Elites and Democratic Transitions by Regime Transformation in Southern Europe

This book examines three cases of democratic transitions by self-transformation of the non-democratic regimes in Southern Europethe Spanish reforma pactada-ruptura pactada of 1976-77, the Greek Markezinis experiment of 1973, and the Turkish democratic transition of 1983in a comparative perspective. The author argues that a democratic transition initiated by the regime elites is, in contrast to widely held assumptions and notwithstanding some reservations on whether democracy can be (re-)introduced by non-democrats, worth viewing as a window of opportunity for democratisation. It is up to the democratic counter-elites to respond to it, using the civil society and the international factor as allies to achieve their goal of acquiring more concessions from the regime.

Based on use of British and US archives on all three cases Provides new insights of democratic transitions by self-transformation of the non-democratic regimes in Southern Europe Ties three case studies into the context of current cases of democratization around the globe

Autorentext

Ioannis Tzortis is Teaching Fellow in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Inhalt

1. Democratisation Theory and Comparative Politics.- 2. From 'Organic Democracy' to 'Democracy without Adjectives': Spain 1976-77.- 3. From Dictatorship to Dictatorship: Greece 1973.- 4. From Dictatorship to 'Difficult Democracy': Turkey 1983.- 5. Is 'Democracy Out of Tyranny' Feasible and Viable?.