From Solidarity to Geopolitics
Support for Democracy among Postcommunist States

This book theorizes a mechanism underlying regime-change waves, the deliberate efforts of diffusion entrepreneurs to spread a particular regime and regime-change model across state borders.

Tsveta Petrova (Author)

9781107049987, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 September 2014

232 pages, 3 b/w illus. 17 tables
23.5 x 15.6 x 1.8 cm, 0.44 kg

'Tsveta Petrova has written an elegant and impressively thorough account of the democracy promotion activities of Central and Eastern European states. The book provides sophisticated explanations for these countries' evolving foreign policies and is astute in revealing the idealistic, but also geostrategic, prompts to East European democracy support. Petrova's analysis is convincingly sympathetic to these member states' efforts to further democratic norms, while also recognizing their shortcomings. The book offers illuminating background that helps shed light on European reactions to the current uncertainty in Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership countries.' Richard Youngs, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Warwick University

This book theorizes a mechanism underlying regime-change waves, the deliberate efforts of diffusion entrepreneurs to spread a particular regime and regime-change model across state borders. Why do only certain states and non-state actors emerge as such entrepreneurs? Why, how, and how effectively do they support regime change abroad? To answer these questions, the book studies the entrepreneurs behind the third wave of democratization, with a focus on the new eastern European democracies - members of the European Union. The study finds that it is not the strongest democracies nor the democracies trying to ensure their survival in a neighborhood of non-democracies that become the most active diffusion entrepreneurs. It is, instead, the countries where the organizers of the domestic democratic transitions build strong solidarity movements supporting the spread of democracy abroad that do. The book also draws parallels between their activism abroad and their experiences with democratization and democracy assistance at home.

1. Regime-change waves and eastern EU democracy promotion
2. Exporting the revolution: why only some eastern EU new democracies support democratization abroad
3. From solidarity to survival: the motivations behind eastern EU civic democracy promotion
4. An improved domestic and international order?: The rationales behind eastern EU official democracy promotion
5. A new generation of democracy promoters?: Eastern EU approaches to democracy promotion
6. Conclusion: making a difference?

Subject Areas: Political activism [JPW], International relations [JPS], Political structure & processes [JPH], Political ideologies [JPF], Comparative politics [JPB], Political science & theory [JPA], Politics & government [JP]