The political regime in Slovakia in 1994-1998: the struggle of authoritarian and democratic development trends.

Abstract

The author of the article examines political development of Slovak Republic in 1994-1998 years through the prism of manifestation of authoritarian and democratic characteristics. A conclusion is made about the functioning of the hybrid political regime with a clear tendency towards authoritarianism.

The following undemocratic features of the political regime in 1994-1998 were highlighted: the power in the country is concentrated in the hands of the parliamentary-governmental coalition led by a charismatic leader; attempts to change institutional rules of political development in order to concentrate power; the transformation of the parliament (a parliamentary majority) into an instrument of influence of the head of the executive branch; neglect of the rights of the parliamentary opposition, obstructing its activities; the use of law enforcement services, special services for political struggle, prosecution of opposition representatives; restrictions and violations of the rules of electoral competition and democratic expression of the will of the citizens; strengthening control over the media; incitement of national intolerance and increase of value fragmentation of society; foreign policy goals were sacrificed to domestic political tasks regarding the concentration of power; non-transparent privatization and corruption.

At the same time, democratic features can be noted alongside authoritarian ones: activity of civil society, opposition parties, non-governmental organizations; crystallization of the political interests of society in the planes «pro-Meciar–anti-Meciar» and «East–West»; citizens' awareness of the undemocratic actions of the government and the desire to resist it, especially in the context of the 1998 elections; relatively independent and critical position of institutions included in the system of power distribution (President, Constitutional Court, parliamentary opposition).

Factors and preconditions, which did not promote democratization, were found out: imperfect institutional structure, conflict type of political culture, differentiation of the political elite, actualization of the national question, weak distribution of democratic values, social economic difficulties, etc.