Who Holds the Line? Liberalism Beyond Its Adversaries

This paper presents a new genealogy of liberalism in post-socialist Eastern Europe, revisiting the now-dominant narrative of “reverse transition.” It examines how centrist parties and transnational political foundations in Czechia and Slovakia have (re)mobilized liberal principles to build and defend democracy since 1989. Acute dilemmas – including mounting illiberal assaults on the constitutional order, the return of war to Europe, and the realignment of transatlantic relations – warrant an explanation that counterbalances the existing literature on liberalism’s adversaries by redirecting attention to its advocates. The paper contributes to scholarship on democratic resilience by foregrounding the often-overlooked role of party-political ideologues and the strategies through which they curate and diffuse liberal scripts. By capturing the situational, instrumental, and often ambiguous character of local liberalisms, it explores not only how liberalism recedes but also how it transforms and persists, complementing theoretical debates on ideological change in contemporary Eastern European democracies.