The Czech Republic (also known as Czechia since 2016) has had a troubled post-communist transition, in particular with the ascent of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babis to the office of prime minister of the Czech Republic in 2017, returning in 2015. The second edition of this book adds chapters on the Catholic Church, sexual minorities, and xenophobia, together with a completely new conclusion and updating to most of the remaining chapters. The authors demonstrate that civic values, such as tolerance, individual rights, respect for the harm principle, the principle of equality, and the rule of law, are key factors in determining whether the Czech Republic will maintain its democracy in the coming years.
"This is a nuanced and timely account of the tensions shaping Czech democracy since 1989. The volume is particularly valuable in its ability to connect politics, education, media, gender, and public culture with historical legacies. Therefore, it represents a significant contribution to the study of post-socialist transformation, memory, and civic life."
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Katerina Králová
, Head of Research Centre for Memory Studies, Charles University & Czech Academy of Sciences, The Czech Republic
"If you've been overwhelmed by the bad news coming out of Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia and forgotten about the remaining member of the Visegrad four, then this excellent book is for you. It will bring you up to date on developments across the spectrum of politics and culture in the Czech Republic, though even here the news is not always good."
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Andrew Roberts
(Northwestern University), United States
The Czech Republic (also known as Czechia since 2016) has had a troubled post-communist transition, in particular with the ascent of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babis to the office of prime minister of the Czech Republic in 2017, returning in 2015. The second edition of this book adds chapters on the Catholic Church, sexual minorities, and xenophobia, together with a completely new conclusion and updating to most of the remaining chapters. The authors demonstrate that civic values, such as tolerance, individual rights, respect for the harm principle, the principle of equality, and the rule of law, are key factors in determining whether the Czech Republic will maintain its democracy in the coming years.
Sabrina P. Ramet
is Professor Emerita of Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway.
Vladimir Ðordevic
is Associate Professor in the Department of Security Studies at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic.
Christine M. Hasenstab
is a retired attorney who also worked as an Adviser in the EU Grants Office at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway.
