Political participation and mobilisation in Central and Eastern Europe
- Submission status
- Open
- Submission deadline
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Political participation and mobilisation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are shaped by historical legacies, socio-economic transformations, and the region’s distinctive political trajectories. Citizens engage through voting, protests, grassroots campaigns, civil society initiatives, and digital activism. However, in the post-communist context, participation is influenced by both authoritarian legacies and the opportunities and constraints created by European integration, economic transition, and the rise of populism. Recent scholarship, including work by Donatella della Porta, Jan Kubik, Mark Beissinger, Kralj (2022, 2023), Milan and Dolenec (2023), and Mikuš (2018), shows how political participation and mobilisation influence democratic consolidation, policy reform, and social cohesion.
However, political participation and mobilisation in CEE also present challenges. While these processes can strengthen democratic accountability and citizen empowerment, they may reinforce social divisions, amplify polarisation, or be co-opted by populist or authoritarian actors. Protest movements, grassroots campaigns, and civil society initiatives can drive institutional reforms, yet may also provoke political instability or distrust in institutions. Post-communist legacies, combined with economic inequality, migration, and geopolitical tensions, underscore the fragile and contested nature of political engagement in the region.
This Collection aims to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue on political participation and mobilisation in CEE by examining historical trajectories, contemporary practices, and emerging trends. We particularly welcome case studies that explore empirical examples, including the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine and their role in decentralisation reforms, the evolution of student and youth movements in Serbia between 2006 and 2024, the rise of green-left political mobilisation in Croatia and Serbia, exemplified by Možemo and Zeleno-levi front, civil society activism and the transnational mobilisation of the Belarusian opposition since 2020, participatory budgeting initiatives in Romania and other post-socialist democracies, as well as environmental, feminist, and minority rights campaigns across cities and towns throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Protest movements and their influence on local and national institutional reforms
- Electoral participation, voter mobilisation, and political abstention
- Digital activism, online mobilisation, and social media campaigns
- Civil society organisations, NGOs, and independent cultural actors as catalysts for mobilisation
- Populism, nationalism, and authoritarian resilience in CEE
- Student, youth, and cultural movements and their impact on political and social transformation
- Participatory budgeting, deliberative democracy, and innovative civic engagement
- Transnational activism and political remittances from CEE diasporas
- Comparative and interdisciplinary approaches linking political science, sociology, anthropology, media studies, and history
We invite submissions from scholars, practitioners, and activists examining political participation and mobilisation in CEE, offering empirical insights and theoretical reflections.
