Publication

This article explores the relation between the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic twenty years after the Velvet Revolution. Two decades on, there appear to be few differences between the two republics. Both countries have ended up in much the same place. The post-communist challenges of democratization, 'marketisation', state-building and integration into the EU and NATO, have largely been met. Nevertheless, all is not rosy and harmonious in Central Europe. Corruption still pervades too much political and business life in both the Czech and Slovak Republics, boosting disillusionment among voters and providing ample ammunition for new political parties promising to eliminate shady behavior.