The Dynamics of Electoral Activity and Problems of Consolidation of “New Democracies” In Post-Communist European Countries

Abstract

The article deals with the dynamics of electoral activity of citizens which comes out as an important indication of the on-going process of consolidation of democracy in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the period from 2001 to 2018 . The comparative analysis helps to show the differences in voter’s behaviour in post-communist and post-authoritarian countries as well as to point out the peculiar impact of social, sociocultural and institutional factors on voter turnout in “new democracies” . The author stresses that sociocultural factor considered as a correlation of survival values and values of self-expression in mass conscience exerts the primary influence on the level of participation of citizens in elections . The author emphasised that the prevalence of survival values in the culture of post-communist societies is the primary reason for utilitarian relation of people to democracy . It, in its turn, contributes to decreasing participation in elections in the conditions of mass disappointment in the results of market economy reforms and low-level electoral activity later on . More to that, weak institutionalisation of political parties in post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe proved to be unable to hinder effectively growing absenteeism of voters .