The fragile democracy in central and eastern Europe

(Prof. Barbara Faccenda) Democracy is fragile in the post-communist countries of central and eastern Europe, where the specter of authoritarianism and corruption is growing. Even according to the best conditions, the "construction of democracy" is difficult and uncertain.

Historical experience shows that failure is much more common than success, even in times when liberal democracy has few rivals.
The post-1989 transformations of Central and Eastern European countries, from communism to democracy, are often presented as a model of successful democratization. Despite the initial pessimism about the prospect of establishing a liberal democracy, several countries of Central and Eastern Europe have developed consolidated democratic systems, functioning market economies, efficient democratic states with extensive welfare policies and a degree of relatively low inequality.

Furthermore, political and economic achievements have come up in stark contrast to the failures of other post-communist countries. Despite initial hopes and real political victories, a majority of these countries either returned to authoritarianism or persevered in a semi-reformed and unconsolidated state.

What are the causes of these divergent ways?

Why have some countries in Central and Eastern Europe succeeded while others embody the failures of Eastern European policies and economies?

Central and Eastern European countries are now a central framework in the global battle between liberal democracy and autocracy.

Few countries have seen democracy lose ground constantly as in the case ofHungary. It is here, with the arrival in power of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, that the hopes for an unstoppable expansion of democracies in post-communist countries have been decisively broken. Orban has built support for his nationalist policies by highlighting issues of identity and offering his audience a powerful weapon: "fear for strangers".
Nothing has fortified the nationalist credentials of the Hungarian Prime Minister more than his virulent anti-migrant Filipinos and policies in response to the wave of refugees (mostly Muslims) who arrived in Europe as a result of the war in Syria, which Orban calls "invaders" Muslims. "
Another important component ofuninterrupted erosion of liberal democracy in Hungary it was Orban's (veiled) campaign of co-optation of independent media. An example of how this was possible happened on an Saturday morning in October of the 2016, when the Nepszabadsag website, the largest Hungarian daily newspaper and one of its long-standing publications, was offline. In the late afternoon of that same day, the website is back online with a message announcing the suspension of the publication. Two weeks later, Nepszabadsag was sold and the paper was closed shortly thereafter. The closure of Nepszabadag is the turning point for the panorama of the Hungarian media.
Next to Hungary, there is the Poland, which has recently been accused of using judicial reforms and state regulations on communication to break the principles of liberal democracy.

The European Union has begun to take steps towards countering the anti-democratic repercussions in the central and eastern Member States. In this year's event, the proposals for budget long-term, widely anticipated, for the 2021-2027 included plans for a "stronger link between EU funding and the rule of law". Although no reference to specific countries has been included, the proposal has been seen to have exactly the objective of Poland and Hungary, whose populist and nationalist governments have engaged in repeated bickering with Brussels over the past few years: from freedom of press to transport of timber. Poland and Hungary, among other nations in central and eastern Europe, have benefited greatly from EU funding, which has helped them to improve infrastructure and support investment.

The latest tensions suggest that any rapprochement will contain limitations.

link article on the blog of Professor Barbara Faccenda

The fragile democracy in central and eastern Europe

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