Development Policies of Central and Eastern European States From Aid Recipients to Aid Donors

The states from Central and Eastern Europe that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 provide a fascinating series of case studies for scholars interested in politics, IR and development studies. The interest comes from the fact that never before had so many recipients of EU aid joined the Union and taken on the commitment to become aid donors. The journey from recipients of aid to aid donors is interesting because, not only does it tell us about development policy in CEE states, this policy area gives us an insight into governmental structures in CEE states, foreign policy priorities, public opinion, the role of NGOs/civil society and how well CEE states have taken on board the EU acquis (the EU?s rule book). The book also explores whether the development cooperation programmes of the majority of CEESs reflect the so-called "transition experience" of moving from authoritarianism and socialism to democracy and modern liberalism. It also explores the extent to which these donors are aligned with the approaches of the DAC donors. Finally, by extending the scrutiny to the bottom-up development activities of non-state actors and public opinion, the book will analyse the dynamics of the solidarity of the former ?East? with the global ?South?.

This book was published as a special issue of Perspectives on European Politics and Society

1. From Aid Recipients to Aid Donors? Development Policies of Central and Eastern European States Ondřej Horký and Simon Lightfoot

2. The Transfer of the Central and Eastern European ‘Transition Experience’ to the South: Myth or Reality? Ondřej Horký

3. Visegrad Countries’ Development Aid to Africa: Beyond the Rhetoric Dominik Kopiński

4. Hungarian International Development Cooperation: Context, Stakeholders and Performance Balázs Szent-Iványi

5. Development Discourse in Romania: From Socialism to EU Membership Mirela Oprea

6. Involving Civil Society in the International Development Cooperation of ‘New’ EU Member States: The Case of Slovenia Maja Bucar

7. Assessing the Aid Effectiveness of the Czech Republic: Commitment to Development Index and Beyond Petra Krylová, Miroslav Syrovátka and Zdenĕk Opršal

8. Development Cooperation of the Baltic States: A Comparison of the Trajectories of Three New Donor Countries Evelin Andrespok and Andres Ilmar Kasekamp

Ondřej Horký is a Research Fellow in the Institute of International Relations, Prague.

Simon Lightfoot is Senior Lecturer in European Politics, University of Leeds.