Buček J., Plešivčák, M. (2017). Self-government,
Development and Political Extremism at the Regional Level: A Case Study from the
Banská Bystrica Region in Slovakia,
Sociológia, Vol.49, No. 6, pp. 599-635.
Abstracts
This
article is a contribution to the debate on specific and interrelated problems
of regional government, regional development and the electoral success of
radical political forces in post-socialist Europe in the late transition times
and during the financial and economic crisis and its aftermath. We document
these issues based on the case of Banská Bystrica region, which is perceived as
one of the most problematic territories in Slovakia in terms of socio-economic
development. We attempt to explain the political success of the radical
far-right political party Kotleba – Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko, observable
since 2013, through an assessment of socio-economic data, in-depth interviews,
as well as statistical analysis. We suggest that the persistently difficult
social and economic situation, the contradictory population structure and
processes (ageing, migration, multi-ethnicity), less successful regional
development policies of central state and EU cohesion policy goals and
implementation, as well as the weaker position and capacities of regional self-government
have contributed to growing apathy and disillusionment in mainstream political
parties, rising Euroscepticism and finally the electoral success of the
far-right in this region.
[ Jan Bucek - member IGU Commission
Geography of Governance]
