Polarization and Democracy in Central Europe

• In Event: Mobilization and Polarization in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

To grasp ideological polarization, understanding mobilization dynamics for and against liberal democracy is vital. In Central Europe, populist ascendancy led to a democratic decline, but participation surged, revealing a nuanced link between populism, polarization, and societal mobilization. This paper employs Bernhard's typology (2020), participant observation of 2022-2023 protests, and quasi-experimental data from the 2023 Czech presidential election to examine societal mobilization in Central Europe. Finally, we expand the potential democratic paths based on the Czech case and V-Dem data: democratic decay and resilience.

Authors

• Petra R. Guasti, Charles University

• Aleš Michal, Charles University