The roundtable talks and the breakdown of communism
By: edited by Jon Elster.
Contributors: Elster, Jon, 1940-
Series: Constitutionalism in Eastern Europe
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Chicago
Language: eng
Number of pages: 247
Subjects: Constitutional history -- Europe, Eastern -- Sources.; Democracy -- Europe, Eastern -- Sources.; Post-communism -- Europe, Eastern -- Sources.; Europe, Eastern -- Politics and government -- 1989- -- Sources.
Description: In 1989 and 1990; Eastern European Communist regimes and opposition groups conducted a series of roundtable talks to peacefully negotiate the abolition of authoritarian rule and the transition to democratic governance. This volume documents that unprecedented process of national reinvention and constitution making.

In five country-specific reports, senior scholars provide detailed accounts of the talks in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the German Democratic Republic. These essays capture the historical circumstances of these countries - their traditions, customs, and the balance of influence between competing factions - that often took precedence over constitutional ideals.

Also included is an essay on the political factors underlying the failure of negotiations between reform groups and the Chinese regime, providing an illuminating counterpoint to the path taken in Eastern Europe.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.