Democracy in abeyance
The parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, 2017
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The victor in the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic is the billionaire entrepreneur Andrei Babiš, who now wields huge influence over the economy, the media and the political arena. However, the situation is different to that in Poland or Hungary. The traditional parties, particularly on the left, have been considerably weakened, and the party system is extremely fragmented. Yet the division of power remains intact. Babiš does not have an ideological programme, and has not promised system change. The ANO party which he founded and now leads also has no majority in parliament, and no coalition partner. Whether or not a gradual erosion of the rule of law will occur under Prime Minister Babiš, against whom charges of subsidy fraud have been filed, also depends on the result of the presidential election in January 2018.
(Osteuropa 9-10/2017, pp. 31–49)