254 POLITOLOGICKÝ ČASOPIS / CZECH JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 3/2015 REVIEWS 255

munist parties. This makes Kunštát’s book Kunštát, Daniel: an interesting, useful contribution to the dis- cussion of party system evolution through- ZA RUDOU OPONOU. KOMUNISTÉ out Central and Eastern Europe. Kunštát is A JEJICH VOLIČI PO ROCE 1989. not the first to focus on the development of KSČM. Other attempts have included Prague: Sociologické nakladatelství the volume Mezi Masovou a Kartelovou (SLON). 2013. 324 pages. Stranou by Martin Polášek, Vilém Novotný and Michel Perottino, the publication Český DOI: 10.5817/PC2015-3-255 a Slovenský Komunismus by an author group from The Institute for the Study of Totalitar- The development of the Czech party system ian Regimes, or the less recent Komunismus and political parties after 1989 has been v České Republice by Petr Fiala, Jan Holzer, described comprehensively by political Miroslav Mareš and Pavel Pšeja. scientists both within the In his introduction, Kunštát notes that and abroad. But the opportunities for new he presents but one possible treatment of research have not been exhausted. Exist- the topic. He is aware that his is only one ing publications provide a basis for tak- interpretation among others of the past and ing a closer look at particular aspects of present of the Czech Communist Party, and the Czech party system. Topics of interest that some readers may disagree with the par- might include a comprehensive overview ticular interpretation of Czech history he has of the evolution of the party system within chosen. The author’s personal position on the a particular timeframe, and a more detailed topic is reflected mainly in the first half of exploration of the development of particular the book, where he discusses the history of political parties. It is this second topic that Czech communism. forms the basis of Daniel Kunštát’s book Although the book is divided into nine entitled Behind the Red Curtain (Za Rudou chapters, it centers around two core ele- Oponou), subtitled The Communists and ments, the first a historical analysis of com- Their Voters after 1989 (Komunisté a jejich munism within the present-day boundaries Voliči po Roce 1989). of the Czech Republic, and the second, an As the subtitle of the book indicates, analysis of data from a sociological survey Daniel Kunštát, a political scientist from the conducted among Communist Party voters Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy after the 2010 Czech parliamentary elections. of Sciences and CEVRO Institute, deals with Although the historiographical chapters are the development of the Communist Party interesting and needed, it is the analysis of of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) and the sociological data that makes the book more characteristics of the electorate of that po- than just another interpretation of the history litical party. However, the topic is interesting of Czech communism. In the few introduc- not just from the standpoint of the develop- tory chapters, Kunštát is concerned more ment of the Czech party system, in which with the history of the party. The second sec- the Communists play an important role. It tion of the book, by contrast, focuses on an offers a comparative view on the develop- analysis of the electorate. That Kunštát did ment of communist parties in Central Europe not strictly divide the book into historical after 1989 that reveals how interesting and and sociological sections, but rather tried to specific the development of KSČM was naturally connect both approaches whenever compared to the Polish or Hungarian com- possible, is a positive. 256 POLITOLOGICKÝ ČASOPIS / CZECH JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 3/2015 REVIEWS 257

In the first two chapters, the author focus- transition to democracy than did members of es on the long-term history of the Communist the communist parties in Poland or Hungary. Party, from its establishment in 1921 until In the second part of the chapter, the author the 1980s. The factual history of the party is explores these events from a theoretical point analyzed, and important historical events are of view, this time using theories of the transi- placed within their broader context, whether tion to democracy. Many different theories that be national, regional or global. These and classifications of democratic transitions chapters may seem superfluous to readers giv- are presented to readers, probably not all of en that the book’s focus is on KSČM’s devel- which deserve mention. The author returns opment after 1989, but the author uses them to to the topic of the Velvet Revolution in build the essential historical basis for further Chapter 5, where he analyzes how the events explication. By contrast, placing a subchapter of November 1989 are evaluated by current that compares party system positions in the voters and members of the Communist Party. Communist Party during the First Republic It is no surprise that their assessment of the with those in the current Communist Party Velvet Revolution and the changes that took straightaway in the first chapter seems illogi- place in the period after 1989 are at variance cal. This discussion should be based around from the rest of the Czech population, but a comparison generated by analyzing the two the data reveals much interesting additional cases and would definitely fit better in the information. final chapters, particularly Chapter 8, which Research into Communist Party vot- presents an analysis of the current Commu- ers is first employed in the fourth chapter, nist Party, the main subject of the research. which follows the previous historically- The second chapter is theoretical and oriented chapters with an examination of examines the pre-November Communist how communist voters perceive the history regime in . The author first of Czechoslovak communism. The findings explains the concepts of totalitarianism and are interesting. They will certainly surprise of authoritarian regimes, while pursuing many readers. Worth mentioning, for exam- the well-established theories of Giovanni ple, is that voters and members of the Com- Sartori, Juan Linz and others. Subsequently, munist Party evaluate the period of the First the theory is applied to the Czechoslovak Republic positively, including the leaders communist regime. The author concludes during this period, T. G. Masaryk and Edvard that the regime varied at different stages of Beneš. The data from the research may be its internal development, moving from totali- used to understand the current form taken by tarianism in the 1950s to a specific variant of KSČM and what motivates Communist Party a post-totalitarian regime in the later stages members and voters to support the party. of development. The chapter concludes by The following chapter centers on the transitioning readers to the subsequent topic development of the Communist party after to be analyzed, the events of 1989. 1989. The author first discusses the internal The third chapter is devoted to the Vel- development of the party from the time of its vet Revolution. It begins by examining the search for its own identity during the first events that led to the fall of the communist half of the 1990s to the present period, when regime in Czechoslovakia. The author is cor- the Communists are an integral part of a sta- rect in identifying them as key in establishing ble party system in the Czech Republic. The the current form of the Communist party in second section of the chapter then focuses the Czech Republic. He maintains that Czech on current KSČM voters, in particular their Communists played a different role in the political views. The author is especially con- 256 POLITOLOGICKÝ ČASOPIS / CZECH JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 3/2015 REVIEWS 257

cerned with the distribution of voters along Sources: the left – right continuum. This is followed by a chapter in which Kunštát explores the Polášek, Martin and Novotný, Vilém and Perot- geographical distribution of electoral support tino, Michel. 2012. Mezi masovou a kartelovou for the party, the stability of the electoral be- stranou: možnosti teorie při výkladu vývoje havior of its voters, their party identification, ČSSD a KSČM v letech 2000–2010. Prague: and the average age of the party’s electorate. Sociologické nakladatelství (SLON). A frequently discussed topic, the extinction Kalous, Jan and Kocian, Jiří and Adamec, Jan. 2012. Český a slovenský komunismus (1921–2011). of Communist Party members and voters, Prague: Ústav pro studium totalitních režimů. is analyzed. The author also challenges the Fiala, Petr and Holzer, Jan and Mareš, Miroslav frequent thesis that the current Communist and Pšeja, Pavel. 1999. Komunismus v České Party electorate is based almost solely on republice: vývojové, systémové a ideové as- former Communist party members from the pekty působení KSČM a dalších komunistick- period before 1989. ých organizací v české politice. : Masa- In the penultimate chapter, Kunštát sum- rykova univerzita. marizes his findings from the previous chap- Jan Hejtmánek ters of the book. The chapter is devoted to Faculty of Social Studies, a comprehensive analysis of the current form , Brno taken by KSČM, with a particular focus on whether the Communists may be described as an anti-system party. Although a clear an- swer to this question is not given in the book, the author, based on evaluation criteria, rath- er inclines to the view that the Communist Holubec, Stanislav: Party is an anti-system and anti-democratic party. In the final chapter of the book, data JEŠTĚ NEJSME ZA VODOU: on the social and economic background of OBRAZY DRUHÝCH Communist voters is presented. Kunštát fo- A HISTORICKÁ PAMĚŤ V OBDOBÍ cuses on the educational level of voters, their POSTKOMUNISTICKÉ economic activity, class, income, etc. Inter- TRANSFORMACE. pretation of the data provides no significant Praha: Skriptorium. 2015. 312 pages. or surprising findings, but it does confirm an established notion about the composition of the KSČM electorate. DOI: 10.5817/PC2015-3-257 Daniel Kunštát´s publication brings much When revolutionary change comes to a po- interesting information and especially data litical regime, each society must ask itself with which readers interested in the problem- questions about its own identity. Establish- atics of the development of Czech commu- ing a new order requires finding sources of nism are not yet familiar. Although the author legitimacy, as well as sources that challenge presents no significant surprising or novel the legitimacy of the previous regime. An findings, the publication is highly interesting inevitable part of this process is the transfor- and beneficial as a comprehensive analysis mation of historical memory and the image of contemporary Czech Communism, in par- of the national community’s place in the ticular, KSČM and its electorate. We would world, including perceptions of neighbor- certainly recommend the publication for all ing states and national or ethnic communi- readers with an interest in the topic. ties. Visions of the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ society