Construction of 'no alternative' discourse and its 'alternatives' after the outbreak of the crisis: The case of the Czech Republic
Abstract
Our paper aims to show various forms of depoliticization that we identified in relation to the crisis in the Czech Republic. Our interpretive analysis focuses on construction of the 'crisis' which, as we assume, determines the choice of anti-crisis measures and political practices used to enact them.
In addition, we study actors - adherents and opponents of the 'no alternative' discourse - and the language they speak. Since its outbreak, Czech governments have used the crisis discursively and applied a range of discursive practices and simplified narratives such as trivialization ("Don't panic! There will be no depression in the Czech Republic.") or urgent 'no alternative' narrative ("Otherwise, we will end up in Athens!").
The paper shows that right wing governments deliberately framed the depoliticizing 'no alternative' discourse in a way that it corresponds with their fixed political agenda. Consequently, they intended to push their political programme under the guise of an anti-crisis remedy and delegitimize all other alternatives which denied the anti-crisis austerity measures and 'no alternative' discourse promoting them.
In the Czech Republic, the crisis resulted in an aversion towards traditional political parties and politics per se, and thus led to a rise of one of the richest Czech entrepreneurs and his populist 'non-political' movement with a vague programme based on managerial and business-like steering of the state.