Death of the Dinosaurs? Organisational Resilience and the Survival of Older Mainstream Parties in Czechia

Seán Hanley and Lubomír Kopeček

Europe-Asia Studies, 2025, vol. 77, issue 3, 415-438

Abstract: This article examines how organisational strength, leadership change and strategy enable traditional parties in postcommunist Central Europe to survive political and electoral crisis and new party challengers and unexpectedly re-emerge as nationally competitive actors. Case studies of two Czech parties, the Civic Democratic Party (Občanská demokratická strana—ODS) and the People’s Party (Křesťanská a demokratická unie–Československá strana lidová—KDU-ČSL), suggest that partial recovery can be achieved by a ‘crisis leader’ who manages risks through strategies of limited reform, focused on mobilising core members and voters in local politics and other second-order venues. The final part discusses how the two parties’ participation in the anti-populist SPOLU alliance superseded their earlier anti-crisis strategies.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09668136.2025.2455163

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