Authors

Cordelia Vesely¹;  ¹ UCL, UK

Discussion

A rise in the political ideology of femonationalism in Czechia would mirror the patterns of political rhetoric that have played out in other countries across Europe this millenium. Polls show that right-wing populism in Czechia is growing, along with antifeminism, nationalism and xenophobia, just like in other neighbouring European countries. This includes parties and politicians supporting more traditional family roles for women, anti-immigrant sentiments and the weaponisation of violence against women and girls. Looking at the examples of France, the Netherlands and the UK in Western Europe - who all experienced earlier transcontinental demographic shifts - and Czechia’s neighbours in Central Europe - Austria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - alongside the upcoming 2025 election results, we can predict what some of the socio-political narrative outcomes in Czechia may look like after this election and in the coming years. While recognising the longstanding differences between the developments of and backlashes against feminist discourse in Western versus Central and Eastern Europe, we can still draw parallels to the immediate evolving political landscapes in Czechia and their implications on gender, politics and migration. However, the unique history of the feminist movement in Czechia, impacted by Czech cultural heritage and decades under Russian occupation, mean that the rise of femonatoinalism may diverge from the trajectories it has followed in other European countries. The theory of femonationalism, coined by Sara Farris in response to Susan Moller critiques of multiculturalism in 1999, allows us to understand these political motivations. Analysing current attitudes towards feminism and the broader political climate in Czechia through the lens of femonationalism will allow for these nuances to be explored and discussed. Very little literature has been published on the concept of femonationalism in Czechia or its socio-political impacts on the country so far, although there is some that focusses on the wider Slovak or Central and Eastern European communities. For this paper, a systematic literature review will be conducted to assess the gender and culture ideologies being used by politicians and their impacts, perceived and expected, on the socio-cultural dynamics of communities in Czechia. This research will address the likelihood of a rise in Czech femonationalist ideologies in line with the growth of far-right populism and would add to the academic field of political sociology by providing evidence-based research on the discourses around gender and feminism in modern Czech politics. As with all political science, the research will also be inherently interdisciplinary as it draws on the fields of politics, sociology, history and media studies.