Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe

Abstract

In societies divided on ethnic and religious lines, problems of democracy are magnified – particularly where groups are mobilized into parties. With the principle of majority rule, minorities should be less willing to endorse democratic institutions where their parties persistently lose elections. While such problems should also hamper transitions to democracy, several diverse Eastern European states have formed democracies even under these conditions. In this book, Sherrill Stroschein argues that sustained protest and contention by ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Slovakia brought concessions on policies that they could not achieve through the ballot box, in contrast to Transcarpathia, Ukraine. In Romania and Slovakia, contention during the 1990s made each group accustomed to each other's claims and aware of the degree to which each could push its own. Ethnic contention became a de facto deliberative process that fostered a moderation of group stances, allowing democratic consolidation to slowly and organically take root.

The Dual Consequences of Politicization of Ethnicity in Romania

“…These findings are consistent with earlier studies showing that the outside politics activism of ethnic Hungarians brought delivered positive policies. 124 This study bears theoretical, methodological, and empirical implications. On theoretical grounds, it adds a mediating effect to the relationship between politicization of ethnicity and accommodation of ethnic minorities" rights.…”

Minority Inclusion in Central and Eastern Europe

“…Nonetheless, contestation has remained generally peaceful in CEE. Stroschein has compellingly demonstrated that 'ethnic struggles' in non-violent settings can evolve into forms of deliberation about the meaning of democratic citizenship (Stroschein, 2012). The European framework has provided opportunities for such contestation to change from the zero-sum approach characteristic of traditional nation-state projects to a different understanding of minority mobilization: as contestation about the terms of political inclusion in a multi-ethnic democracy (Salat, 2003).…”

Understanding Ethnic Minorities in Eastern Europe

“…Ethnic parties have become a standard feature of the political landscape in many states, particularly for ethnic minorities. These ethnic parties tend to focus on identity-related issues, such as policies on language use and education, symbols, and increased governance powers for minorities (Horowitz 1985, Stroschein 2001, 2012.…”