Civil society

A new way of using the concept of civil society came within neoliberal ideology legitimising development of the third sector in the former Soviet bloc East European countries after the transformation. The recent development of the third sector there is partly a result of this welfare systems restructuring, rather than of democratisation. It is often in clash with local nationalistic tendencies mentioned in previous pages as the enemies of civil society as it promotes universal rather than national or traditional values and human rights.

Examples of such development are Open Society Foundations active in many post-communist countries. They work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. They are often criticised for their affinity to neoliberal ideology and understanding of the development, and supposed promotion of US position in the region.