The transformation of Eastern Europe has challenged the characteristics of patron-client relations both in their context and meaning. The former patrimonial frameworks and patterns have worn out while global power and increasing disparities overwhelm traditional systems of patronage. Plamen K. Georgiev discusses the controversial issues of endemic corruption, state capture, institutional fraud, and networks of organized crime in South East Europe and in a wider global context. He traces back types of patronage and patron-client relations through the ages up to modernity. The author critically comments on shifts of loyalties, friendship, nepotism as well as on deficits of constitutional and public procurement in the context of "quasi-democracies" on the Balkans. His analysis is based on empirical findings and sociological observations made during the past seven years. Finally, the author presents valuable methodological suggestions for innovative interdisciplinary research in this field.

Vorwort
Corruption and organized crime in South East Europe and a wider global context

Autorentext
Prof. Dr. Plamen K. Georgiev graduated in Sociology at Humboldt University, Berlin. He teaches as a guest professor at Heidelberg University and is a senior research fellow of the DFG research group 1288 Patrons, Clients, Friends at Freiburg University.

Zusammenfassung
This book is the author's response to the initial wave of democracy euphoria in South-East Europe, and the obvious regress of it after the last catch accession of Bulgaria and Romania (2007) into the European Union family. A core deficit in this respect is the lack of sustainable patronage, relevant to modern societal existence. 1 The bitter fruits of some dilemma of simultaneity (Elster 1990), which might have failed to precisely predict the impossibility of transformation in Eastern - rope, has hit the target, as related to the breeds of impatient capitalisms that - vour the region. Rising institutional asymmetries, the neglected rule of law, the lack of procurement procedures and public control over governmental expenditures as well as illegal schemes of privatisation, tax collecting and the unfair allocation of public funds have shaped mimicries of reforms in crucial spheres of social life. Corruptive patterns of patronages have very much spoiled the outputs of a most p- truded and teasing transition. This undermines significant societal progress. System abuse of civic rights, conflict of interests, nepotisms, political partisanship, int- weaving of institutions with organized criminality threaten to deviate the region from the general aims of democratic existence and modern societal advance.

Inhalt
Changing Paradigms of Patronage (A South Eastern European Outlook).- Rethinking Patronages (Towards the Phenomenology of Patron Client Relations).- Discovering Balkan Patronages.- Rationalizing Corruption.- Corruptive Patterns of Patronage.- Competitive Global Patronages.- Conclusion: Quasi-Democracies as Fields of Corruption.