William Crowther

The Politics of Ethno-National Mobilization: Nationalism and Reform in Soviet Moldavia

U nder the impact of glasnost and perestroika, nationalism, long a serious potential threat to Soviet political life, has become the principal force affecting the future of the Soviet state. Regions as diverse as the Baltic republics, Central Asia, and the Caucasus have experienced unrest ranging from mass demonstrations against perceived injustices to intercommunal massacres. What is the relationship between political reform and nationalist mobilization? Why have the numbers of those supporting nationalist movements grown so explosively under present conditions? This paper explores these issues through an analysis of the dynamics of change in Soviet Moldavia. It focuses on the 1987-1989 period, during which popular mobilization in that republic was most intense.l As has become increasingly evident thanks to improved access to Soviet information, most Western analyses through the early 1980s grossly underappreciated the extent of regional divergence within the USSR. While institutional similarities and common patterns of conduct were present, in some respects political behavior also diverged markedly from republic to republic. Clearly, the specific conditions of each locality must be taken into account for a comprehensive understanding of Soviet nationality politics. Not only have some republics experienced massive nationalist upheaval while others remain relatively stable in comparison, but the internal configurations of nationalist movements vary between republics, along with the demands generated by them. Still, while recognizing the importance of local conditions, an effort must also

A comparative analysis of institutional development in the Romanian and Moldovan legislatures

In this paper, we compare the process of legislative institutionalisation in Romania and Moldova. We examine three broad factors which influence this process: the political culture and the institutional framework inherited from the previous regime, the policy environment and the internal organisation of the legislature. This line of research is important for three reasons. First, the literature on post‐Communist legislatures has not attempted to compare the process of legislative institutionalisation. Peabody notes that generally few studies have attempted comparative analysis of two or more legislatures. Second, by examining the process of legislative institutionalisation, we explore the internal and external environment in which the Romanian and Moldovan legislatures function.1 This provides us with an opportunity in which to examine the nexus between the legislature and the broader political system. Third, this research provides a unique opportunity in comparative politics to examine two countries that...

Second Decade, Second Chance? Parliament, Politics and Democratic Aspirations in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova

Over the past two decades, post-communist legislatures have diverged considerably regarding the roles that they play within their respective political systems. This paper focuses on three intermediate cases, Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, in which legislative institutions have not successfully consolidated their role as central representative institutions. It suggests a limited set of factors have been critical in all three cases, both in engendering their broad similarity as intermediate cases and in setting them on different courses at critical junctures. First, none of the three negotiated the early transition through a radical break with their Soviet-era political systems. Second, each of the three countries is weakly constitutionalised. Third, initial decisions regarding institutional design were less than optimal. In each of the three cases lines of authority were left unclear which, in conditions of systemic instability, exacerbated elite conflict.

Development of the Moldovan Parliament One Decade after Independence: Slow Going

The Republic of Moldova ranks high on the list of ‘failed transitions’ spawned by the break-up of the Soviet Union. Its parliament has played a key, if sporadic, role in determining the direction of the countrys political life. It has been the primary venue for the factional conflict that has plagued reform efforts. The parliament has not, however, emerged as a stable institutional foundation upon which democratic politics could be built. This paper examines the forces that have shaped the post-communist Moldovan transition parliament and three post-communist legislatures.

Ethnic Condominium and Illiberalism in Macedonia

Over the course of the past ten years the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–Democratic Party for national Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) has progressively extended its control over Macedonian political, social, and economic life, restricting the space for democratic discourse and limiting completion. Throughout this period it has acted in concert with elites representing the country’s Albanian minority and has included Albanian political parties, currently the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) as minority coalition partners. This article will examine the conditions that gave rise to illiberalism in Macedonia and the interaction between ethnic politics and the retreat from democracy.

Ceausescuismn and Civil-Military Relations in Romania

This article discusses the relationship between the Romanian armed forces and the leadership of the Romanian Communist party. It suggests that this relationship has been complicated, and made more difficult, by Romanias pursuit of foreign policy autonomy from the Soviet Union. Ceausescu has relied more on direct political intervention and less on positive inducements to retain control of the armed forces than have his counterparts elsewhere in Eastern Europe. Romanias defense establishment, like other institutions in that country, has been reduced to a state of stagnation and cannot under present circumstances be expected to provide the basis for leadership alternative to that of the current Communist party elite.