This conference aims to gather papers that address the developments of politics either inside or outside the legislatures. We are interested in learning about the politicians’ behaviors and their consequences, how people relate to legislators and how they mobilize, and how the media portray them.

The political developments in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries have made over the last three decades the subject of many academic and journalistic enquiries. Extensive attention has been paid to institution formation and change, how decisions were taken and how they were related to stakeholders in society, how people manifested their support or disaffection with political institutions, or how the governance is affected by exogenous and endogenous factors including economic, security and health crises. In spite of this broad coverage, the behaviour of parliamentarians in the region has been scarcely investigated. This is counter-intuitive since the parliamentarians are those who adopt legislation and take the key decisions for the functioning of the political system and society. They decide the rules of the game including the extent to which people can participate in politics. For example, legislators can serve either as gate-keepers of citizens’ engagement by restricting their rights to protest or as facilitators by adopting legislation that enhances people’s engagement through new modes of participation such as citizens’ assemblies or online forms. At this stage, we do not have an overview of the politics inside and outside parliament in the region, and what to expect in the future.
The papers can answer any of these questions, which include but are not limited to:

 How do politicians understand their roles in Parliament
 What explains legislators’ behaviors?
 What promises from the campaign do they keep?
 How do the legislators represent the people or specific segments in the population?
 What effects do legislators’ actions have on the political system and on society?
 What explains people’s views of politicians?
 How do people engage in politics?
 Why do citizens engage or not?
 What are people’s expectations when discussing politics or engaging in political activities (including online)?
 What are the effects of popular mobilization?
 How do the media present the political behaviors of legislators or citizens?

The conference brings together researchers discussing developments in the Baltic countries, Eastern Europe (including the Balkans) either with an emphasis on single-case studies or with a comparative perspective. The conference will provide the space for an academic debate in which scholars can present the most recent findings of their research. The event will be multi-disciplinary and addresses scholars from Political Science, Sociology, European Studies and Media Studies. The organizers accept a variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches.
Target Group, Conference Structure and Envisaged Publication
The conference seeks to attract a mix of established scholars, early-career researchers, and PhD students. To increase the exchange of ideas, each paper giver will serve as discussant for another paper. This mix of participants will be beneficial for the scholars and PhD students at Södertörn University.

The conference will be organized for two days (15 and 16 May) and will gather 20 participants (from both within and outside of Södertörn University). The papers will be clustered in thematic areas that will be decided after the acceptance of papers. The panels will be moderated by a scholar from CBEES. Each presenter will be allocated 30 minutes: 15 minutes to present the paper, 5 minutes for the discussant and 10 minutes for general discussion.

Depending on the homogeneity and quality of the papers, the organizers will try to pursue a special issue in a highly ranked peer-reviewed journal or an edited book with a prestigious international publisher.

Costs and Application Procedure
All costs related to accommodation, meals and coffee breaks for participants are covered by the organizers. Travel grants are not available, and participants must cover their transport to and from Stockholm. To apply, please fill in the application form until 31 March 2025. The results of the selection process will be communicated within five days after the application deadline.