantment with the “return to Europe” in spite of their significant advances. The book proceeds country by country and then devotes chapters to some contemporary issues, such as minorities, migration, and the relations of these “new” members with the European Union as a whole. The book eschews theory and is intended for a general audience, including students at all levels in political science and history classes devoted to the EU and to contemporary Europe, and to an academic and practitioner audience interested in world affairs and the evolution of the European Union. The book strives to fill a persistent knowledge gap in the English-speaking world concerning East Central Europe, and to offer fresh insights about the region in the context of contemporary geopolitics. Review “In this book, Prof. Liebich depicts not only the history of post-communist regimes in Central-East Europe, but also these states’ internal agendas and transformative debates. This book lives that history through telling it once again, thus challenging accepted prejudices. It brings a new perspective when analyzing the events of the last three decades following the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the intricate roads that post-communist countries took to ‘get back to Europe.’ The book mirrors the struggles of post-communist regimes in Central-East Europe, plunging deep into the very soul of such societies to shape judgement and enhance critical thinking in a bipartisan manner.” ― Adrian Liviu Ivan, Professor, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania “East Central Europe is again on the news. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the region was hailed as a liberal champion; now it is scorned as an illiberal one. This seemingly puzzling metamorphosis is explained in a thoughtful and entertaining way by a leading historian of the region. The Politics of a Disillusioned Europe offers an original interpretation of the region’s illiberal turn, supported by some overlooked evidence. Not only harsh neo-liberal economics but also ‘reflective nostalgia’ explains East Central Europe’s march back to the future. I highly recommend Liebich’s book to all those interested in European politics and history.” ― Jan Zielonka, Professor of European Politics, University of Oxford (UK), and Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Venice, Cá Foscari (Italy) From the Back Cover “Prof. Liebich depicts not only the history of post-communist regimes in Central-East Europe, but also these states’ internal agendas and transformative debates. This book lives that history through telling it once again, thus challenging accepted prejudices.” ― Adrian Liviu Ivan, Professor, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania “East Central Europe is again on the news. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the region was hailed as a liberal champion; now it is scorned as an illiberal one. This seemingly puzzling metamorphosis is explained in a thoughtful and entertaining way by a leading historian of the region. I highly recommend Liebich’s book to all those interested in European politics and history.” ― Jan Zielonka, Professor of European Politics, University of Oxford (UK), and Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Venice, Cá Foscari (Italy) Moving from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the present day, this book traces the trajectory of the six East Central European former satellites of the Soviet Union (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria) that have joined the European Union. It seeks in particular to explain these countries’ disenchantment
