Resilience and Demise of the Left in the Visegrád Countries, Crises Within the Polycrisis.

This paper examines the prolonged crisis of left-wing parties in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in comparative perspective. Although the gap between the trajectories of the left in CEE and Western Europe has narrowed in recent years, this convergence reflects deteriorating conditions in the West rather than a revival of left-wing politics in the East. A succession of external shocks—including the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent economic and energy crises, and the Russian–Ukrainian war—has further intensified the challenges facing both left-wing and mainstream parties. The four Visegrád countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) offer a valuable comparative setting for analysing these dynamics under diverse conditions, including democratic backsliding and intensified populist competition. The depth of the crisis is evident in recent developments, such as the failure of social democratic and communist parties to enter parliament in the Czech Republic, the long-term marginalisation of the left in Poland and Hungary, and the ambivalent position of the Slovak left, shaped by the illiberal and nationalist turn of SMER under Robert Fico. The paper examines whether the crisis of the left can be attributed to shifts in party positions, policy profiles, and responsiveness to external challenges. It also examines the emergence of a reconfigured left characterised by nationalist rhetoric and welfare chauvinist policies, exemplified by actors such as Stačilo! in the Czech Republic and SMER in Slovakia. Methodologically, the analysis employs quantitative data on electoral performance, ideological positioning (GALTAN and economic left–right), issue salience, and party programmes, drawing on the Chapel Hill Expert Survey. Covering elections from the pre-2009 financial crisis period to 2023, the study offers a longitudinal assessment of left-wing responses to multiple, overlapping crises. By highlighting regional specificities alongside broader European trends, the paper contributes to debates on party competition, electoral behaviour, and the transformation of the left in contemporary Europe.