This is a course which examines new European Union Members States in Central Europe (in particular, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) from both historical and comparative perspectives. It begins with a discussion of the nature and weaknesses of the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe and the causes and processes leading to the 1989 upheavals in the region. It then considers the paradoxes and obstacles in the course of post-Communist transitions to democracy, the market economy and the civil society. The key issues of democratic consolidation and pro-market transformation will be addressed.