Populism in the Czech Republic An East Central European Regional Comparison

Populism is a key word for characterizing political conditions in East Central Europe. Indeed, leading politicians in all four states operate by using the juxtaposition of a corrupt elite and an honest people, while presenting themselves as the righteous representatives of the latter. Nevertheless, the situation in the Czech Republic differs significantly from that of Poland and Hungary. In the latter two countries, a cultural war between national conservatives and liberals has divided society beyond reconciliation and brought authoritarian populists to power. In the Czech Republic, the socio-economic lines of conflict continue to structure the party system and the dominant type of populism is that of the technocratic manager.