Translation of Culture Wars in Terms of Cleavages in Czechia and Slovakia

Culture wars, defined as political rhetoric, mobilisation and cleavages around controversies over norms, symbols and values, have redefined the political landscape in Europe since the 2010s and in East Central Europe in particular. If their political dynamic is specific in each country, in the Visegrad Four they contribute to the forging of enduring political identities and “camps” and shape party landscapes. One of the enduring effects of the culture wars is the politicisation of the relation to the EU. This contribution will focus on two little studied case studies: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Unlike in the Polish and Hungarian case, culture wars have been adopted as means of influence seeking and political mobilisation by a plethora of smaller actors rather than by established political parties. Since 2015 and before, single-issue activism, right-wing groups, religious associations, “alternative media” figures and political start-ups have strived on controversies and protests about Islam, abortion, same-sex marriage and adoption, LGBTQ rights and eventually also the EU and Ukraine-Russia.