Environmental Protest in the Czech Republic: Three Stages of Post-Communist Development

Abstract

The role played by environmental activists in the events leading to the collapse of communist rule in Czechoslovakia has been well documented. With the old order swept aside & a liberal democratic constitutional framework rapidly established, it might be assumed that the environmental movement would have progressed painlessly from clandestine opposition to political prominence. However, for the nascent environmental movement, the postcommunist decade has not seen a linear progression toward greater access & political efficacy. Though certain Prague-based organizations are currently enjoying a degree of relative influence within a renewed policy process, the movement was politically isolated & starved of resources throughout the Klaus period, thereby delaying their development. It is only now, more than a decade since the onset of democratic reform that environmental organizations are beginning to resemble their Western counterparts. Even so, the resource issue remains a critical constraint & is tied to more fundamental problems relating to the development of civil society, which directly impact upon the environmental movement at a time when critical decisions are being taken regarding nuclear energy & transport policy.