Uldis Šmits on the problematic term "Eastern Europe"

According to the British The Economist, the term "Eastern Europe" does not correspond to today's reality. Uldis Šmits agrees in the daily Latvijas Avīz: "The socialist Eastern Europe which was separated from the free world by the Iron Curtain no longer exists. And even as a general term for the so-called new EU member states 'Eastern Europe' is basically a remnant of the past. The expression has been used for various purposes, including to split the EU from the outside. But within the EU people are beginning to see that despite similarities in their recent history in the form of enforced totalitarian systems, the states of the former Eastern Europe differ considerably and can't be lumped together. ... Slovenia and the Czech Republic have already surpassed several 'old' EU members as far as living standards go, and there is less corruption in Estonia than in Italy for example. And while Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico may be considered irresponsible, his country nevertheless met the Maastricht criteria and entered the Eurozone under his leadership."

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