Czech politician David Rath (in the middle) guided by the prison service to court, Prague, Czech republic, August 14, 2013. Rath is accused of corruption.

Criminal networks have infiltrated the Czech justice system.
Czech Security Information Services BIS, 2007

Abstract: This work focuses on informal politics for the political elite level in the Czech Republic and proposes an actor-based view. It considers the relationship between formal and informal structures and the functions of informality. I analyse areas highly affected by informality: the justice system and anti-corruption agencies as well as state ministries and state monopolies distributing large amounts of money, and identify patterns of informality. Additionally, the work shows the effect of informality for the European level. The work concludes with a rather pessimistic view on the effects of informal politics in a democratic country.

Keywords: Informality, Political Elite, Justice System, (anti-)Corruption, the Czech Republic