A Million Moments of Hope

What did 2019 mean for the Visegrad Group region? We asked our #DemocraCE Fellows, regular authors and contributors, to reflect on notable events and draw out one significant development in their country, arguably with wider significance for the V4.

Problematic business

If 2018 could be called the Year of Kuciak – after the murdered investigative journalist – 2019 is the Year of Kočner. Marián Kočner has been tried in two notable trials. First, for his involvement in the case „zmenky TV Markíza“ where he (and his accomplices) had attempted to withdraw up to 70 million in presumably fake promissory notes. Second, as a person who ordered the murder of Kuciak who had written about his problematic business. Former Prime Minister Robert Fico finally moved out from his residence in the Bonaparte complex (sic!) where his neighbour was Kočner and his landlord was Ladislav Bašternák, a businessman sentenced for VAT fraud. (Zuzana Kepplova)

A cunning scheme

One of the most visible trends in politics in recent years is populism. Politicians quite openly declare that their goal is to reach the level of the average voter as opposed to trying to elevate average voter to the level of elites. That works fabulously for populists. Their proposals are also mostly simplistic in nature so there is no doubt any voter can understand them. The next step was using the simplest emotions to achieve the goals of politicians. So far it was mostly based on instigating fear to solidify the voter base but politicians became ambitious and started to appeal to other emotions such as greed.