Does liberal left have a chance to electorally succeed in Eastern Europe? Left-wing voters here tend to be socially conservative and prefer strong, authoritarian leaders.
I used to look with hope at Czech social democrats who have a relatively strong progressive faction represented by current PM Sobotka, Špidla or Dienstbier. Their current cabinet has been pretty successful and popular.
It looks like ČSSD is headed for a heavy defeat in a legislative election in autumn.
Liberal left in Slovakia is very weak. Just a few MEPs from Smer and intellectuals.
There's a new political project - Progressive Slovakia. They have meticuliosly worked out programme based on evidence-based policy, but there's a lack of charismatic leader.
Isn't the Slovakian neo-Nazi party the most successful in Europe and iirc won the youth vote in the last legislative election?
Wouldn't that suggest the lack of success or future for progressive politics in the country?
They won 8%, but I think Golden Dawn in Greece is a bit more popular.
Most of their supporter comes form a protest vote. I don't believe such a large share of my compatriots believe in fascism. They're just expressing their dissatisfaction by voting for the most radical option.
But I agree that there's no particularly large demand for politics with emphasis on human rights and egalitarianism.
>I don't believe such a large share of my compatriots believes in fascism
Majority has a preference for liberal democracy
How far to did Eastern Europe go to the economic right after the Cold War? As in did they sell off their nationalized industries after the Cold War, lower taxes ridiculously, break down the welfare system or...?
(Sorry if unrelated to the thread)
>sell off their nationalized industries after the Cold War, lower taxes ridiculously, break down the welfare system
Yes to all three. Transformation happened during the early 90s, a triumphant age for neoliberalism.
Our political landscape is still tilted to the right (less so in Czechia and Slovakia than in Hungary and Poland).
>Hungary is the most civilized Eastern Euro country
Hardly surprising. If Austria-Hungary still existed, we'd be on par with Western Europe economically and culturally. But Sl*vs had to ruin it, as usual.
Maybe you just started to appreciate it more after you lost it with Orbán.
I want to fill Bohoušek's chocolate hole with my creme supreme