Main focus of Friday, September 29, 2006

The ailments of Eastern Europe

As the European Union is getting ready to welcome Romania and Bulgaria, several countries of the former Soviet block are going through a period of instability marked by political crisis, an electoral paralysis and certain populist and xenophobic straying. The opinion of the press ranges between worry and reassurance.

The Times - United Kingdom

The daily considers that central european countries "have lost some of the momentum that brought them to EU accession", comments the daily. "Their fringe politics, meanwhile, are poisoning the mainstream. In the past month, a campaign of gratuitous hate-mongering orchestrated by the former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar has forced Slovakia's treatment of its large Hungarian minority on to the international agenda. In Warsaw, the Kaczynskis' coalition partners trade on naked chauvinism. ... Throughout the region, appeals to the interests of "true” Poles, Slovaks and Hungarians mirror the growing anxieties of those not "true” enough. ... The consensus that Central Europe is suffering from "reform fatigue”, though simplistic, helps to explain both Mr Gyurcsany's current difficulty and the region's economic doldrums. ... There is reason for concern but not despair. These were psychologically flawed societies, stifled by communism, and their recovery will be both protracted and painful." (29/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Central Europe

Les Echos - France

"The Visegrad Four are European partners who are more accomodating than their parties would have us believe", remarks Stephane Dupont, journalist for the economics daily. "While the political class tears itself to pieces, business goes on as usual. And it prospers. Most of the new governments of Central Europe were elected on the promise of reducing the social rift, to go back on the liberal politics that have been led these past few years. But words are far from acts. ... Far from fleeing the political maelstrom, large international groups continue to flow into Central Europe ... Whether or not there is political a crisis, the new-comers continue to catch up with the old EU in great strides... Political straying should be taken for what it is: the acute symptoms of a fast-growing crisis, the back-lash of sudden emancipation." (29/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Central Europe
All available articles from » Stéphane Dupont

Przekrój - Poland

In an interview with Wawrzyniec Smoczynski, Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev, director of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, puts forward the hypothesis that the populist parties of Central Europe are a cultural phenomenon rather than a political one. "One of the populists' main problems is that during elections they demand more social justice but once they come to power they don't really know what to do. So they turn into liberals as far as economic policy is concerned, and then try to compensate for this by making moral problems of out economic difficulties… Populists are unable to improve the economic situation of their voters and change the system, so they concentrate on other areas instead. This is where the symbolic policies come from: lustration, history, the battle against corruption, public ethics. One of the main features of populism in Central Europe is the cultural rather than political nature of these parties. They employ the rhetoric of values instead of protecting genuine interests and try to transfer their citizens' social and economic fears to a cultural level." (28/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Central Europe
All available articles from » Ivan Krastev

Magyar Hírlap - Hungary

A government crisis and video scandal in Poland, a dishonesty scandal and civil unrest in Hungary, a xenophobic right and left-wing populist government in Slovakia and a deadlock situation in the Czech Republic. According to the newspaper, the political situation leaves much to be desired in Central Eastern Europe. Just two and a half years after joining the EU, the predominant features of the new member states of Central Eastern Europe are protests, instable governments, nationalism and xenophobia… The citizens of the old member states have long had their doubts about EU enlargement. The current situation in Central Eastern Europe is reinforcing their doubts about the readiness of the new member states and the candidate countries, Romania and Bulgaria, for EU membership. Western European investors fear that the new member states may no longer have the energy to push through further reform." (29/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Central Europe

Sme - Slovakia

In an interview with Miroslav Kern, Jacques Rupnik, head of the Paris-based Foundation for Political Sciences, laments the rise of nationalism in Eastern Europe. "This is an attempt by political groups to exploit nationalism as a mobilising instrument. It's interesting to observe how the Hungarian issue has become the focus of attention since the new government took over in Slovakia. In Poland, nationalist rhetoric is part of the government's daily discourse and is aimed at Germany, Russia and the EU. Historians there are divided about whether Germany or Russia represents the greatest threat… We have yet to see what the new Czech government's attitude will be. However in the past, the main theme of the Social Democratic Party has always been protecting national sovereignty and national interests. Nationalism, albeit in a watered-down form, has always posed a threat in the Czech Republic." (29/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Central Europe
All available articles from » Jacques Rupnik

L'Hebdo - Switzerland

"How far will this fever that has taken over Eastern Europe go?", wonders Jacques Pilet in his weekly chronicle. "Beware of clichés! Analysts chose to see it as ultra-liberal. That was simplistic. So let us not paint it brown too early. Openly far-right parties are powerful there, but are not ready to conquer Power. The danger is more subtle. Xenophobic ideology is winning over reputably reasonable parties. These are practicing a double-language. When their leaders go to Brussels, they swear they feel committed to democracy and European harmony. Back home, they don't hesitate adding fuel to the fire of political passions. We are certainly not facing a generalized arson. ... And we have to admit that, Eastern Europe is not the only place where Zeitgeist means the coming back of 'traditional values'. They are not all bad, but they are often illusory, and sometimes poisonous". (29/09/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Jacques Pilet

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