Ethnic politics, regime support and conflict in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Ethnicity and ethnic parties have often been portrayed as threats to political stability. Against a backdrop of recurring ethnic mobilization and conflict during the post-communist era, this study conducts a systematic analysis of ethnic politics in Central and Eastern Europe. It challenges the notion that the organization of politics in heterogeneous societies should necessarily aim at overcoming ethnicity, rather arguing that the descriptive representation of ethnic minority groups has the potential to increase regime support and reduce conflict. Examining up to 130 ethnic groups and their parties in Central and Eastern European democracies, the book defines the key concepts of ethnic identity and partisan-descriptive ethnic minority representation. The author considers which factors influence the electoral entry and success of ethnic minority parties and the levels of groups' partisan-descriptive representation in parliament, and how these in turn impact on individual levels of satisfaction with democracy and the protest behaviour of minority groups. Applying a consistent analytical lens on party competition, voter behaviour, political attitudes and group conflict, this study demystifies ethnic politics and offers a more unified theory of ethnic minority representation via ethnic parties.