This book provides a thorough introduction to East Central Europe and its renewed emergence since the momentous changes in the former Soviet bloc.

By carefully differentiating between Central Europe, East Central Europe and the Balkans, Attila [ac]Agh shows how the term `Eastern Europe' was a political misnomer of the Cold War. Drawing on theories of democratization to develop a common conceptual and theoretical framework, this textbook is the first to place the political and social changes of this complex region in a genuinely comparative perspective.

Through broad thematic sections the student is shown how to distinguish between processes of democratization and redemocratization, transition and transformation and is introduced to the important issues of Europeanization, nation-building, institutionalization, parties and political culture.

Illustrated throughout with chronological charts and the latest data analysis, this is an invaluable guide to the emerging political systems and their future prospects at the core of the new Europe.

PART ONE: AN INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW
The Central European and Balkan Regions in Transition
PART TWO: TRANSFORMATION IN EAST CENTRAL EUROPE AND THE BALKANS
Europeanization of Central and Eastern Europe
The Triple Transition and Nation-Building
Building Institutional Democracy
Parliamentary and Presidential Systems
The Role of Political Parties
Political Culture and Electoral Behaviour
PART THREE: THE REGIONS IN COMPARATIVE TRANSITION
Re-democratization in East Central Europe
Democratization in the Balkans
PART FOUR: CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE
The Future of Democracy in East Central Europe and the Balkans

Attila (ac)Agh is Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the Budapest University of Economics.