Political Participation in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This panel brings together interdisciplinary research on political participation in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on contentious politics, civic trajectories, and changing engagement repertoires in the face of democratic stress. Contributions look at how individual biographies, organizational affiliations, and institutional contexts affect protest, civic engagement, and online-offline interaction patterns. The studies examine the diversity of mobilization under competitive authoritarianism and democratic backsliding, the role of strong-tied networks and social media in maintaining engagement, and the elements that enable or impede activist transitions into policy-oriented campaigns. The papers combine comparative and micro-level perspectives to advance theoretical understanding of how sociopolitical legacies, opportunity structures, and movement strategies interact to produce enduring or episodic forms of participation, with implications for the resilience of democratic practices and the prospects for social and policy change in the region.

Title	Details
Protesting Once or Always: Biographical Outcomes of Student Activists in Serbia and Croatia	View Paper Details
Talking Offline, Acting Online: From Informal Discussions in Strong-Tie Group to Political Participation on Social Media	View Paper Details
Protest Politics Under Democratic Backsliding: Left- And Right-Wing Mobilization Before And After Government Change in Poland	View Paper Details
Protest Campaigns and Competitive Authoritarianism: Evidence from Serbia Under Vučić	View Paper Details