In the contemporary study of Central and Eastern European (CEE) politics, anti-gender mobilisation is frequently characterised as a reactionary 'turn' or a disruptive import from the global culture wars. However, such frameworks often overlook the historical continuity of traditionalist sentiment in the region. This paper argues that anti-genderism does not represent a shift in normative values but rather a fundamental transformation in the repertoires of collective action employed by institutional religious actors. While the ideological baseline remains constant, there is a burgeoning "professionalisation of tradition" characterised by the strategic NGOisation of clerical agency.
Central to this analysis is the emergence of the institutional norm entrepreneur. Moving beyond the traditional confines of the pulpit, high-ranking religious figures and ecclesiastical hierarchies in the CEE region are increasingly operating through a sophisticated infrastructure of NGOs, legal think tanks, and professional advocacy groups. This paper conceptualises this shift as a form of institutional camouflage, where religious actors adopt the organisational grammar of secular civil society by incorporating bylaws, board structures, and human rights-based rhetoric to navigate the legal and political frameworks of the European Union. By doing so, they effectively bypass the traditional Church/State divide, exerting influence within secular judicial systems and the public sphere without formally entering the partisan political arena.
The study employs a qualitative comparative lens to map the transnational networks of these 'clerical NGOs', illustrating how they function as intermediaries between traditionalist hierarchies and the modern state. These entrepreneurs engage in strategic mimicry: utilising the proceduralism of liberal democracy to protect an illiberal normative core. This process allows institutional figures, who officially maintain a veneer of political neutrality, to act as pivotal norm entrepreneurs who redefine 'gender ideology' as an existential threat to national sovereignty and collective identity.
Ultimately, the research aims to demonstrate that the NGOisation of religious actors is not merely a survival strategy but a proactive mechanism for normative maintenance. By professionalising the defence of the traditionalist baseline, these actors have successfully transformed static religious dogma into a mobile and potent political weapon. These findings contribute to broader theoretical debates regarding democratic backsliding and the resilience of 'un-civil society' in CEE, demonstrating that the modernisation of religious influence operates as a primary driver of the current illiberal trajectory across the region.
