A Cross‐National Comparison of Nationalism in Austria, the Czech and Slovac Republics, Hungary, and Poland

Abstract

The transition to democracy in Eastern Europe after the breakdown of communist regimes was challenged by ethnic and national tensions. Nationalist sentiments and traditional patterns of ethnic intolerance were almost immediately revitalized. The analysis presented here concerns nationalist orientation in several of these countries in the context of ideology and social origin, which form links among nationalist identification, ethnic intolerance, democratic and economic orientation, and social class position. In 1996, representative national surveys were carried out in Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics, and Poland. The study was then extended to Austria, where, like in other Western democracies, nationalistic, xenophobic, and rightist-radical attitudes have emerged. Analyses of the attitude structures (structural equation models) showed that different types of nationalism have developed. In post-communist countries-with the exception of the Czech Republic-anticapitalist feelings are strongly correlated with nationalism and ethnic intolerance. Such attitudes are held by the lower classes, yet this form of antiliberalism is not directed against democracy. In Austria, a classical "underclass authoritarianism" exists but remains independent of economic ideology. This is typical of the "new right" in Europe: a "modernized" brand of fascism in which neoliberal ideology, instead of anticapitalist resentments, is combined with traditional value patterns.

National Identity and the Interplay between National Pride and Ethnic Exclusionism: The Exceptional Case of the Czech Republic

“…Comparative studies dealing with national identity or ethnic exclusionism that seek to test the universality of the concepts usually refer to the Czech Republic as an exceptional case (Jones & Smith, 2001) and mostly exclude it from cross-sectional analysis (Medina et al, 2009), as the Czech Republic usually does not fit hypothesized structures of latent concepts or their hypothesized relationships (Jones & Smith, 2001;Weiss, 2003;Medina et al, 2009). Jones & Smith (2001, p. 54), in their much cited article about aspects of national identity, in fact conclude that their hypothesized model of national identity holds for most countries except the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, the Philippines and Bulgaria, concluding that 'these factor patterns are repeated, with local variations, across most countries in the ISSP'.…”

Crossing the Frontier

“…For a theoretical discussion of the different types of nationalism, see above all, Brubaker (2000). For different ways of measuring nationalistic attitudes see, for example, Bücker (2007); Hjerm (2003); Sktika (2005); Weiss (2003). 12.…”

Volatile Counter-Cosmopolitans: Explaining the Electoral Performance of Radical Right Parties in Poland and Eastern Germany

“…Based on broad surveys and structural deviation modeling, Hilde Weiss provides indicators for the relevance of the latter in Poland (although she does not use or operationalize the concept of counter-cosmopolitanism). 48 A vast majority (78 percent) display culturally exclusive nationalism and the rejection of liberal-cosmopolitan values. In addition, 31 percent of Polish citizens agree that "one should only help other countries if it is advantageous to one's own country's national interest."…”