Transformation from Below

In Transformation from Below, John Gibson and Philip Hanson bring together an authoritative group of specialists to consider the establishment of genuinely devolved government in the traditionally hierarchical countries of Eastern Europe.The experiences of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Russia are reviewed by the contributors, including how resources are to be redistributed equitably across regions, how a healthy balance can be struck between tendencies to over-centralize and tendencies towards fragmentation in Russia, and the continuing influence of the regional elites of the old regime.

Central-local relations are shown to be more orderly in countries with successful financial stabilization and economic liberalization, while potentially divisive regional and ethnic issues are better managed in healthier economies. While attempts at managing economic liberalization 'from above', with little territorial devolution, have generally not been successful, managing centre-local issues has been difficult in all these countries. Only in Hungary has legislation on the devolution of power followed a steady and consistent path.

This major new book sheds light both on the political economy of change in the post-communist world and on the often-contested logic of decentralization as a perennial issue in government structures around the world.