Ronald H. Linden

Putting on Their Sunday Best: Romania, Hungary, and the Puzzle of Peace

The absence of conflict between Romania and Hungary after the end of the Cold War presents a fascinating puzzle on which various strains of international relations theory can be brought to bear. Contrary to the expectations of realism, cooperative behavior has been pursued by these two historic antagonists. Expectations from realism, liberalism, liberal institutionalism, and social constructivism are tested on this dyad and results are compared to other cases. The investigation concludes that both international institutional norms and changes in the domestic governments of these states were necessary as factors in this anomalous behavior.

Now you see it, now you don't: anti‐eu politics in central and Southeast Europe

This article offers a comparative analysis of anti‐EU politics in the newly democratising states of Eastern Europe by looking at a case where Euroscepticism is prominent and a case where it is not. The cases examined are the Czech Republic, in which anti‐EU sentiments have been strongly voiced and appear to play some role in national elections, and Romania where such sentiments have been marginalised and seem to have played little role in recent elections. Several possible explanations for the appearance or absence of Euroscepticism are considered and differences emerge with regard to mass‐to‐elite cues, political culture and socio‐economic expectations.

Socialist patrimonialism and the global economy: the case of Romania

The evolution in Romania of a governing system of socialist patrimonialism, as opposed to one of collective rule by counterbalancing elites, accounts for both the countrys early and extensive contact with the international capitalist economy and its belated but sharp reaction to international economic disruptions. In the absence of powerful alternative political elites or policies, the socialist nationalist ideology of Nicolae Ceausescu defined the countrys “multilateral development” and its deviant foreign policy. Ceausescus manipulation of the system strengthened his hold during the time of rapid economic development and undermined the countrys capacity to react promptly or moderately to economic shocks. Events in Poland, especially the rise of Solidarity, complicated Romanian adjustment; but on balance, the adjustment to external economic forces reinforced rather than eroded Ceausescus socialist patrimonialism.

The Age of Uncertainty: The New Security Environment in Eastern Europe

Although the domestic politics and economics of East European states have received considerable attention, changes in the international relations and foreign policies of the region also deserve scrutiny. The future of “security” in Eastern—and therefore Western—Europe will depend on the effectiveness of democratic governance and the quality and extent of economic progress.

The Security Bind in East Europe

The traditional restriction of the notion of national security to military security has unnecessarily weakened the power of that concept for understanding the responses of states to perceived domestic and international threats. A tripartite concept of security is offered here which distinguishes among threats: (1) to the states leadership regime; (2) to its governing and resource distribution system; and (3) to its territorial integrity. This is applied to the study of the East European states, which find themselves caught in a multidimensional security bind between the domestic and international challenges to their security. They have thus been led to opt for policies insuring stability and avoiding uncontrollable changes as they attempt to ameliorate these threats.

The burden of belonging: Romanian and Bulgarian foreign policy in the new era

For all states, joining an international organization extracts a price. There are expectations, demands, conditions, more or less explicitly spelled out, that will apply to those wanting to become part of an ongoing international enterprise. This applies even to powerful countries and is one of the reasons why realist notions of foreign policy have typically included injunctions against alliance membership. For smaller countries in particular, such as the former communist countries of Central and East Europe, the path to achieving membership in international organizations has been especially challenging. The literature is vast and growing on EU expectations and conditions applied to the East European states since membership became a possibility in the mid-1990s. Virtually all of it focuses on these states’ adaptation of their domestic political and economic structures, changes in laws and processes including, for example, the adoption into domestic law of the 80,000-page acquis communautaire of the EU. The foreign policies of these states have been less frequently examined against the backdrop of their new membership in the international organizations

Turkey and the Balkans: New Forms of Political Community?

This article analyzes recent Turkish activism in the Balkans from the standpoint of political community. Drawing on but expanding Karl Deutschs original concept allows us to explore the goals and actions of Turkish policy in the region. Multiple overlapping communities, some embryonic, can be seen to frame Turkish action. These include cultural/ethnic, security, European Union (EU) candidate, EU alternative, business and Islamic communities. Viewing Turkish policies this way offers analytical leverage that highlights the aims and dynamics of Turkish policies as well as possible outcomes of Turkish foreign policy actions in the Balkans.