Slovakia’s Second Transition

Issue Date April 2003
Volume 14
Issue 2
Page Numbers 65-79
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The results of Slovakia’s 2002 elections can be said to mark the completion of a “second transition” to democracy. With the election of 2002, it became clear that Slovakia’s nationalist-authoritarian experiment is effectively over. What remains to be seen is the extent and duration of its impact on Slovak political life. Today’s leaders must contend not only with the legacies of communism but with the unique legacies of postcommunist authoritarianism also. Some of these legacies continue to hobble the country’s democratic development, but others have actually helped inoculate Slovakia against another return to authoritarian leadership.

About the Author

Kevin Deegan Krauseis an assistant professor of political science at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He is currently completing a book about the role of political parties and political cleavages in the democratic consolidation of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

View all work by Kevin Deegan Krause