8. Workshop on Central Europe in Transition: Developments in Poland (8. 11.)

Lecturer: Pavel Pšeja


Objective: To outline major elements in the developments taking place in the post-communist Poland.
Please note this session begins with the mid-term exam as specified in the introductory part of
this syllabus!


Workshop: In this session, internal developments in Poland will be elaborated. In their projects,
students will address issues like change of the political regime, characteristics of political
system, elements of (re)emerging political culture and some major points of political and social
controversy, thus bringing up new points of view. Moreover, lecturer will take care to relate
developments under discussion to similar processes in the Czech Republic, and to show what common
features (and discrepancies) are to found in Central European countries.


Assigned reading:

Michta, Andrew A. (1999): “Democratic consolidation in Poland after 1989”, in Dawisha, Karen,
Parrott, Bruce (eds.), The Consolidation of Democracy in East-Central Europe, Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, pp. 66-108.


Additional reading:

Ágh, Attila (1998): The Politics of Central Europe, Sage, London.

Batt, Judy, Lewis, Paul G., White, Stephen (eds., 2003), Developments in Central and East European
Politics 3, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.


Issues for discussion:

Comparison of similarities and differences in the political development of the Czech Republic and
Poland.

Special features of the Polish society that make it different from other CE countries.