As far as dictators go, the leaders of the Eastern Bloc always tried to appear democratic. What most people would consider as one-party rule and centralised power was known in Soviet Russia as “democratic centralism”. Russia and the former Eastern Bloc played the democracy game – article 134 of the 1936 constitution proclaimed elections by “on the basis of universal, direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot”, whether this happened or not.
Even when the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, they Russians didn’t remove “progressive” President Dubček from power, as this would delegitimise the regime. Instead, they allowed him to lose credibility all by himself, so that a Russian puppet could then be installed in the country.
When it comes to Central and Eastern Europe today, it is unsurprising that many of these countries are following in this tradition. Many of the countries formerly behind the Iron Curtain never fully managed to democratise. Witold Szabłowski's book "Dancing Bears," tells of how, just as animals who have been kept in captivity return to dancing for an audience after being freed, societies that have become accustomed to tyranny over many years often return to illiberal practices. For example, after the 1989 revolution in Bulgaria, the former leaders of the Communist Party were re-elected under a new name, in free elections. That being said, the mauvais élèves of Europe, and certainly the European Union, are undoubtedly Hungary and Poland. These two countries function as unimaginatively named “illiberal democracies”.
The Polish government has faced backlash over plans to hold Presidential elections on the 20th of May, in which the current President Andrzej Duda was a candidate. Faced with claims that these elections could not possibly be free and fair, the government suggested that the President remain in power for another two years. The government then attempted to organise elections entirely based upon postal voting, an entirely unconstitutional move. Eventually, the government agreed to postpone the elections until June. The Polish government is simultaneously preparing changes to the justice system which have been repeatedly criticised by the EU. Not to mention Poland’s treatment of LGBT+ rights – not only is marriage prescribed as heterosexual in the Konstytucja, but citizens’ treatment of the LGBT+ community has reached what my Polish friend called a “pogrom”. Meanwhile, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban has gained the right to rule by decree, to detain his critics and reduce party funding. This power only adds to the immense control he already has from his parliamentary supermajority.
However, it’s not just Poland and Hungary becoming more illiberal by the minute. In a recent history lecture, my professor brought up the issue of rights and liberties during lockdown. Whilst my French peers complained about the government curbing their freedoms in the name of public health, my Bulgarian friend commented that her government was taking advantage of the situation to gain emergency powers. Although the Bulgarian President used his one and only veto to limit the most extreme parts of his Prime Minister’s bill, the powers would have allowed police to detain patients who left quarantine early. Meanwhile, Slovaks fear that test and trace plans might give the government uncontrolled access to personal information. In Romania, the state of emergency threatens to curb freedom of speech by allowing the government to shut down websites publishing fake news and exempts public figures from answers journalists’ questions.
Faced with these violations of the rule of law, the EU is caught in a double-bind. The EU relies on the strength of the democracy of its members to remain democratic itself. The Treaty on European Union even states that the EU is founded on respect for democracy and the rule of law. On this basis, the EU has grounds to expel Poland and Hungary from the institution. But it won’t. The European Parliament can pass all the resolutions it likes, but is European leaders have learned one thing from history, it’s to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. In the lead up to World War Two, Germany, Italy and Japan's abandoning of the League of Nations left Britain and France with no way of keeping these aggressive powers in check. What’s more, although the European Parliament is calling for Hungary and Poland to be stripped of their voting rights, such a decision required unanimity in the European Council, which is impossible since the guilty parties have promised to block any motions aimed at each other.
So instead of sanctioning these countries, on the very day Orbán obtained the right to rule by decree, the EU increased funding to held countries respond to the pandemic. Whilst Italy received €2.3 billion, Hungary got €5.6 billion, and Poland €7.4 billion.
My university campus specialises in Central and Eastern Europe. On campus, students sell stickers marked "EUSSR." As time passes, this joke is becoming less and less funny.
This is an extended article, originally published by the Latest.com