'This book brings added value to the already rich literature on interest groups, representation and democracy. The most important contribution is that the detailed analysis of the growth, role and importance of the interest group system in Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia is put in a comparative perspective. It provides a deep understanding of the similarities and, above all, the differences between the three countries which is furthered by extending the comparative analysis to Western Europe. Last, not least, the book addresses a most pertinent question - the influence of an unsupportive environment on interest group participation in the democratic policy creation process.'-Professor Beate Kohler, University of Mannheim, Germany 'At a time when the prospects for democratic politics are coming under question in some post-communist countries, and interest groups are commonly described as weak, this book provides a very timely exploration ofinterest group politics in Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on detailed research on three contrasting CEE countries, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia, it provides a more detailed and comprehensive approach than most previous research, locating interest group development in a wider context of the political and ecological factors that affect its strength and character.'-Professor Terry Cox, University of Glasgow, UK This book assesses the quality of democracy through the study of organized interests in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) since the collapse of communism in 1989 up to 2017. Drawing on democratic theory and comparative analysis, the authors explore the effects of a legal framework, political and social contexts. Patrycja Rozbicka is Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, UK. Pawel Kaminski is Adjunct Professor in the Institute of PoliticalStudies at the Polish Academy of Sciences. Meta Novak is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a researcher at the Centre for Political Science Research in the same faculty. Vaida Jankauskaite is Researcher in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania.

Autorentext
Patrycja Rozbicka is Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, UK. Her main research interests include participation of interest groups in the EU's political system; coalitions and network studies; and the regulation of the music industry.
****Pawe Kamiski is Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Political Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences. His main research interests include political parties and civil society in Central Eastern Europe; and the relationships between political parties and interest groups.
****Meta Novak is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a researcher at the Centre for Political Science Research in the same faculty. Her research interests include interest groups; lobbying; civil society; political knowledge and opinion gaps.
****Vaida Jankauskait is a researcher in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. Her main research interests include interest groups; lobbying; party-interest group relationship; and political financing.

Zusammenfassung
This book assesses the quality of democracy through the study of organized interests in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) since the collapse of communism in 1989 up to 2017. It offers a much-needed comprehensive look into formal interest representation in CEE countries and compares this with the model in Western democracies. Drawing on democratic theory and comparative analysis, the authors explore the effects of a legal framework, political as well as social contexts. The volume contributes to debates on the performance of young democracies in CEE, where scholars argue that there is a 'democratic crisis' and democratic fatigue while the interest group system is often labelled as weak and, in some cases, underdeveloped. Although great efforts have been made to deepen our understanding of interest organization and lobbying tools, the current literature fails to provide a comprehensive answer on the influence of unsupportive environments on population ecology. The case of CEE countries shows significant effects of political and social contexts on interest representation, stimulating a debate about the quality of democratic institutions following the collapse of communism.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Interest organizations in Central and Eastern Europe evaluating population ecology.- Chapter 3: Organized interest in the policy-making process.- Chapter 4: Drivers behind relations between interest organizations and political parties in the CEE countries.- Chapter 5: The organizational development of non-governmental organizations in CEE.- Chapter 6: Significance of trade unions in the CEE counties - beyond corporatism and pluralism?.- Chapter 7: Seeking access to policy stakeholders: business 'lobbying' vs others.- Chapter 8: Interest organizations in CEE and European policy process.- Chapter 9: Conclusions. The future of  'lobbying' in the CEE countries.