Slovakia after Communism and Mečiarism by Kieran s> Williams (review)

Abstract

REVIEWS I69 orderto effect an inevitable split, and the largerfractionwas able to write the minutes and retain the assets. I think that Grzymala-Bussemissed a trick in not giving us a shot-for-shotaccount of those extremely interestingmeetings, which offer important evidence of the extraordinaryadaptabilityof political parties. Keele University MICHAEL WALLER Williams, Kieran (ed.). Slovakia afterCommunism andMec'iarism. SSEES Occasional Papers, 47. School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London, 2000. iv + 13I pp. Tables. Notes. Appendix. Index. [23.00 (paperback). SLOVAKIA suffersfrom an image problem. As Karen Henderson points out in her contribution to this interesting collection of essays, comparativistshave often imposed on Slovakiatheirpre-conceived notions of the country,tending to lump Slovakianot with her Visegrad Fourpartners(Poland,Hungary and the Czech Republic),butratherwith Bulgariaand Romania. The fault,argues Henderson, lies not in an academic conspiracy,but ratherin ignorance. Although independence allowed Slovakia to emerge from under the allembracing cloak of Czechoslovakia,journalists have tended to cover Slovak developments from their desks in Prague or Vienna. Moreover, whenever journalists or Western academics have ventured to Slovakia they have invariably met with the intelligent, articulate and linguistically talented members of the Bratislava-basedeite who, argues Henderson, 'were usually frantic about the less democratic developments' under the third Meciar-led government (I994-98) 'and tended, because of their own total (and quite laudable) preoccupation with this, to talk about these faults incessantly, and thereby painted a rathernegative picture of the country' (p. 26). This edited volume, particularly the intelligent chapters written by Kieran Williams, Sharon Fisher and Henderson, is to be welcomed, therefore, not least as a trustyweapon in the battle againstignorance. Slovakia afterCommunism andMeciarism grewout of a SlovakStudiesDay held at the School of Slavonic and East European Studiesin November I999. The range of topics is broad, ranging from the Genitalist literary movement to Slovaksocialand foreignpolicy. The collection could be criticizedfor the lack of a cohesive thread running through the essays, but this reviewer found reading the contributions outside of his area of expertise (political science), particularlyRobert Pynsent's analysis of the work of leading Slovak novelist PeterPistanek,helpfulto round-outhis knowledge of independent Slovakia. In the opening chapterWilliamsoffersa succinctand perspicaciousanalysis of Mecarism. As a set of beliefs he argues that Meciarism 'can be broken down into three components: economic centrism, political liberalism and cultural essentialism' (p. 4). Williams is wise to consider the Mecar-led governments' economic policy was notjust driven by clientelism, but also by the vision of the state (as propounded by Independent Association of Economists of Slovakia) as an enabler. Central to the facilitatorrole of the state was the need to build infrastructure,particularly roads, not only to 170 SEER, 8i, I, 2003 encourage east-west trade to travel through Slovakia, but also to create a networkdesignedforthe needs of Slovakia,not Czechoslovakia,or indeed the Austro-Hungarianempire. Williamsrestrictshis comments on the ill-liberalismof the thirdMeciar-led government to a page. That government'sviolations of constitutionalniceties and the murky events surrounding the kidnapping/abduction of President Kovac's son have been discussed at greater length elsewhere, but given the centralityof the 1994-98 government'spoliticalill-liberalismto the European Union's decision not to open accession negotiations with Slovakia at Luxembourgsummitin I997 more detailwould have been welcomed. Williams defines culturalessentialism,the third component of Meciarism, as 'the view that national identity (in effect, ethnicity) should be treated as immanent, not constructed;as inherited, not acquired; and as the source of political authority' (p. 9). If taken to its logical conclusion, 'this essentialism convertsthe nation and nation-stateinto the suprememoralunits,which must not be corrupted by the inherently immoral process of integration' (p. i o). Williams illustrates his point by quoting a former Deputy-chairman of Meciar's party (HZDS) and Chairman of Parliament's Committee for European integration, Augustin Marian Huiska,who declared in I996 that within the EU and NATO lurkthe 'aspirationsof formerhegemons'. 'Foronly if we retain the will to resist selfish foreign interests in defending Slovak national interestsshall we survive not only as a sovereign state but also as a stateproviding existentialgood to our citizens' (p. ii). In her contributionto thisvolume, Sharon Fisherhighlightsthe importanceof the nation in political discourse during the I998 election campaign. HZDS and its...