Peasant States (Twilight of a New Era)

The Peasant States of the Balkans and Austria-Hungary’s East Galicia, can be characterized as the product of large scale peasant mobilization in the domains of the political and social structures. For some authors it represents the culmination of nation-state building in the Balkans.

The Peasant States can be descriptive as the expression of agrarian corporatism. That is to say that the interest of the rural zones and peasants are expressed and organized in the State Institutions and have a key role in the economical and social decision making. This agrarian corporatism is usually constitutionally formalized by the creation of a para-legislative body. This decision making body more powerful than the economic councils that follow the French model and its resolutions and mandates are obligatory.

A major difference with fascist corporatism is that elements of the liberal state such as elections, basic liberties and freedoms and separation of State powers are keep. There no subordinating role of the society by the State. Civil organizations usually pursue their interests and there is no official ideology that states that divergent interests are and must be coordinated and harmonized in the unity of the State. This is because peasant mobilization is necessary for the system to keep running and legitimize the rule and corporatism of the agrarian parties. This is made usually playing the distinction of working groups versus parasites (non productive groups). Is not unusual that a so called ‘’agrarian people’s revolution’’ is celebrates at a given date.

Although political plurality is maintain, legally and electorally, peasant states have a dominant-party system. The main party favored by the electoral system and votes is the agrarian/peasant in each Balkan country. There is a tendency toward political authoritarianism.

Bulgaria has gone farther in its political systems being fully been reorganized according to the estatists theory. Parties represent estatists interests therefore the BANU is the representative of the peasants, the Workers’ Party of Bulgaria urban workers, etc. Parties not following this scheme do exist but do not benefit from advantages given by electoral contingencies and laws that openly and legally favors estatist organizations.