The democratization process in the Czech Republic in the 90s

Tereza Rebecca Hoblik

Bachelor's thesis

Abstract:

The 1990s was a defining moment in the Czech Republic as the country embarked on its journey to transform the country’s political and economic system. The 1997 political crisis acted as a catalyst for revelations of widespread corruption in politics and the privatization process. The rapid method of economic transition, namely voucher privatization, provided fertile ground for further corruption in the form of tunneling. This period is relevant to the field of economics, business, and politics because it was one of the most crucial periods for the Czech Republic in recent history, and there is value in looking back to understand the challenges of the past and how they shaped our present. There is a gap in consensus among the research which this paper attempts to pull together. The research questions are as follows: What did privatization corruption look like in the Czech Republic and to what extent did it affect public support for democracy and the free market? The research questions were examined via a qualitative case study using data from existing journals bolstered by semi-structured interviews. It was found that while people’s support for and hope in transition diminished, the fundamental notions of democracy and the free market remained intact.

Abstract:

The 1990s was a defining moment in the Czech Republic as the country embarked on its journey to transform the country’s political and economic system. The 1997 political crisis acted as a catalyst for revelations of widespread corruption in politics and the privatization process. The rapid method of economic transition, namely voucher privatization, provided fertile ground for further corruption in the form of tunneling. This period is relevant to the field of economics, business, and politics because it was one of the most crucial periods for the Czech Republic in recent history, and there is value in looking back to understand the challenges of the past and how they shaped our present. There is a gap in consensus among the research which this paper attempts to pull together. The research questions are as follows: What did privatization corruption look like in the Czech Republic and to what extent did it affect public support for democracy and the free market? The research questions were examined via a qualitative case study using data from existing journals bolstered by semi-structured interviews. It was found that while people’s support for and hope in transition diminished, the fundamental notions of democracy and the free market remained intact.

Keywords

democratization, Czech Republic, communism, privatization, corruption, IPFs, democracy, free market

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 1. 5. 2024

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 19. 6. 2024
• Supervisor: PhDr. Pavel Pšeja, Ph.D.
• Reader: doc. PhDr. Miloš Brunclík, Ph.D.

CEVRO University

Bachelor programme / field:
Economics, Business, Politics / Economics, Business, Politics