Civil society during the crisis of the «normalization» regime and the genesis of Czechoslovakia’s Euro-Atlantic course

The article is devoted to the history of Czechoslovak civil society and its important component – dissidents. The process of the independent initiatives and structures wide spectrum creation, which were in opposition to the regime of “normalization” is considered, as well as their influence on the process of democratic transit and determination of the integration course. Typology and program’s directions of this structure and the causes of polyvariance and controversiality in points of view are analyzed. The article draws special attention to the replacement of the paradigm of opposition work – the transition from political activity to the conception of «antipolitical policy». The level of the main components of the democratic movement influence, «Charter-77» on the social and political process during the researched period is determined. One of its consequences was the emergence of protostructures of the «parallel society». In Czechoslovakia the «parallel society» operated under the strong influence of state structures. It was forced to distance itself from political issues. Nevertheless, the structures of the «parallel society» and its «nonpolitical policy» turned out to provide a significant system of ideas and organizational initiatives. It was capable of transforming the society, which was stagnant in the final years of the policy of «normalization». It also promoted the future emergence of democratic structures. On the basis of the political and legal experience in Czechoslovakia is proved the interdependence of civil society and democratic processes activity. The author emphasizes that the transition into a full European Union and NATO members was the result of a long, difficult and controversial process of «European Come Back». This process started after the Velvet Revolution victory and allowed the leadership of the countries with the support of the «third sector» to manage a number of problems in the social-political and military-technical spheres. The participation principles of civil society and its organizations in public life, in the decision-making process at the state level, and reasons for the decline of activism in the political culture of the population are considered.