Lessons From Eastern Europe

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the key points of the book and discusses lessons other countries can learn from the Czech Republic and Hungary. It first looks closer at democratic backsliding—mainly what it is and whether former communist countries are suffering from it. Next, political leaders and parties in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and the United States are examined, including how much influence they have over policy. The importance of democratic values and civic education are also discussed. Being knowledgeable about freedoms one should have in a democracy allows people to identify when those freedoms are being taken away. Separation of powers is then examined along with how well the Czech Republic and Hungary are doing, preventing the executive from having too much unilateral power. Finally, it is discussed whether the Czech Republic and Hungary are democratically backsliding and the role of the European Union in potentially stopping democratic erosion.