Resume
The “Third Position” as a Specific Aspect of the Social and Political Spectrum in Some Central and Eastern European Countries
plk. Mgr. Kristýna Holubová, Ph.D., Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, Faculty of Security Management, Department of Crisis Management, Police Education and Training Department
Mgr. Lenka Jakubcová, Ph.D., Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, Faculty of Security Management, Department of Crisis Management
Mgr. Petr Klíma, MPA, Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Crime Prevention Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic
doc. Mgr. Oldřich Krulík, Ph.D., Czech Police, Criminal Police and Investigation Service Office, Central Analytics Department
Abstract
The article examines the ideological phenomenon of the so-called third position, which represents an eclectic synthesis of far-right, left-wing, and otherwise divergent narratives (nationalism, anti-Semitism, anti-capitalism, environmentalism, spiritual conservatism, etc.). The authors perceive the third position as a subculture operating on the periphery of the political spectrum that seeks to redefine extremism beyond the traditional right-left dichotomy. The paper maps the manifestations of this phenomenon in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia) and in the post-Soviet space (Ukraine, Russian Federation), where it is ideologically interpreted within the framework of broader hybrid strategies. From a security perspective, the third position may be regarded as a potential vehicle for destabilising narratives that can be used to weaken trust in state institutions, deepen polarisation of the society and undermine democratic values. The activities of at least some of the actors involved include dissemination of disinformation narratives employed to manipulatively frame social conflicts. The authors connect the political science and security framework of the analysis through selected theoretical concepts, while drawing attention to the need for systematic monitoring of this phenomenon as a possible vector of foreign influence.
Keywords: third position, ideological background, extremism, Central and Eastern Europe.