ABSTRACT
The prospects for social democracy are bleak everywhere in eastern Europe except for the Czech Republic. It was also the only country in which a solid social democratic movement existed, developing a strong hold on the Czech working class and acquiring a following also in Slovakia. The quarrelsome relations between the Czech and Slovak social democrats are not untypical for social democracy in central and eastern Europe. The historic social-democratic parties, dating from pre communist times, are often divided. In no country has one single solid social democratic party been established. Social democracy is riven with internal rivalries, feuds and disputes between personalities. Although one can conclude that the split within Civic Forum did not result in the creation of a solid social democratic movement, Czech social democracy did profit by the split. To conclude the prospects for Czech social democracy after the second free elections in June 1992 were less bleak than two years before.
