Weekendavisen | A gloomy mood prevails in Havel's native country
Despite positive economic statistics, dissatisfaction and a feeling of powerlessness prevail among Czech voters. This atmosphere may contribute to the return of 71-year-old Andrej Babiš to the forefront of politics. Viktor Daněk, Executive Director and Head of the Prague Office of the EUROPEUM Institute, commented for Weekendavisen.
3. October 2025
A large part of the population can be considered the losers of this transformation. Yes, they have gained more freedoms, but they do not have the financial means to take advantage of these new freedoms.
They can travel anywhere in Europe, but they do not have the money to travel outside the Czech Republic.
Under communism, they had secure jobs and could travel cheaply to the beaches of Yugoslavia.
Today, according to a survey by the STEM institute, one-fifth of all Czech households would have difficulty finding the money to buy a new washing machine if their old one stopped working. A million Czechs have problems paying off their debts. The social legacy is passed on to children who never lived under communism but tend to romanticize that period based on what they hear from their parents. This is fertile ground for any Eurosceptic populist politician from the radical right or left.
You can read Viktor Daněk's entire commentary in the PDF below.
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