Abstract

Political participation and mobilisation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are shaped by historical legacies, socio-economic transformations, and the region’s distinctive political trajectories. Citizens engage through voting, protests, grassroots campaigns, civil society initiatives, and digital activism. However, in the post-communist context, participation is influenced by both authoritarian legacies and the opportunities and constraints created by European integration, economic transition, and the rise of populism. Recent scholarship, including work by Donatella della Porta, Jan Kubik, Mark Beissinger, Kralj (2022, 2023), Milan and Dolenec (2023), and Mikuš (2018), shows how political participation and mobilisation influence democratic consolidation, policy reform, and social cohesion. However, political participation and mobilisation in CEE also present challenges. While these processes can strengthen democratic accountability and citizen empowerment, they may reinforce social divisions, amplify polarisation, or be co-opted by populist or authoritarian actors. Protest movements, grassroots campaigns, and civil society initiatives can drive institutional reforms, yet may also provoke political instability or distrust in institutions. Post-communist legacies, combined with economic inequality, migration, and geopolitical tensions, underscore the fragile and contested nature of political engagement in the region. This Collection aims to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue on political participation and mobilisation in CEE by examining historical trajectories, contemporary practices, and emerging trends. We particularly welcome case studies that explore empirical examples, including the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine and their role in decentralisation reforms, the evolution of student and youth movements in Serbia between 2006 and 2024, the rise of green-left political mobilisation in Croatia and Serbia, exemplified by Možemo and Zeleno-levi front, civil society activism and the transnational mobilisation of the Belarusian opposition since 2020, participatory budgeting initiatives in Romania and other post-socialist democracies, as well as environmental, feminist, and minority rights campaigns across cities and towns throughout Central and Eastern Europe.