Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism, America.gov, as part of its feature “The Evolving Work of Democracy,” is asking academics and journalists from the United States and elsewhere to comment on the challenges to democracy that still lay ahead for countries of the former Eastern Bloc. What follows are their responses – and yours are welcomed as well.

What is the greatest challenge to democracy in Slovakia?

Democracy is alive and well in Slovakia as witnessed by the elections of the last 20 years. The defeated parties turned over power to the victors without any threats or use of violence. Parliamentary debates, while quite raucous (as in Canada), have not degenerated into any violence. Voting has been fair and orderly. My only concern is with the judiciary. It is not as independent as it should be. Judges are under pressure to conform to the current government’s wishes. Many of the judges were appointed during the communist era, and do not really understand the concept of an independent judiciary. It will be many years before a new generation of judges, free from the taint of Communism, will replace the “old guard.” On the other hand, we should not forget that, even in the United States and Canada, the appointment of judges is often controversial. Generally speaking, the Republicans in the USA want conservative judges to be appointed to the Supreme Court and the Democrats liberal judges. The same is true in Canada — the Conservatives want judges reflecting their political philosophy and the Liberals theirs. So, the Slovak parties are not so different from ours. But, as mentioned earlier, it will be some time before a new generation of judges replaces those appointed during the communist era. The new judges will better appreciate their role as independent mediators between politicians and society at large.

Learn more about Professor M. Mark Stolarik.