Political Studies

Coordinated by Francesco Privitera, the political study area is organized as a flexible work-group made up of the Institute researchers, the fellowship holders and the members of the "Europe and the Balkans" International Network who analyse the political evolution in the countries of Central Eastern Europe and the Balkans, even over a long historical period. Special attention is given to the democratisation processes, ethnic-national issues, the problems of minorities, the question of safety and the redefinition of the geopolitical borders in the East-European and Balkan area with reference also to neighbouring areas (Caucasus and the Middle East for example). The work-group is divided into three main sub-groups: CIS, Central-Eastern and Balkan Europe. For each country or group of countries we have created a pool of experts, with adequate linguistic knowledge, so that they can use primary information sources.
Thanks to the constant monitoring carried out in the political area, it has been possible to prepare reports for the series of Yearbooks of Central Eastern and Balkan Europe whose first issue was published in May 1998.

Francesco Privitera
Political Study Area Coordinator, he teaches History of Eastern Europe at the Advanced School of Modern Languages for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Bologna, in Forlì. He is an expert in Balkan matters and has dealt with the problems related to the emergence of nationalistic issues in Central Eastern and Balkan Europe during the post-communist transitions. He has written a number of volumes and essays, some of which have also been published abroad.