The Illiberal Turn: Right-Wing Politics in the Visegrád Region

The Visegrád group, comprising of Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, has been in news for all the wrong reasons. These countries have been generally classified as Eurosceptic countries, their leadership critical of the developments in the EU and their politics as example of right-populist spectrum. While being part of the EU, they have questioned the idea of supranationalism and advocated the idea that the EU institutions respect the sovereignty of the member states. These changes are largely driven by the political outlook of the governing parties which have adopted extremely critical positions. This, in addition to the perceived democratic backsliding in these countries has pushed them towards a stand-off situation with the EU. This chapter looks at the right-wing politics in these countries by placing the Visegrád Four in the larger picture as well as delving deeper into the issues used by these parties to increase their electoral fortunes.