Conditional European: Stigmatisation, Identity, and Populism in Central and Eastern Europe

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) occupies a contested space within the European geopolitical landscape, oscillating between conformity to Western integration and disruptively challenging established norms. This article examines the historical stigmatisation and contemporary dynamics shaping the region, focusing on the Visegrád Group (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia). It explores how CEE's identity has been influenced by its socialist past, neoliberal transitions, and the rise of populism, leading to a dual character, oscillating between being compliant ‘students’ of Western integration or ‘enfants terribles’ challenging neoliberal systems. The article also analyses the implications of these dynamics on CEE's relationships with NATO and the EU, highlighting the region's ongoing struggle for recognition and respect within the European framework. This duality underscores the broader systemic crisis of liberalism and its institutions' ability to deliver economic promises, reflecting deeper ontological insecurities and a quest for identity within the European order.