Czeskie i słowackie elity polityczne — główna przyczyna rozpadu Czechosłowacji

The article attempts to present the role of the Slovak and Czech political elites in the process of disintegration of the Czechoslovak Federation in 1993. The main thesis of the article is that a lack of the common federal opposition elite before 1989 was the main reason why the Czechs and Slovaks went separate ways. Czechoslovakia is a unique example of the state founded on a decision of the political elite in 1918 and it was also by their decision that the “velvet divorce” tookplace. In addition, it is worth underlining that the disintegration of Czechoslovakia came against the opinion of the majority of society. Political winners decided after 1989 that it would be better to become leaders of smaller but independent states than to try to find consensus and work together.