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Populism and Czech Military Elite Under the Democratic Radar

Publication at Faculty of Social Sciences |
2016

Abstract

Ongoing wave of populism is in coincidence with the appearance of several new security threats (terrorism, Islamic State, refugee crisis, war in the eastern Ukraine...). It is paradox that at the situation when the populist anti-liberal suggestions for solution of these threats are in sharp conflict with values preferred by mainstream political parties for a long time, the Czech military elite as the one among the main potential solvers of the threats is "forgotten" too.

Governing democratic elite does not include the military elite into a circle of anti-populist allies. This chapter try to explain, why it could happened? Why the position of Czech military elite in the power elite configuration is so weak and whether values prevailing in the circles of military elite and rank and file can guarantee, that Czech army will not be welcoming ally of populist leaders on their way to democratic regime change.