Interesenpluralismus in den politischen Systemen Ostueropas
Pluralism of Interests in the Political Systems of Eastern Europe

Summary/Abstract: Are there, within the political systems of Eastern Europe, any politically relevant structures which fulfill functions similar to those of interest groups in liberal democracies? To answer this question, the author employs methods of comparative systems analysis. He finds that in Eastern countries special interests are being articulated and represented less by societal organizations than by unorganized elites which, due to their expert knowledge, possess a strong negotiation position during the preparation and execution of decisions. Functionally these elites can be compared with interest groups in the West. However, one should not transfer the pluralism model of the West to the political systems of the East because – with the exception of the church in Poland - these elites lack all or almost all autonomy vis à vis the Communist parties. On the other hand, the traditional totalitarianism model is also largely useless for the interpretation of political processes in Eastern Europe.

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