Klaus Brill on the new political class in Eastern Europe

The recent elections in Slovakia as well as those in Hungary and the Czech Republic have strengthened the conservative parties. Apparently the citizens of the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Euope are rethinking their previous attitudes, writes Klaus Brill in the left-liberal Süddeutsche Zeitung: "They mistrust politicians who promise them social benefits. The majority of those who do go to the polls are not in favour of leaving everything as it is. That is not to be underestimated, because most people may well suffer considerably under the expected budget cuts. What does a pensioner who has to get by on 175 euros per month, like in Romania, have to lose? ... The widespread corruption has not been reduced, which has to do among other things with the low salaries of the public sector. ... But that could soon change. For recently we have been seeing that a new generation is getting ready to replace the political class of the transitional era. ... Changes must first of all take place in people's minds before they can take root in politics, the administration and business. Nevertheless new mentalities and new ways of thinking now have a firm foothold in the region."

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