The transformations of higher education (HE) systems in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have come about as a result of the new liberal economic and political agenda that has prevailed since the fall of communism, combined with the impact of EU accession conditions. On the eve of accession, the Bologna Process and the Lisbon Strategy made policy makers from candidate states increasingly receptive to European recommendations. This said, the paper challenges existing explanations of Europeanisation as a linear process. It points out that the transformations of HE institutions have a global dimension, because they have been promoted by international organisations active in the field of education. They have been shaped by global trends such as the growing influence of international rankings. The paper focuses on the domestic uses of external recommendations. It sheds light on domestic actor configurations and games. It shows how policy entrepreneurs make strategic uses of European or other external models according to their priorities. This process may generate tensions and lead to a reconfiguration of power relations. In an attempt to refine the Europeanisation perspective, my paper will examine alternative explanations of the dynamics of change, such as the inspiration drawn from models from outside the EU or references to the narratives of international competition promoted by international organisations.