Original scientific paper
Westward Geopolitical Orientation and Public Opinion: Explaining Visions across Post-Communist Countries
Petr Dostál
; Charles University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Prague, Czech Republic
Jan Markusse
; University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Abstract
The article provides an analysis of different geopolitical and geoeconomic options of postcommunist countries and confronts the character of post-communist regimes with the public opinion on basic geopolitical and geoeconomic orientations of the countries concerned. The post-communist regimes in mid-1990s are assessed in terms of democratisation and economic liberalisation. It is stressed that westward geopolitical and geoeconomic options were much demanding in respect of political and economic reforms and western-style adjustments and adaptations of behaviour of political and economic elites and different groups of citizens. Eastward options were linked up with associations with Russia and Eurasian countries. Statistical analysis concerned with the public opinion in nineteen postcommunist countries indicates the importance of inherited higher economic development level and progress in democratisation for the public support of the westward (i.e. EU) orientation.
Keywords
post-communist countries; geopolitical orientations; public opinion
Hrčak ID:
125151
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2001.
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