Depleting democracies : Radical right impact on parties, policies, and polities in Eastern Europe

Depleting democracies explores the impact of radical right parties on their mainstream competitors, public policies regarding vulnerable groups and the respective polities in Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea. It argues that these parties drive a process of depletion that fundamentally challenges democratic quality in the region. -- .

Depleting Democracies examines how radical right parties interact with mainstream politics in Eastern Europe and the extent to which they influence democratic quality. It assesses whether their electoral strength, blackmail potential, and coalition relevance translate into real impact, particularly on agendas surrounding minority policy and asylum regulation. The book compares three clusters of countries with varying levels of radical right influence: Bulgaria and Slovakia; Hungary, Poland, and Romania; and the Czech Republic and Estonia. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines quantitative survey analysis with qualitative comparisons of archival material and political texts to identify the causal role radical right parties play in shaping parties, policies, and democratic outcomes. Advancing theory on radical right actors, the book provides important empirical insights relevant to debates on democratic transformation and the broader effects of radical right participation. -- .