Zsuzsanna Végh - Böcker

Depleting democracies provides an analysis of the radical right’s interactions with mainstream parties and the effect they have on setting political agendas in sensitive areas such as minority policies and asylum regulations. It asks to what extent the radical right has changed the quality of democracy in Eastern Europe: does its electoral strength, its capacity for political blackmail and its coalition potential actually translate into impact?The book compares three groups of countries that are distinct in terms of the relevance of radical right parties: Bulgaria and Slovakia; Hungary, Poland and Romania; and the Czech Republic and Estonia. It follows a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of survey data with qualitative, comparative analysis of archival material and other texts to determine the causal role radical right parties play in influencing parties, policies and ultimately democratic quality in the seven countries.Depleting democracies advances theory on radical right actors in the political process and contributes to empirical research across the region. Its results are particularly relevant to the debate on democratic transformation and the effects of radical right parties.

Depleting Democracies examines how radical right parties interact with mainstream politics in Eastern Europe and the extent to which they influence democratic quality. It assesses whether their electoral strength, blackmail potential, and coalition relevance translate into real impact, particularly on agendas surrounding minority policy and asylum regulation. The book compares three clusters of countries with varying levels of radical right influence: Bulgaria and Slovakia; Hungary, Poland, and Romania; and the Czech Republic and Estonia. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines quantitative survey analysis with qualitative comparisons of archival material and political texts to identify the causal role radical right parties play in shaping parties, policies, and democratic outcomes. Advancing theory on radical right actors, the book provides important empirical insights relevant to debates on democratic transformation and the broader effects of radical right participation.