Democracy and populism in Central Europe
Democracy and populism in Central Europe

Summary/Abstract: A scholarly conference that took place in Bratislava in September 2006 analyzed developments in the most recent Polish, Hungarian, Slovak and Czech parliamentary elections. From the records of this conference and subsequent updates, the editors have compiled a volume that comprises three parts. The first part contains case studies of the four countries known as the Visegrád Four. The second part, which gives its title to the volume as a whole, addresses the theoretical and practical manifestations of populism, comparing Central European versions of the phenomenon with their West European counterparts. The third part analyzes the effects of the elections in the Visegrád states on Europe and the Western Balkans. In reality, this volume is more of a journal compiled for a special occasion than a scholarly book, since the authors – the most established political scientists and sociologists in Central Europe dealing with this region – only very rarely attempt to draw more general conclusions, and mostly produce only case studies that relate to specific countries, parties or programmes. Though this lack of “synthesis” may disappoint some readers, others may simply acknowledge that no such synthesis exists. Democracy and Populism in Central Europe: the Visegrád Elections and Their Aftermath. Studies and Opinions. Editors: Martin Bútora, Olga Gyárfásova, Grigorij Meseznikov, Thomas W. Skladony. Institute for Public Affairs, 21 September 2007. Bratislava, Washington.

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