From European dreams to nationalist drift: the state of de-Europeanization in the 2023 parliamentary elections in Slovakia
From European dreams to nationalist drift: the state of de-Europeanization in the 2023 parliamentary elections in Slovakia

Summary/Abstract: Democratization and Europeanization research in East-Central Europe is well established and rigorous. These phenomena can be observed in Slovakia, a Cen- tral European country that has followed a specific democratic development trajectory, including the experience of authoritarian and totalitarian rule during the 20th century. Since joining the European Union, Slovakia has faced ongoing challenges to its rule of law and democratic standards from national populist and Euroskeptic actors and parties. Academic research is needed on how relevant parties in Slovakia approach reverse Euro- peanization, also known as de-Europeanization. The article assesses the degree of de-Eu- ropeanization present in relevant Slovak political parties during the 2023 parliamentary elections, as reflected in their election manifestos by capturing the state of political par- ties’ positions on the scale of the proposed Index of de-Europeanization. A set of eight policy areas was compiled using a content analysis method, and a quantitative method (Index of De-Europeanization) was used to measure the degree of de-Europeanization of each party. The ID values show that Progresívne Slovensko is the most Europeanized political party, while Republika is the most de-Europeanized. The results indicate consis- tency between parties’ manifestos, image, and rhetoric.

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