Citizenship East & West (Electronic book text)

The outcome of the political transition in Eastern Europe depends not only on the politics pursued but on the understanding of politics in the countries involved. A key aspect of such understanding is the notion of citizenship, an ancient term of striking contemporary relevance not only in Eastern Europe but in the West as well. What are the dynamics of citizenship in Europe's new democracies and how do emerging solutions to the questions of citizenship there respond to the concerns that the issue of citizenship has raised and continues to raise elsewhere? This volume focuses on Poland, Hungary and the former Czechoslovakia, countries that have already grappled with issues of post-communism citizenship, but the questions addressed in the work apply equally to other countries such as the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia. They are questions of personal identity and obligation; what are the legal and moral claims that an individual and a state can make upon each other on citizenship grounds? They are also questions of social attitude - how do individuals see themselves qua citizens? What characteristics do they impute to their fellow citizens?What ties are established among individuals by virtue of a common citizenship? Many facets of these questions are considered; on theoretical grounds, in terms of political culture and public opinion, and in the light of emerging legal provisions. As this book shows, the future of citizenship is inseparable from the future of politics, for citizens of all countries.