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DearReader,
Ifthereisonephrasethatisbeingrepeatedlikeamantrain2017,itisthat“the
worldisupsidedown”.DuringpublicandprivatediscussionsfromWarsawtoPrague,
Berlin,Brussels,LondonandevenWashingtonweseeagrowingsentimentthatwe
cannolongermakebasicassumptionsabouttheinfallibilityofliberaldemocracy.Of
course,alotofthissentimentisrelatedtotheriseofanti-liberal(orilliberal)populist
forcesinboththeeasternandwesternpartsofEurope(nottomentiontheUnited
States)andtheconcernsthatgoalongwiththisrise.Thereisnodoubtthatareal
challengetothecurrentliberaldemocraticorderistakingplace,includinginmany
countriesofourregion.Hence,thequestionthatarisesis–iftheliberaldemocratic
orderisindeednolongersound,whatisthealternative?
ThisissueofNewEasternEuropedebatesthestateofliberaldemocracyin
Europeandspecifcallyaddsthevoicesfromourregion.Wenotonlyaskedour
authorstointerprettheriseofpopulist,anti-liberalattitudes,butalsopresentvoices
fromthosewhodonotthinkitissuchaterriblething.Agreewiththemornot,their
argumentsallowustounderstandtheirperspectiveandforceustointerpretwhy
traditional,conservativepoliticsarebecomingmorepopularinCentralandEastern
Europe.Theyalsopresentsacertainreflectionofsimilarprocessestakingplace
intheWest,insuchcountriesasFrance,theUnitedKingdom,theNetherlandsor
theUnitedStates.Lastly,theroleofoutsideinfluence,likeRussianpropaganda,is
alsoonethatneedstobetakenintoaccountinthiscontext.
ThesedevelopmentswillalsolikelyhaveaneffectonUkraine–acountrywhich
hasdeclaredapro-Europeanpathbutstillstruggleswithitspost-Sovietheritage.
ThereisnoquestionthatUkraine’ssuccessdirectlydependsuponhowpolitics
developsintheWest.Thatiswhythisissuelooksattheprocess,orlackthereof,of
de-oligarchisation,thefghtagainstcorruption,thesituationoftheCrimeanTatars
andthecurrentstateofPolish-Ukrainianrelations.
TheseandotherissuesshowthatthedebateonEurope’sEastisnowherenear
anend.Thus,asalways,weinviteyoutostayintouchviaourwebsite,Facebook
andTwitter.Youcanalsocontactusviaemaileditors@neweasterneurope.euwith
yourthoughtsandreactionstothesedebates.
TheEditors
Erratum:Wewouldliketomakeasmallcorrectiontotheprevious
issue.Onpage160PeterBrenkuswasincorrectlyquoted.Tecor-
rectquoteshouldread:uOnlyaverysmallminorityofMuslimscom-
mitsterroristacts,butithappens.”Weapologiseforthiserror.
