Central Europe is commonly seen as a region where democracy is in peril. But while Czechs, Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians are certainly facing populist threats, so are many Western countries.
What makes the discussion in Central Europe different is that the criticism of populism is all-too often grounded in ugly stereotypes — of a backward region whose pliable, powerless populations are simply pawns in a much bigger game. To make matters worse, this view is propounded by Central Europeans themselves.
Recently the Czech journalist Jakub Patočka argued that there’s little hope for post-communist countries of defeating populism because of their supposedly “failed transformations.” Help, Patočka argued, has to come from the European Union.
Arguments like Patočka’s — and they are far too common — are not only misleading; they are deeply damaging. It is misleading to represent Central Europeans as in need of saving from the outside. Substantial — if imperfect — progress has been made since 1989.
Portrayals of Europe as split between powerful Westerners and powerless Easterners unable to resolve their own issues promote the same culture of resignation that has allowed Czech President Miloš Zeman and other populists to flourish.
Indeed, claims that Central Europe can’t save itself draw on arguments that are very similar to those used by Euroskeptics, who revel in presenting Czechs as ever-subjugated, powerless in the face of an oppressive Brussels. The notion that Central Europeans do not have control over their own affairs fuels anxiety that can easily develop into hate — often directed against the weakest members of society, whether they be Roma or refugees.
On the Right, this perceived loss of control fuels a victim complex that blames all possible ills on outsiders: Russians, Americans, Germans, Muslims, Eurocrats, liberal proponents of multiculturalism.
On the Left, neoliberalism takes the blame. To be sure, our current situation cannot be detached from social and economic conditions. But the discontent that populists draw on involves many more people than could reasonably be described as the “losers” of post-communist transition.
These narratives are counterproductive, and they have spun out of control. National insecurities are as influenced by public discourse and political leadership as by economic conditions. We must change the defeatist ideas circulating in the public sphere and begin to hold our politicians and officials accountable.
Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, the rise of far-right parties across Europe and support for Donald Trump in the United States show that the rise of populism is not a uniquely Central European problem. But while the problem may be global, the solutions must be local. Populism will only be defeated if people in countries like the Czech Republic feel that they still have the power of self-determination.
Of course, the Czech Republic should not withdraw from European cooperation. Nor should the EU stay silent when rights are wronged or freedoms curtailed. But it is important that the people of Central Europe not be infantilized or presented as powerless.
Along with liberals and progressives across the Continent, it is our responsibility to uphold the values we signed up to. Calling on outsiders to impose them upon us is counterproductive. Doing so only strengthen the hands of the populists.
Jakub Eberle is a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and Charles University, and deputy editor-in-chief of New Perspectives. Benjamin Tallis is a research fellow and coordinator of the Centre for European Security at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, and editor-in-chief of New Perspectives.