Bulgaria’s Symphony of Hope

Evidence from the postcommunist countries shows that the strength of the legislature may be the institutional key to democratic consolidation.

The populist backlash against corruption, the CEE transition-era elites, and the liberal consensus has led to a democratic crisis, but does not portend systemic change.

Is democracy in East-Central Europe suffering because of a lack of liberal zeal among elites, as Dawson and Hanley contend, or is it because liberal policies have failed to deliver…