Anti-liberal ideas and institutional change in Central and Eastern Europe

Three decades since the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, ideal liberal democracy is under considerable strain. Recent developments region show that democratic institutions do not only evolve consolidate, but they can also decay. The article intends to provide a comprehensive theoretical account shed light on ongoing multifaceted multi-layered processes change region. Drawing literature role ideas body research explaining transformations it conceptualises normative core anti-liberal ideas. It shows this embedded set narratives pitted against democracy, which take form causal stories, put forward values solutions, being ultimately used legitimise institutional politics (i.e. agency social power structures) policies how economic nationalism alters neoliberal model) polity rules political game). This conceptual map, derived inductively from literature, meant guide future empirical studies theory building exercises seeking understand beyond.