Eastern Europe between the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the War in Ukraine

Does anyone remember the »Common European Home«? Gorbachev’s dream of a Europe stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok? Today, thirty years after the end of the East-West conflict, the rift that separates Russia from its western neighbours is deeper than ever. There is war in Ukraine, state terror in Belarus. Within the EU, fault lines are becoming visible along the old border. Constitutional changes in Poland and Hungary threaten the only recently won rule of law and democracy. There is much to suggest that we are finding ourselves on an epochal threshold. How did it get this far? A good thirty years after the collapse of the communist systems in Eastern Europe, the authors take a critical look at the past – in a joint effort, rich in experience and perspective and with accordingly profound insights.

»The West’s self-certainty, which often turns into arrogance and is accompanied by a certain double standard, is a major reason why European policy has not countered Vladimir Putin’s aggressive ambitions in time, despite many warnings from Eastern and Central Europe. This is made clear in every chapter of the book, with good argumentation ...« Reinhard Veser, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»The book shows that Ukraine ... has not arrived as a subject in German discourse. The book’s detection, derivation and clear criticism of this state of affairs are of great merit.« Nicolas Freund, Süddeutsche Zeitung