Like other countries in East Central Europe, the Slovak Republic is facing new challenges which were not on the horizon at the time the communist system collapsed and there are worries that this country, with the pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico now at the helm, might be at risk of democratic backsliding. One of the key factors determining whether Slovakia will weather its current political difficulties or slide away from democracy is the strength of civic values such as tolerance, respect for the equality of people, and readiness to play by the rules of the political game.

This book looks at the record of the Slovak Republic in the years since 1993, taking into consideration politics, values as reflected in public opinion surveys, gender inequality, and the values communicated in literature, religion, and film. In addition, the volume takes a look at ethnic minorities, focusing especially on Slovakia's Hungarian minority.