Bronislav Geremek on the crisis in Eastern Europe

According to former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, the four countries that comprise the Visegrad group – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – are all experiencing a political crisis. In an interview with Martin Ehl he comments: "Europe is looking to the east with great concern. Our countries are losing the respect they won in their battle for freedom. I hope this is just a temporary crisis. After all, it's not an economic crisis but a political one caused by weak political culture." Geremek says the current situation should not be interpreted as the product of disappointment with the results of EU membership: "Our accession was a success for us and for the EU. But there is the feeling that Europeans don't understand us. We see how they reinforce the borders between us… Critics say we have a weakness for Slavic anarchy. I hope this attitude won't last long."

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