The Establishment of NGOs as One Growing Part of Developing Interest Groups in the Czech Republic

The aim of this article introduces the establishment of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Czech Republic. They belong to interest groups, are interested in generally beneficial issues, are not directly part of the structure of government and act independently of it. The West European countries have begun to recognize the positive role and impact of NGOs over the course of the 90s. The result has been a shift from the concept of „government“ to the concept of „governance“. The tool for governance is a civic dialogue, which develops participative democracy, i.e. the possibility to express and participate in the decision-making process during the election period. Economists describe the civil sector as the environment responsible for expanding the wealth of a society. Non-governmental non-profit organizations add a new perspective and guide the reactions of both local needs and problems as well as issues of a global character at the turn of the 21st century. A rigid centralized system in the post communist countries has been largely replaced by a bureaucracy lacking both experience and finances to create a truly democratic alternative. The main problems of these countries is a deficit of rules of communication with the interest groups (NGOs included), limited power (capacity) of state institutions and no clear lines between state activities and civil society. although almost 20 years have passed since the fall of the totalitarian state in the Czech Republic, the rebirth of civil society has been and continues to be, a painful and long-term process. Non-profit organizations have been declared by public administration as partners and colleagues, but in practice this is still not an equal relationship. What is missing here is a clear vision supported by social consensus regarding the role of the state in Czech society, or what function the state should perform.