Challenging common assumptions about democratic backsliding throughout Central Europe, this analysis examines motive and opportunity in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. It argues that backsliding is not uniform across these nations but stems from specific factors.

➡️ Data & Methods

* Scrutinizing political developments since 2010

* Analyzing country-specific dynamics (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia)

* Investigating drivers and constraints of democratic erosion

➡️ Key Findings

* Democratic backsliding in the region is not universal but highly contingent on particular national factors.

* Visions of Europe highlights that EU leaders needn't be overwhelmed by widespread alarm regarding democratic decline.

The article contends that labeling all four Visegrád countries as 'enfants terribles' represents conceptual stretching, potentially diluting the analytical power of the term. By dissecting country-specific political contexts, it demonstrates that while backsliding has occurred in Hungary and Poland due to unique combinations of motive and opportunity—or lack thereof—other factors have prevented similar outcomes elsewhere.