AN UNEXPECTED IMPACT OF THE DEBATE ABOUT REFUGEES IN SLOVAK REPUBLIC

According to last socio-political events a growing distance between establishment ruling class and democratic basis has become a crucial trend in current Slovakia. Author goes back to 2015 as a triggering moment in the formation of general mistrust towards establishment. The so called “refugee crisis” is understood as a key element in the construction of the complex situation which escalate in 2016 to mass protest and social mobilization. Present paper introduces a quantitative overview on the situation for refugees and foreigners in Slovakia in 2015. The article begins locating the refugees’ debate in the Slovak sociocultural arena. Next, civil society views and main political postures towards refugees are analyzed. The concluding chapter considers demographic and cultural perspective discussing uncertain future trends in relation with current social change.