Since the so-called ‘velvet revolution’ in 1989, politics in the Czech Republic has been governed – some would say overshadowed – by two competing and, ultimately, incompatible interests. On one side are formal political parties, while on the other stand proponents of a system of anti-politics which advocates something called ‘civil society’ where policy emanates, almost mysteriously, from citizens’ groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). While masquerading as a form of benevolent populism, critics view these ideas as akin to the classic Gramscian notion of ‘hegemony’ whereby society is governed by powerful elites - the opposite, in fact, of people power.
A network of such elites including journalists, academics and businessmen has grown ever more powerful in the Czech Republic over the past ten years, their centre of gravity being the internationally revered Czech president, Václav Havel. Havel has long been the leading exponent of ‘civic society’, regularly criticizing politicians for their venality and corruption. The Czech president is the most visible example of the Communist-era dissident turned politician. Like most 60s libertarians, Havel’s argument with Communism was as much over style as substance. When the system collapsed he and his fellow dissidents assumed they would be the natural rulers of the emerging democracies. But experience was to show that, however brave and focused on overthrowing totalitarianism, most dissidents were not qualified by temperament or qualifications to run a modern state.
Other people arose with a more conventional agenda – like former prime minister, Václav Klaus. But the dissidents didn’t all retire to the sidelines, many continued to exercise influence in the margins as part of a circle gathered around Havel at Prague Castle, the president’s residence.
Some did join political parties, like Klaus’s Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Social Democrats (ČSSD). But after disaffected members of the ODS failed to take it over they founded their own party, the Freedom Union, Unie Svobody (US). The US’s tentacles now spread throughout the Czech Republic’s business community, cultural institutions and the media. For example, it is acknowledged that its leading members were the driving force behind the strike at state TV in 2000/01 which shook the Czech establishment. More importantly, leading members of the Freedom Union are influential with both the US administration and the European Union, being the staunchest supporters of NATO and entry into the EU.
The US is a classic elitist organization. It has little grass roots support but the Czech Republic’s proportional voting system has, finally, allowed the party into government as a coalition partner with the Social Democrats following the June 2002 election.
