The Civil Society Tradition in the Evolution of European Democracy

The soft revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe, which were initiated at the end of the 1980s, led to a renewed growth in interest concerning civil society in Europe in general. This was so, even though such an interest had already existed since the late sixties and early seventies. It was promoted by social movements and developed through social, cultural and political changes in various societies around the world. The renewed interest in civil society and its impact on active civic participation and cultural identity appeared at a time that was marked by a number of historical developments. These included the collapse of totalitarian regimes, as well as of authoritarian states, and even by a widespread crisis in the socio-political order of Western societies. These events collectively questioned, to some extent, the political classes and the state institutions per se, and they contributed to enhancing the role of the citizenship.