Participatory Democratic Innovations in Southeast Europe How to Engage in Flawed Democracies

List of Tables

            List of Illustrations

            List of Contributors

Acknowledgments

1            Why Do We Need Participatory Democratic Innovations in Southeast Europe?

IRENA FIKET, VUJO ILIĆ, ČEDOMIR MARKOV AND GAZELA PUDAR DRAŠKO

PART 1

Context of the Participatory Democratic Innovations in Southeast Europe

2            Social Movements, Active Citizenship and Democratic Innovation: An Overview

              NENAD MARKOVIKJ, IVAN DAMJANOVSKI AND ZORAN ILIEVSKI  

3            Participation, Responsiveness, Interaction: The Importance of Epistemic Checks and Balances for the Revitalization of Democratic Institutions

ANDRIJA ŠOĆ

4            Political Participation in Southeast Europe: A Scoping Review

VUJO ILIĆ AND ČEDOMIR MARKOV

PART 2

Social Movements and Civil Society Experimentation

5            Towards the Democratization of Urban Planning: A Case Study of Three Deliberative Forums in Belgrade

JOVANA TIMOTIJEVIĆ AND IVA ČUKIĆ

6            Heterotopia, Social Movements and Democratic Innovation: The Case of AKC Metelkova Mesto in Ljubljana, Slovenia

NATHAN SIEGRIST

7            Enacting Resistance, Performing Citizenship: Trajectories of Political Subjectification in the Post-Democratic Condition

BOJAN BAĆA

8            Agonist Reading of Social Movements in Illiberal Democracies: The Case of The Social Movement for Truth and Justice

JASMIN HASANOVIĆ, VALIDA REPOVAC NIKŠIĆ AND EMINA ADILOVIĆ

PART 3

Towards Institutional Politics

9            Yugoslav Self-Management as a Model of Participatory Municipal Governance? Local Communities in Belgrade in the 1980s 

MLADEN OSTOJIĆ

10          Norming Participatory Practices of Movement Parties in Southeast Europe

IRENA FIKET, GAZELA PUDAR DRAŠKO AND JELENA VASILJEVIĆ

11          Democratic Innovations in an Illiberal Landscape: Three Ideas from Hungary ESZTER KOVÁCS SZITKAY, DÁNIEL OROSS AND BOLDIZSÁR SZENTGÁLI-TÓTH 

            Index

Biography

Irena Fiket is a Senior Research Fellow and academic coordinator of the Laboratory for Active Citizenship and Democratic Innovations at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. Her current research interests lie in deliberative democracy, citizens’ participation, democratic innovations, social movements and the Western Balkans.

Čedomir Markov is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. His current research deals with the deliberative inquiry approach to audience-media relations, anti-press hostility and democratic innovations in hybrid regimes.

Vujo Ilić is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. His research primarily deals with participation in political processes, from elections and democratic institutions to political conflicts and violence.

Gazela Pudar Draško is a Senior Research Fellow and the Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade. Her fields of interest are deliberative democracy, participatory democratic innovations, social movements and gender.

In the ever-evolving global landscape, where traditional forms of participation no longer suffice to meet the demands of complex democratic processes, this edited volume serves as an invaluable resource. Its insightful exploration of the challenges faced by democracies, particularly in regions like Southeast Europe grappling with autocratization, resonates deeply with our mission to foster democratic development worldwide. By delving into the potential of civil society and social movements as agents of democratic innovation, this volume not only sheds light on the complexities of modern democracy but also offers practical insights for navigating and rejuvenating it in challenging environments. The case studies focus on Southeast Europe, including Hungary, providing real-world examples that provoke essential discussions and inspire innovative approaches. For anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of democratic innovation and its critical role in sustaining and renewing democracies, this book is an indispensable resource.

 

Tiago C. Peixoto, Senior Public Sector Specialist,

Chair of the World Bank’s Community of Practice for Citizen Engagement

 

 

This timely edited volume sheds light on the emergent landscape of participatory and deliberative democracy in Southeast Europe. By focusing on a region where such democratic tendencies have been sparse, this volume pioneers an exploration of Southeast Europe’s democratic awakening. In an environment where citizen mobilization has gained momentum, seen through the rise of social movements and grassroots civic initiatives, the book highlights the symbiotic relationship between the citizens’ dissatisfaction with unresponsive institutions and the potential for democratization. The book tackles the rarity of efforts to institutionalize deliberative institutions in Southeast European countries, where such democratic innovations remain largely uncharted territory. Building on the practices observed within the vibrant social movements scene, the book explores the potential transformation of these practices into institutionalized mechanisms for voicing citizen needs. In an era marked by the ominous spread of autocracy, this book offers a ray of hope and insight into the power of democratic innovation as a potent antidote to crisis.

 

Vedran Džihić, Senior Research Fellow at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (oiip), and Executive Board member of the Institute for Democratic Engagement Southeast Europe

 

 

This book delves into the challenges facing democracy in challenging contexts with autocratizing tendencies and explores the potential for democratic innovation and renewal. In particular, it discusses the limitations of traditional forms of participation and examines how civil society and social movements can play a pivotal role in revitalizing democracy. The case studies included in this book offer valuable insights into the complexities of democratic processes, making it relevant to your interest in Southeast European contexts and the potential for civic engagement in hybrid regimes. The book provides a comprehensive overview of Southeast European context and offers a scholarly perspective on the dynamics of democracy and its challenges, making it a valuable read for political scientists exploring the intersection of democracy, social movements, and political innovation.

 

Stefania Ravazzi, Associate Professor in Political Science,

Department of Culture, Politics, and Society, University of Turin