DENYING DIVERSITY. CHALLENGES TO MULTICULTURALISM IN CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPE

This article addresses the issue regarding the recent intensification of tendencies that oppose multiculturalism around the world and especially on the territory of the European Union. Starting from these premises, the article aims at identifying the degree to which the Central- Eastern Europe region can be considered as being a tolerant geographical space when analyzing recent manifestations of racism, extremism, antisemitism, xenophobia and Islamophobia and when analyzing the same manifestations in other countries or regions in the world. The comparison between the situation in Central-Eastern Europe and the situation in other countries or regions will be made through the analysis of several indexes developed by organizations, scholars or recognized international institutions, indexes that will show that the manifestations of diversity denial are far less intense in Central- Eastern Europe than in other countries or regions in the world and will confirm that the CEE states are close not only geographically, but also from political, economic or social perspectives.