Kosovo embodies a key moment in the international practice of dealing with secessionist self-determination conflicts. For the first time, outside of the colonial context, and excepting Bangladesh in 1971, an entity's declaration of independence has been widely, albeit not universally, recognised. As such, the case of Kosovo has sharpened the focus and intensified the debate on the issue of self-determination conflicts and how they are managed by the international community. This volume contributes to this debate by examining Kosovo in historical and contemporary comparative perspective and...

Over the period December 2011-July 2013, a tidal wave of mass protests swept through the Russian capital and engulfed scores of cities and regions. These demonstrations came as a great shock to the Russian political establishment. After decades of passive acceptance of the status quo, it appeared that civil society was at last awakening. The protests came in the wake of the "Arab Spring" revolts which toppled authoritarian dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. However, by the end of 2013 the number of mass protests in Russia, and their size, had declined precipitously. President...

The State of Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe brings together scholars specialising in the study of Central and Eastern Europe, and provides a comprehensive analysis of some of the major issues in the democratic make-up of the EU’s new member states. The book covers the main dimensions of the state, and contributors discuss questions about the development of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe over the past twenty years.

What is the present state of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe more than twenty years since the end of communist regimes? What is the actual...