Paper short abstract:

The paper presents a case study of contentious management of the Tatra National Park in Slovakia, in the 2000s. It focuses on the dynamics of disputes that have accompanied the work on a new management plan. It analyses the relationship between the « natural » and « social » order as constructed by different stakeholders.

Paper long abstract:

The paper presents a case study of contentious management of the Tatra National Park in Slovakia, in the 2000s. The national park has undergone a series of substantial changes since 1989 which resulted in the multiplication of actors and stakeholders involved at various levels of governance. This process has been paralleled by accumulation of legislative and administrative rules which, being often contradictory, hugely contributed to the increase of conflicting positions between these actors. Considering these changes, the paper focuses on the dynamics of disputes that have accompanied the work on a new management plan for the park. Reflecting the diverse settings and forms of public debate, I analyse the relationship between the "natural" and "social" order, focusing mainly on the project of participative planning, reasons of its failure, and on the subsequent disputes and protest events. The paper highlights the role of natural events and actors that have influenced the evolution of the disputes and changed configurations of human actors. Special attention is given to the strategy of environmental NGOs. The paper demonstrates how their mobilization of scientific expertise and selective use of the European regulations constructs the "natural order" as separated from the social issues. It is argued that this strategy has had important consequences. First of all, the environmental NGOs have failed to mobilize local communities and to build a broader coalition that would support the idea of the park as a common public space.