Overview
- Based on the author's fieldwork and media analysis from the region
- Challenges the view that corruption scandals can only exist in consolidated democracies
- Introduces a new understanding of corruption based on the separation of private and public political spheres
Part of the book series: Political Corruption and Governance (PCG)
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About this book
This book examines the relationship between corruption scandals and transitional processes in post-Milošević Serbia after 2000. The study challenges the view that corruption has always been understood as a conflict between private interests and the public good, as these concepts are defined in Western democracies, and explores how anti-corruption discourse has been used for political mobilisation. Through an examination of high-profile political scandals in Serbia, the author shows how the meaning of corruption changed over time. In the early 2000s, corruption focused on the legacy of Milošević’s rule and was identified through the public’s limited access to the privatisation process. By the end of the decade, conceptualisations of corruption in public debate were so diversified that each anti-corruption measure undertaken by the state was interpreted as an act of corruption by other voices in the discourse. The book will appeal to students and scholars interested in corruption studies, discourse analysis and Balkan politics.
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Keywords
- political corruption
- corruption in Serbia
- democratic transition in Serbia
- Eastern European politics
- political scandals in Serbia
- Post-Milošević Serbia
- transitional processes in Serbia
- anti-corruption discourse
- Balkan politics
- corruption studies
- money laundering in Serbia
- corruption scandals in Serbia
- institutional corruption in Serbia
- privatisation and corruption
- institution building
- political mobilisation
- anti-corruptions measures
- democracy
Table of contents (8 chapters)
Reviews
“The book will appeal to researchers and practitioners who are interested in the matters of corruption and democratic transformation on a broader level. … the book provides a welcome addition to the academic discourse on corruption in Eastern Europe, the political and economic transformation of authoritarian states, and public perceptions of a transition that is ongoing, with no clear end in sight.” (Nina Markovic Khaze, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 72 (1), 2020)
“An eye-opening read on how local understandings of corruption in Serbia clash with the predominant top-down approaches brought in by the international expertise and the EU. Zurnić’s meticulous analysis of anti-corruption reforms and major political scandals points to the complex overlap between the public and private in post-Milošević Serbia.” (Alena Ledeneva, Professor of Politics and Society, University College London, UK)
“Although the corruption situation there appears to be improving, Serbia is still relatively corrupt by European standards. In this ground-breaking analysis, Dr. Zurnić analyses and explains why there is so much corruption in Serbia. Using a combination of objectivist and constructivist criteria, six political corruption scandals were carefully selected for close and nuanced discourse analysis, enriched by data from almost 30 interviews. While scandals arising from corruption allegations sometimes stimulate the transition to more democratic politics, Zurnić demonstrates persuasively that this did not happen in Serbia in the period she analyses (2000–2012). And if you think the meaning of corruption is obvious—this sophisticated analysis will disabuse you!” (Leslie Holmes, Professor Emeritus, Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia)
“This excellent new book extends not just our understanding of anti-corruption strategies in Serbia, it offers new conceptual and methodological approaches for studying anti-corruption more generally. It is meticulously researched, sophisticated in its analysis, and provides a compelling account of what factors constrain the fight against corruption in a post-authoritarian state. It will be of great value to researchers, students, but also to the general reader with an interest in the region and Serbia in particular.” (Adam Fagan, Professor of European Politics, Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Marija Zurnić is an independent researcher in anti-corruption studies and discourse analysis in Southeast Europe.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Corruption and Democratic Transition in Eastern Europe
Book Subtitle: The Role of Political Scandals in Post-Milošević Serbia
Authors: Marija Zurnić
Series Title: Political Corruption and Governance
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90101-5
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-90100-8Published: 29 June 2018
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-07934-5Published: 08 February 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-90101-5Published: 16 June 2018
Series ISSN: 2947-5449
Series E-ISSN: 2947-5457
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 262
Number of Illustrations: 2 illustrations in colour
Topics: European Politics, Democracy, Political Leadership