Puzzling & Dangerous U.S. Foreign Policy Comes to an End
William Pfaff

President Barack Obama's cancellation of his predecessor's missile-defense scheme for Poland and the Czech Republic presumably brings to a close one of the least explicable and most dangerous American policy initiatives since the cold war officially ended.

Asseco debuts on Warsaw Stock Exchange
Polands largest software company Asseco Poland announced on 11 November that Asseco South Eastern Europe Asseco SEE or Company a group of leading IT providers has made its debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange on 28 October. Through a public offering dedicated to qualified investors the Company raised almost 30...

Agoras revenues fall 13% to 819 million Polish zloty in Q3 2009
Polands leading media group Agora reported that during the third quarter of 2009 its revenues amounted to 819 million Polish zloty down 13% as compared to the same period of 2008. Advertising sales reached 533.8 million zloty down 21.3% revenues from copy sales 145.2 million zloty down 4.3% and Special...

Natura 2000 EU Ecological list finalised
Poland has completed its list of the areas designated as the sites within the Natura 2000 European Ecological Network. On 29 October the Polish Council of Ministers approved the list of new Natura 2000 sites thus completing designation of the natural areas as a legal form of nature conservation. The...

Unemployment falls 5.7% quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2009
The number of the unemployed registered in the labour offices at the end of June 2009 amounted to 1.65 million people among which 868 500 were women it was lower than the one observed at the end of the previous quarter by 100 200 people i.e. by 5.7% while compared...

B8 Field license extended for another 15 years
Petrobaltic S.A. a 99.32% subsidiary of the Polish oil corporation Grupa LOTOS S.A. had received a decision of the Minister of the Environment concerning amendments to the license for extraction of crude oil and the associated natural gas from the B8 field situated within the Polish exclusive economic zone of...

18 largest turbines start generating electricity
German energy operator RWE has completed the final stage of Suwalki Wind Farm investment. After the installation of towers nacelles blades rotors and generators the time has come to put the turbines on-stream. Commissioning of the wind turbines will increase Polands wind energy generation by around 10% in comparison to...

Impel sales 506.138 mln zloty in H1
The Impel Group Polands biggest group of companies providing services for businesses generated sales revenues of 506.138 million Polish zloty and a net profit of 15.517 million zloty in the first half of 2009. Both figures are higher than the results of the previous six months with the net profit...

US Vice President to Poles: No decisions without you
The US will strike no deals with Russia at the expense of Central Europe US Vice President Joe Biden told a Polish daily as he began a visit to discuss a new missile defence shield and to mend ailing relations after original plans for the system were scrapped Deutsche Presse...

LSE pulls out of WSE race
London Stock Exchange Group Plc LSE a UK-based provider of services to enable investors to access capital markets is pulled out of the bidding to acquire Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE a Poland-based operator of securities exchange from The Government of Poland Trading Market reported on 19 October. LSE is planning...

New US missile defence proposal for Poland
THE United States has presented a proposal to Poland relating to its participation in the new US defence system Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said Tuesday. Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Komorowski met with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on 6 October to brief him on the recent talks in Washington...

Ministry of Treasury and Eureko sign settlement agreement
THE State Treasury Ministry of Poland and the executive board of Dutch insurance company Eureko B.V. Concluded an agreement on 2 October to establish the rules for amicably ending the arbitration dispute between Poland and Eureko B.V. and Eurekos gradual divestment from its participation in PZU SAs share capital. The...

Derivative instruments trading highest in second quarter
AFTER three quarters of 2009 the volume of trading in derivative instruments reached 10 497 211 instruments equal to ca. 83% of the volume reported in 2008. The volume of trading was 1.38 million instruments in September which means that September was the second best month of trading in derivative...

Balin Energy receives offshore exploration concession in Latvia
BALIN Energy a joint venture between Polish crude oil refining company PKN ORLEN and Kuwait Energy has received the crude oil exploration and production concession in the Latvian off-shore economy zone of the Baltic Sea. Together with the concession which was won in 2008 Balin Energy operates in the area...

Board agrees to create new business segment
TO MEET the growing demand for electricity in the comingyears in Poland the Supervisory Board of Polish Oil and Gas Company PGNiG on 28 September gave a positive opinion of the Company Management Boards request to the General Meeting of Shareholders concerning the creation of the company PGNiG Energia SA....

Polish-Lithuanian Agricultural Forum held in Sejny
POLISH Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki and Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture Kazys Starkevi?ius attended an Agricultural Forum held in Sejny on 24 September which was devoted to the position of agricultural holdings after Polands accession to the EU. The ministers discussed some aspects of co-operation in the...

Average employment down 0.1%
THE number of people employed on 30 June 2009 amounted to 8.225 million people and was 1.3% lower than 2008. The share of the employed in the private sector amounted to 60.5% according to the Poland Central Statistical Office in its quarterly report Employment wages and salaries in national economy...

Parliament approves chemical castration for paedophiles
Polands parliament tightened punishments for paedophiles on by approving a law that allows for their chemical castration reported Deutsch Septembere Presse Agentur dpa from Warsaw 25 September. The law will make the procedure - which takes away sexual drive - mandatory for pedophiles convicted of raping a close family member...

Poland seeks NATO discussion on Afghanistan
Poland wants a NATO discussion on the future of its mission in Afghanistan to ensure that the Polish presence there makes sense Vice Premier Grzegorz Schetyna told Radio Trojka on 24 September amid growing concerns in Europe about the mission. Schetyna said: We want to be sure that the presence...

Colliers in agreement to advise Raiffeisen Bank in reallocation process
Colliers International a leading global real estate services company has signed a contract with Raiffeisen Bank Polska. Colliers will become the exclusive agent in advising the bank in the reallocation process. Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. offers banking products and services for small and medium enterprises and corporate clients in Poland...

PZU Eureko dispute to be resolved perhaps
A long-running dispute between the Polish government and Dutch firm Eureko over insurance giant PZU is to be resolved with funds from the Polish firm which is already preparing for this transaction the expected diminishing effect it will have on the forex market Warsaw Business Journal reported citing Rzeczpospolita; Parkiet....

Visegrad Group discusses economic crisis energy cooperation
During the Meeting of the Visegrad Group held in Sopot Poland on September 11 and 12 the Presidents of Poland Hungary the Czech Republic and Slovakia discussed cooperation within the European Union. The Presidents also paid homage to the Polish soldiers from Westerplatte and they laid flowers at the Monument...

Warsaw railway station remodeling
Skanska the Stockholm-based worlds leading project development and construction groups has secured an assignment to remodel Gdansk railway Station in Warsaw Poland. The contract amounts to 129 million zlotys or about 320 million Swedish Krona which will be included in third-quarter order bookings. The customer is the Polish Rail Administration...

Poland Ukraine strengthen ties
PolishUkrainian cooperation European aspirations of Ukraine policies related to history and questions of energy safety are the main subjects discussed by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko the government press reported on September 7. The head of the Polish government found the PolishUkrainian...

Impel generates net profit of 15.517 million zloty
The Impel Group one of Polands biggest group of companies providing services for businesses according to the company generated sales revenues of 506.138 million Polish zloty and a net profit of 15.517 million zloty in the first half of 2009. Both figures are higher than the results of the previous...

Poland Russia Germany join to mark World War IIs start
Leaders of Poland Russia and Germany showed unity on September 1 in condemning the horrors of World War II during ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the start of historys bloodiest conflict Deutsche Pressse Agentur dpa reported from Westerplatte on September 1. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor...

Polands Euro adoption hinges on stable zloty
The planning of Polands entry into the Euro zone will become realistic after its currency zlotys exchange rate gets stable Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on August 25. If we are close to 100 percent certain that the exchange rate situation is stable and when we take care of...

Putin on official visit to Poland
The Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin will arrive in Poland on September 1 following an invitation of the Polish PM Donald Tusk. While the visit lasts both parties will hold talks focused on a wide variety of bilateral issues. PM Putin will take part in international commemorations of the...

WSE strengthens lead in Central and Eastern Europe
The first seven months of 2009 have seen the Warsaw Stock Exchange emerge as the leader in the Central and Eastern European region by trading in stocks and by capitalisation. The capitalisation of companies listed on the WSE is around 20 percent higher than that of the Wiener Boerse while...

Tusk reallocates maximum resources for troops in Afghanistan
To celebrate the Polish Army Day the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited troops from the Polish contingent in the Ghazni province in Afghanistan. Addressing soldiers Tusk informed the troops that maximum resources will be reallocated to deploy everything essential for the Polish contingent in Afghanistan as soon as possible....

Colliers boosts retail market with Harvey Spack Field
Colliers International a leading global real estate services company has completed the acquisition of the Polish operation of Harvey Spack Field the leading UK retail warehousing firm which will provide a platform for ongoing relationships between both firms with Colliers benefiting from the retailer relationships of Harvey Spack Field. With...

Tusk Tymoshenko discuss Euro 2012 football championship
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko on July 10 to discuss joint preparations to host the Euro 2012 football championship. In April 2007 the European football association UEFA named the two countries co-hosts of the high profile tournament. Since then Warsaw and Kiev both...

Women 50% of total headcount at Warsaw Stock Exchange
According to CBOS polling centres report on women in the last 20 years women account for 50 percent of the total headcount on the Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE ; two out of four members sitting on the WSE Management Board are women. 48 percent of the management directors heads of...

Moodys downgrades PKO Bank Polski from C to C-
Moodys Investors Service Ltd. Moodys has downgraded the PKO Bank Polski one of the largest and oldest Polish banks from C to C- with a negative outlook the Management Board of Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski Spólka Akcyjna PKO Bank Polski announced on June 19. The main reasons for this include...

Bank of Portugal claims innocent over lack of regulation
Vitor Constancio the controversial governor of the Bank of Portugal recently confirmed that he would not stand down from his post. The announcement came against the demands by opposition Members of Parliament MPs . He also denied any responsibility in the shambles surrounding the nationalisation of BPN bank and said...

Deutsche Bahn acquisition of logistics ops approved
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the Polish logistics operations of PCC SE of Germany by German rail company Deutsche Bahn AG DB . The Commission has concluded that the proposed transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic...

20 Years of Transition whats next?
Tadeusz Mazowiecki Polands first prime minister after the fall of communism in 1989 joined the Assembly of European Regions AER to mark the 20th anniversary of Polands first free elections with a European Citizens Forum held in Szczecin in the Zachodniopmorskie region PL on June 19. The forum brought together...

Level 3 expands fiber-based network
Level 3 Communications Inc. a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services on June 9 announced it has increased its network presence in Poland with a new fiber route extending from Berlin through to Poznan and onwards to Warsaw. With the expansion of the route through Poznan Level 3 now...

Crude oil deliveries see new agreement
Polish crude oil refining company Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN S.A. on June 2 signed a spot agreement with JS Service Investment Ltd. From Cyprus for REBCO crude oil deliveries via the Przyjazn pipeline to PKN ORLEN in June 2009. The estimated value of the agreement amounts to USD 12.1 million...

PKO BP to pay 2.88 zloty per share of 2008 income
On June 8 the Management Board of PKO BP SA one of the largest and oldest Polish banks adopted the resolution concerning the distribution of profit earned by Powszechna Kasa Oszcz?dno?ci Bank Polski Spó?ka Akcyjna in the year 2008 and resolved to recommend to the Ordinary General Meeting of the...

2009 sees 1 mln homes with fibre by Portugal Telecom
The Portuguese telecommunications major Portugal Telecom recently unveiled plans to bring fibre-to-the-home FTTH connections to one million Portuguese households by the end of this year having been encouraged by its success with new services such as its IPTV offering Meo to invest further in a higher-capacity network. According to a...

Bank recapitalisation gets thumbs up from Commission
The European Commission on May 20 has approved under EC Treaty state aid rules a Portuguese bank recapitalisation scheme intended to bolster financing of the real economy. The scheme is in line with the Commissions guidance on support measures for credit institutions during the financial crisis. The Commission therefore concluded...

Kroes positive on Gdansk shipyard restructuring
...

PGNiG Gazprom sign pact for natural gas deliveries
...

Poles protest against anti-labour politics
Hundreds of miners shipyard workers and medical rescuers marched in the Polish capital on March 26 against what they charged were the governments anti-labour politics. Metalworkers and trade unionists were also in the crowd that demonstrated at the economy and health ministries. Under banners reading We wont pay for your...

Highway to bypass valuable marshlands
A highway in northeastern Poland will be built along a new route to avoid harming valuable marshlands Environment Minister Maciej Nowicki said on March 24. The new route will only be two kilometres longer and also cheaper than the controversial proposal cutting through the scenic Rospuda Valley Nowicki said....

Poland to send 400 soldiers to Afghanistan
Poland will add 400 soldiers to its mission in Afghanistan by mid-April Prime Minister Donald Tusks government said March 24. Another 200 soldiers will be in Poland ready for deployment to the war-torn nation a government statement said. Poland currently has some 1 600 soldiers in Afghanistan and has said...

Over 25 billion for investment
Investments in the Polish energy sector initiated by domestic energy producers envisage the construction of new plants generating 17 000 MW of electric energy and are estimated at 25.5 billion Euro wnp.pl reported. These investments will allow the power plants to receive a greater part of CO2 emission credits for...

Poland to boost its mission to Afghanistan
Poland plans to strengthen its mission in Afghanistan and create a new strategic reserve? force ready for deployment there at anytime Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said on March 18. The government could boost Polands contingent in Afghanistan in April or May Klich said and is already working on a proposal...

Gas crisis ups support for nuclear power
A growing number of Poles now support building a civil nuclear reactor in their country according to an opinion poll in the daily Rzeczpospolita on March 16. Some 42 percent are opposed to the project compared to 56 percent last year against nuclear energy said the survey of 1 000...

Simple Green Money
The financial turned economic crisis is gradually having a more visible impact on the European economies. Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hubner sat down with New Europersquo;s Editor Alexandros Koronakis and discussed what role regional policy has in saving Europe from the crisis the important changes in the policies which will...

Poland News - New Europe News
Poland News - New Europe News: The European News Source.

 

The soldier and the shipyard worker
One was the archetypal military strongman, intent on maintaining the social order and saving his country from "catastrophe." The other was a charismatic shipyard electrician and trade union leader who was just as determined to lead his countrymen to freedom.

Poland agrees to host part of new U.S. missile defense plan
Poland has agreed to host elements of the new U.S. missile defense plan despite initial surprise over the Obama administration's recent decision to overhaul President Bush's strategy.

Analysis: Missile shield move leaves Europe's politicians exposed
The decision by the United States to drop its plans to base an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic will have reverberations across Europe.

WWII anything but history for Poland
On a sand swept stretch of Afghanistan, a high-ranking Polish general put his country's mission there into perspective.

On International Correspondents this month
On this month's show we rewind the clock to June 4th, 1989. It was on this day that the media reported on two monumental events - the Tiananmen Square massacre in China and Poland's first free elections. The latter signalled the start of the end of Communism in central and Eastern Europe.

The New Poland: A country transformed
It is 20 years since Poland's Solidarity movement defeated the Communist Party in an historic election that prompted the fall of communism across central and eastern Europe.

Poland: From Soviet satellite to 'Tiger of Europe'
Leszek Balcerowicz, Poland's former finance minister, recently said his country is enjoying "its best period in 300 years." CNN looks at how the country emerged from communism to become one of eastern Europe's most stable and thriving democracies.

Life after communism
Leszek Balcerowicz, Poland's former finance minister, recently said his country is enjoying "its best period in 300 years." CNN looks at how the country emerged from communism to become one of eastern Europe's most stable and thriving democracies.

Polish navy training flight crashes
A Polish navy aircraft on a training flight crashed Tuesday on Poland's northeastern coast, and the four service members aboard are feared dead, navy spokesman Lt. Gregory Lyko told CNN.

Poland: Jazz and all that politics
Jazz has always been a popular form of music because its improvisatory nature is easily adapted by a community or nation to reflect its individual identity.

Your opinions on Poland
As part of its Eye on Poland coverage, CNN is asking its viewers -- including Poles living in Poland and abroad -- about what defines the nation today.

Eye on Poland: Country at the crossroads
A nation with a proud past and promising future -- Poland's influence on the global stage is growing. A driving force in the new Europe with a skilled workforce spreading its influence beyond its borders and an economy increasingly attractive to foreign investors -- Poland is making its mark.

Playing poker with the Polish powerbrokers
Some say Poland is the biggest of the "small countries" in the European Union. Others call it the smallest of the "big countries."

Football offers Poland chance to shine
In April 2007, UEFA's executive committee voted to accept a joint proposal from Poland and Ukraine to host the European football Championships in 2012.

Poland's Jews alive and kicking
Before its occupation by Nazi Germany in 1939, Poland was home to Europe's largest Jewish community, and its capital Warsaw was the continent's largest Jewish city.

Eye on Poland: Daily Coverage
Eye on Poland focuses on the color and contrast of one of Europe's fastest developing nations, explaining Poland's rising influence across the European region and the impact its people are having on the wider international stage - from business to politics to pop culture. TV Schedule

Man held over daughter's '6-year kidnap, rape'
A Polish court has ordered the detention of a man accused of holding his daughter captive for six years and repeatedly raping her, ultimately fathering two children with her.

Poland signs missile shield deal with U.S.
The United States and Poland on Wednesday signed an agreement to base U.S. ballistic missile interceptors in Poland, a move that angered Russia.

Behind Poland's Defying Russia
Moscow's regional threats ended up making Poland more resolved to embrace the controversial U.S. missile shield

Will Russia Attack Poland Next?
Russia warned Poland on Friday that it is exposing itself to attack, even a nuclear one, by accepting a U.S. missile interceptor base on its soil

Poland, U.S. sign missile shield deal
Poland and the United States have signed a preliminary deal to place part of a U.S. ballistic missile defense system in Poland, a plan that has drawn sharp objections from Russia.

US, Poland Deal Angers Russia
Poland and the United States reached an agreement that will see a battery of American missiles established inside Poland, a plan that has infuriated Russia

Poland, U.S. to sign missile shield deal
Poland and the United States will sign a preliminary deal to place part of a U.S. ballistic missile defense system in Poland -- a plan that has drawn sharp objections from Russia, the Polish president's office confirmed Thursday to CNN.

Poland firm on U.S. missile defense opposition
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried and failed just before leaving for Europe on Monday to seal a deal to place missiles in Poland, the State Department said.

U.S., Poland strike missile deal while Russia objects
The United States and Poland have reached a tentative deal to place part of a ballistic missile defense system on its territory, a plan that has drawn sharp objections from Russia, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

Poles, Czechs Balk at Missile Shield
The two US allies are suddenly in no hurry to see the implementation of the Bush Administration's plan to station an interceptor system on their soil

Nostalgia in a Polish 'milk bar'
I remember a bleak time in Poland when the economy was so maddeningly out of touch with the needs of its people that anyone lucky enough to own a car would remove their windshield wipers at night and take them inside. In their command economy -- oblivious to the laws of supply and demand -- some official forgot to order wipers and consequently, they weren't for sale anywhere. Inspired by a hungry black market, thieves would work late into the night snapping them up.

Opposition wins Polish election
Poland's opposition parties have won the parliamentary elections, ending two years of robust nationalism which have frequently led to confrontation with other countries.

Poland faces landmark election
Poles vote Sunday in national elections that could decide the future direction of the central European country.

Solidarity shipyard seeks rescue
Poland's Gdansk shipyard, the birthplace of the anti-communist Solidarity movement, has submitted a last-ditch rescue plan to prevent its closure.

Is it the flu? Get the fast flu test
Fast flu tests, which drastically cut the time to diagnose a patient with influenza or not, are helping doctors better treat the illness, according to a recent study and medical experts.

Mine blast kills eight; 15 missing
At least eight miners were killed and another 15 missing after a gas explosion in a Polish coal mine Tuesday, a government spokesman said.

Poland pledges 1,000 Afghan troops
Poland will send up to an additional 1,000 troops to bolster NATO forces in Afghanistan, Polish defense ministry spokesman Leszek Laszczak says.

Poland collapse toll now 67
A 34-year-old man seriously injured in the roof collapse at a Polish exhibition hall died Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 67.

Poland collapse: Buildings shut
The Polish government ordered the temporary closure of some large buildings Monday after the roof collapse of an exhibition hall in the southern city of Chorzow that killed 62 people.

Roof collapse: 'No more survivors'
Emergency workers shifted their efforts from rescue to recovery Sunday at the site of an exhibition center that's roof collapsed over the weekend in southern Poland, killing 66 people, after officials determined it unlikely that anyone else would be found alive.

Thousands remember pope in Krakow
Hundreds of thousands of people have been gathering in a Krakow field and clogged Poland's city streets to watch coverage of the funeral of Pope John Paul II, a man revered as a national hero in his homeland.

Pope's heart may rest in Poland
The city that captured the heart of Pope John Paul II long before he followed his calling into the priesthood may become the final resting place of his physical heart, a Roman Catholic church official in Krakow has told CNN.

Your e-mails: Europe
CNN.com asked its readers to share their thoughts about the death of Pope John Paul II. Here is a sampling from thousands of responses, some of which have been edited:

Polish hostage pleads for life
A video of a Polish woman captured last week by an Iraqi militant group showed her pleading for her life Saturday and urging Poland to withdraw its troops from Iraq.

Poland may pull troops out of Iraq
Poland may reduce its commitment of forces to the war in Iraq by 40 percent by January 2005 and have all its troops out by the end of that year, Polish officials said Monday.

Poland on Iraq: 'No rash gestures'
Poland's outgoing prime minister has said his country cannot ignore Spain's plans to withdraw its troops from Iraq, but a government spokesman denied Warsaw was considering a similar pullout.

Poles hoping for economic gains
Warsaw is already beginning to look like other cities to the West. The same multi-national names are on display. In glitzy malls, shoppers can take their pick of international merchandise.

FUNDS RUSH TO CASH IN ON EASTERN EUROPE'S BOOM
Lured by spectacular gains in markets such as Russia (up 105% in the first eight months of this year), Hungary (86%), Poland (77%) and the Czech Republic (26%), several new mutual funds have sprung...

HOTTEST NEW STOCK MARKET
What country was home to 1993's fastest-growing emerging stock market? If you guessed China, think again. The clear winner is Poland. From December 31, 1992, through December 23, 1993, the Warsaw t...

WARM MEMORIES ARE AWAKENED
I want to tell you how very much I enjoyed the October Editor's Notes, ''An American Dream.'' I've recommended it to everyone I know. I've had similar stories told to me by my late father. He came ...

WHO'S WHO IN THE EAST In Eastern Europe, the people to know are both colorful and energetic. ! Want to meet the Clark Gable of f
Business is always personal, but especially so in Eastern Europe, where daunting bureaucracy and changing ground rules can spook even veteran investors from abroad. In such a climate, knowing the r...

SHOCK THERAPY WORKS IN POLAND
Ten months of fiscal austerity may not have made Poland paradise, but it has noticeably improved the lives of 38 million Poles. Though real wages have dropped 40%, shop shelves now sag with consume...

POLAND'S GAMBLE BEGINS TO PAY OFF The Poles have achieved remarkable results in the first stages of their rush toward a free-mar
FOR POLAND this may be the most dangerous summer since 1939. While their Soviet neighbors fiddle, the gutsy Poles are switching from Communism to capitalism in one stroke. But their boldness has al...

SEED MONEY FOR EASTERN EUROPE
If it worked for Silicon Valley, it can work for Eastern Europe -- or so the theory goes. The U.S. government is investing taxpayer dollars in venture capital funds -- the same financial vehicles t...

GLASNOST'S HARVEST: JEANS THAT NEED A SCREWDRIVER, AN ANGEL FOR BORIS, AND MORE
-- The red star and the Cyrillic writing on the back pockets and an accessory in the form of a free screwdriver mark a hot new seller: cotton jeans ($60 and up) from the Soviet Union. The screwdriv...

THE AMERICAN OUT TO SAVE POLAND Harvard's young Jeffrey Sachs is pushing Solidarity to take the pain now for a big gain later. T
IT'S A BLEAK winter evening in a drab Warsaw suburb. Some four dozen Polish workers in leather jackets have crowded into the parish house of a Catholic church. They used to meet there secretly afte...

HOW THE WORLD WILL CHANGE In the new era, economic performance will replace military might as the measure of a nation. This will
The world is entering unknown territory. For two out of three living Americans -- and about as many Russians and Europeans -- the bipolar system forged by the cold war is all they have ever known. ...

POLAND IS FOR GAMBLERS
Investing in Poland is like buying into a bankrupt company, says Jan Vanous, research director of PlanEcon, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm specializing in Eastern bloc countries. ''It's for ga...

Poland: News & Videos about Poland - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about Poland from CNN.com.

 

When Courageous Artists Ripped Holes in the Iron Curtain
A festival of theater, dance, music and film examines how the performing arts contributed to the fall of Communism in Warsaw Pact countries.

Musicians Who Poked at the Iron Curtain
Some of the musicians who played in ostracism during the last gray years of Communist rule gathered for a festival in New York.

Mending Fences, Biden Assures Poland That U.S. Is Watching Over It
The unwavering commitment not just to Poland, but to the entire region, was the central message of the vice president’s damage-control tour of Eastern Europe that started Wednesday.

Poland to Accept U.S. Offer on Shield
The plan for so-called SM-3 missiles, proposed in Washington last month, will be spelled out in more detail on Wednesday when Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. holds talks with leaders in Warsaw.

Three Polish Officials Resign in Scandal Over Gambling Measure
The resignations follow the departure of the sports minister over charges of influence peddling involving casino legislation.

Polish Sports Minister Quits Amid Gambling Law Inquiry
Miroslaw Drzewiecki stepped down Monday amid accusations that he tried to influence amendments to a new gambling law on behalf of the gambling industry.

Taking Central Europe for Granted
The Poles and Czechs are miffed at the way Washington canceled the missile defenses project.

Deciphering the Fallout on Obama's Missile Plan
The U.S. and the Europeans need a frank discussion about security threats old and new.

Court Deals Blow to E.U. Efforts to Limit Emissions
A court said that Poland and Estonia could challenge limits placed by the E.U. on their carbon emissions, a potential setback for emissions-cutting goals.

Searching for Chopin, Finding Poland’s Past
It’s nearly impossible not to run into some ghosts of the past in Warsaw, even if you’re just a cultural tourist. The other day I went looking for what still exists of Chopin’s trail.

Real Threats, Real Fears, Real Defenses
The Obama plan addresses the real Iranian threat - to Israel and the oil rich Gulf states.

Now, ‘Reset’ With the Poles and Czechs
President Obama's decision on missile defense gives Washington more options, and militarily it is more consistent with the threats we face.

Of Polish Angst and NATO
President Obama’s move on missiles highlights fissures in NATO as it tries to redefine its role for the 21st century.

White House Scraps Bush’s Approach to Missile Shield
President Obama on Thursday announced a reconfigured system that won’t be based in Poland or the Czech Republic, and will be aimed at intercepting Iranian missiles.

Pope Condemns Holocaust at WWII Anniversary Mass
The Pope at a mass in Italy marked the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, just days after Poland held its own ceremonies.

NYT > Poland
In 2003, Polish voters overwhelmingly approved entry into the European Union in a nationwide referendum, and the economy has been among the fastest-growing in on the continent. However, rejection of the E.U. constitution by France and the Netherlands was seen as backlash to cheap labor from Eastern European countries like Poland. Since then, a lesser zeal for Europe has coincided with an increased commitment to Polish tradition.

 

America's Fatal European Policy
The current American administration has just enacted its most disastrous foreign-policy decision to date.

The World Shakes, America Slumbers
America’s wispy presence at this week’s 70th-anniversary commemoration of the start of World War II did not go unnoticed.

New Anti-Federalist Group in EU Parliament

Polish-German Relations Improving
The Polish foreign minister’s visit to Germany has been hailed as a breakthrough in foreign relations.

Poland Draws Closer to Germany, EU
Poland’s new prime minister is determined to mend relations with Berlin—even if it means accepting Germany as a victim of World War II.

EU Leaders "Get Tough With Russia"
The European Union has decided that it needs to take a strong position in its relations with the Kremlin.

Papal Vote Rigged?
Poland and mathematics seem to go together.

EU Parliament to Block Attempts to Water Down Reform Treaty
The European Constitution lives again.

German-Russian Energy--a Dangerous Partnership
The ensuing completion of the Nord Stream pipeline heralds a developing relationship in which Germany and Russia are slicing up their respective spheres of influence within Europe.

Britain to Become German Energy Vassal
As Britain’s North Sea energy supply begins to fail, the nation is looking for replacement energy from Germany.

What Eastern Europe Offers the EU
Romania and Bulgaria have just joined the European Union. What does Europe get out of the deal?

EU to Give Power to Fewer Commissioners?

Skittish About EU, Russia Looks East for Energy Customers
More evidence of Russia joining forces with its Asian neighbors

Berlin Exhibition Depicts Germans as Victims

Right-Wingers Make Waves in Europe
The rising influence of right-wingers in Germany is sweeping across what is widely regarded as a secular, liberal-socialist Continent.

EU Threatens Members States That Help U.S.
Anti-Americanism is a rising sentiment in Europe. But what if every European Union nation were forced to embrace this as official policy?

Forging a More Efficient Europe
Leaders plan to overhaul the massive bureaucracy that is the European Union.

Energy Alliance Fuels Fears
Could the new Russo-German “energy alliance” be history repeating itself?

Church Uses Same-Sex Marriage Issue to Rally Catholics
Despite Spain’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, the run-up to the parliamentary vote was frought with mass protests from its Catholic citizens. Other events in Poland and Italy show the increasing power the Roman Catholic Church holds over European politics.

theTrumpet.com: Poland
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.

 

Arrests made in €10m match-fixing probe
Police and sport officials have dismantled a criminal ring suspected of unprecedented match-fixing and betting in European professional football

Contest starts for plum EU posts
The race to secure senior jobs in the next European Commission has intensified with the big member states keen to secure the most important economic dossiers

Trichet warns on bank bonuses
Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, has issued his strongest warning yet that banks must keep pay and bonuses 'contained' and prepare for withdrawal of emergency support

Ukraine deal eases gas disruption fears
Vladimir Putin agrees to waive sanctions against Ukraine and amend Russia's natural gas contract with the country, in a move that could ease fears of a disruption to European gas supplies

Van Rompuy takes EU presidency
Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton were welcomed by world leaders as Europe's first full-time president and foreign policy chief, even as a chorus of critics questioned their relatively low profiles

Business seeks freeze on labour laws
The British Chambers of Commerce is asking the government for a three-year moratorium on labour legislation amid fears that small companies in particular will struggle to absorb a concentrated wave of regulation

Ireland demands replay in soccer controversy
In spite of embarrassment over the nature of the French team's win, the appeal by Brian Cowen, Irish prime minister, for the French government to join his campaign for a rematch was rebuffed in Paris

Supremacy of the nation state wins out
Choice of two relative unknowns for the roles of EU president and foreign policy supremo dismayed those who wanted to give Europe more clout on the world stage

Turkey cancels nuclear tender
Turkey has cancelled a tender to build the country's first nuclear power station, despite pressure from Moscow to accept the sole bid from a consortium led by two Russian companies

Barroso still seen as 'number one' in Brussels
Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton may have won the contest to determine the EU's first full-time president and foreign affairs chief, but the real winner may have been the Commission president

Total cleared of blame for accident
A French court rules that the energy group was not responsible for one of the country's worst industrial disasters in which 31 people were killed

Diversity on boards
Progress towards a better gender balance on FTSE 100 boards has, disappointingly, stalled over the past year. In spite of this setback, a better balance can be achieved

Irish industrial harmony faces pay talk test
Ireland's reputation for industrial harmony faces its biggest test in more than 20 years this week as government and trade unions struggle to agree a new centralised pay deal

Romanian poll offers path to financial aid
The presidential election on Sunday is a vital step on the road to economic recovery and unblocking the recession-blighted country's access to international financial aid

Israel shrugs off boycott effort
Despite Israel's proven resilience, the strategy of targeting the country's economic welfare in order to raise political pressure on the country is again gaining momentum

FT.com - World, Europe
FT.com - World, Europe

 

Election of Van Rompuy as New EU President Draws Mixed Reaction
Belgian prime minister is a low-key politician with a reputation for conciliation, some are deeply disappointed that European leaders failed to choose a more forceful and high profile personality to represent the regional bloc on the world stage.

EU Selects New President

NATO, Russia Revive Dialogue

Queen Reads Out British Government's Pre-Election Legislative Agenda

Russia, EU Meet for Mending Relations

Multilateral Meeting to Discuss International Administrator for Bosnia-Herzegovina

NATO Chief Confident Afghanistan Will Have More Troops

EU to Train Somali Security Forces

Czech Republic Marks 'Velvet Revolution' Anniversary Amid Political Turmoil

Denial of Medical Care Common Blackmail Practice in Russian Prisons

Former Bosnian-Serb Political Leader Trial to Resume in Early March
Former Bosnian-Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic is being tried before the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Eurozone Emerges from Recession
The European Union has emerged from its worst recession since World War II, with the announcement Friday the region posted a modest growth in the third quarter.

OECD says Industrialized Economies to Recover in Next Year

Cross-Examination Begins in War Crimes Trial of Former Liberian President

IEA Urges Action on Climate Change

British PM Defends Military Mission in Afghanistan

French, German Leaders Commemorate Armistice Day

Britain Offers Concessions to Push Cyprus Reunification

German Courtroom Killer Gets Life Sentence

Russian Gas: Pipelines, Politics and Money

VOA English - Europe
VOA English - Europe

 

Correction: Czech politics

In our story last week on right-wing parties in Europe (“Right on down”), we mistakenly referred to the Civic Forum in the Czech Republic. We should have said the Civic Democrats. Sorry. This error has been corrected online.

...

Charlemagne: A new balance in Europe

America is listening to Russia's call for new security arrangements in Europe

IN THEORY, Russian diplomats accredited to NATO are welcome friends: the reality is murkier. For more than a decade now, Russian officials have been trusted to roam the alliance’s maze-like headquarters in Brussels just like envoys from other “partner countries” such as Sweden, Finland or Malta. In practice, says a diplomat, everyone knows that “the entire Russian mission is [staffed by] spies”. This leads to cat-and-mouse games that range from the serious (in February, an Estonian official was jailed for more than 12 years for selling NATO secrets to Russia) to the comical (guards were posted at the doors of meetings reserved for full NATO members after Russian officials were found hiding their badges and sneaking inside).

Russia’s relations with the European Union are almost as ambiguous. The two sides have lots of mutual interests—the EU buys more than half of all Russian exports, and provides two-thirds of Russia’s foreign direct investment. Yet an odd mood of surly indifference surrounds Russia-EU ties. A formal summit between President Dmitry Medvedev and European Union bosses on November 18th achieved only a few technical agreements, though the two sides had much to discuss, not least gas supplies and Russia’s foot-dragging over climate change. ...

Germany's Social Democrats: Archangel Gabriel takes the burden

The venerable but defeated SPD picks a new champion

IT HAD the trappings of any other political party convention in Germany: the same airless arena, the same corporate kiosks offering free ballpoint pens. But the gathering of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Dresden on November 13th-15th was anything but routine. The party had suffered its worst defeat in decades in September’s federal election, picking up just 23% of the vote, its smallest share since the second world war, and was out of power after 11 years in government. For the 500 delegates the question was not when the SPD would get back in, but whether it would survive as the main political force on the left. The pre-convention’s mood was one of “humiliation, depression and aggression”, said Hans-Peter Bartels, an SPD member of the Bundestag.

Why, the delegates asked, did the SPD fare so badly at a time when capitalism was discredited and voters were looking to the government for help? The answers poured forth: the party had broken its promises (by raising value-added tax); it had bowed to free-market ideology by reforming pensions and labour markets; and its leaders had been aloof, unresponsive and had bickered among themselves. The ex-communist Left Party had exploited these failings. Besides, social democratic parties were in trouble all over Europe. ...

Municipal politics in France: The mayors' revolt

Plans to abolish a tax on investment causes uproar in town halls

IN THE rolling hills and medieval villages of France, a modern rebellion is stirring. The country’s 36,000 directly elected mayors are in revolt, angry at government plans to cut the number of elected officials and abolish a local tax that supplies much of their revenues. This week some 6,000 of them descended on Paris for their annual congress, jeering a speech by Francois Fillon, the prime minister, and denouncing an effort to emasculate local power.

With their ceremonial sashes and grand town halls in even the remotest village, mayors occupy a special place in French life. They represent the state locally, organise elections, conduct marriages, grant planning permission—and can be a political force to reckon with. ...

Europe's public finances: Weighed down

The recession has left a fiscal burden that many countries will struggle to shed

THE BAD thing for politicians about good news on the economy is that they can no longer avert their eyes from the state of public finances. Figures released on November 13th showed that the euro-area economy crawled out of recession in the three months to the end of September. GDP rose by 0.4%, the first quarterly increase for more than a year. Given the scale of the downturn, the recovery is modest: GDP was still 4.1% lower than a year earlier.

Such a deep slump has wrecked public finances. The average budget deficit in the 16-country euro area will be 6.4% of GDP this year, rising to 6.9% in 2010, according to the European Commission’s forecast. If no action is taken to tame deficits, public debt will rise to 88% of GDP by 2011, a third higher than it was before the crisis (see chart). ...

History of Italian fascism: Not just Hitler's fool

A mistress’s diary shows Benito Mussolini was a rabid anti-Semite

“THESE disgusting Jews, I must destroy them all.” Adolf Hitler’s dinnertime conversation? No. This is one of several anti-Semitic rants ascribed to Italy’s fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, by his mistress, Clara Petacci. Both were executed by partisans at the end of the second world war. The diaries of “Claretta”, published as a book (“Mussolini segreto”) on November 18th, after more than 50 years in the state archives, challenge the comforting view that many Italians have of the Duce as a leader misled by Hitler, his ally. Mussolini’s reputation still matters in a country which, for most of the past eight years, has been led by governments incorporating his “post-fascist” heirs.

In 2004 his son, Romano, published a memoir, “My Father, Il Duce”, which presented Mussolini as a caring family man, largely ignoring the dark side of the leader who had occupied Ethiopia in 1935-36 and, during his final years as Hitler’s puppet, sent thousands of Jews to Nazi death camps. In 2007 Marcello Dell’Utri, a close aide to Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, claimed to have found Mussolini’s diaries. Most historians said they were fakes, but not before Italians were told of contents which, in the words of Romano’s daughter, Alessandra Mussolini, showed “all the efforts made by grandfather to avoid the war”. ...

Turkey's phone-tapping scandal: Who's on the phone?

A murky twist in the fight between the ruling party and the military old guard

DURING an interview with a Turkish minister recently, your correspondent was asked to remove the battery from her mobile telephone. “Otherwise our conversation will be tapped,” the minister explained. His paranoia may be understandable; over the past week Turkey’s elite has been rocked by tales of politicians, judges and journalists being wiretapped. Even the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, complained that “they eavesdropped on me for six years”.

Much about this story remains murky. It is not clear, for instance, who might have been listening in on Mr Erdogan. Indeed, the scandal mainly involves allegations that the justice ministry, led by Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development (AK) party, has been monitoring members of the elite suspected of involvement with coup-plotters in the so-called Ergenekon case. ...

Greek public finances: Arithmetic lesson

The politics of deficits and economic statistics

GREEK government statistics are notoriously unreliable. But rarely can the numbers have seemed more erratic than in recent months, when the forecast for this year’s budget deficit more than doubled from 6% to 12.7% of GDP. What went wrong? Electoral politics is a big part of the answer.

Tax collection “collapsed almost totally” after the first quarter, says George Papaconstantinou, the new Socialist finance minister. Revenue-raising slowed in the run-up to the European elections—a traditional ploy by Greek governments to keep voters loyal—then stagnated over the summer and during the national election campaign in September. A pre-election splurge (another tradition) helped widen the deficit. And as the economy weakened during the financial crisis, tax evasion rose: VAT receipts, for example, fell steadily. ...

Slovakia's murky politics: Heading south

Tough times for Slovakia’s democracy

AN IRREVOCABLE shift away from the bad habits of the past was meant to be the result of joining the European Union. In Slovakia’s case, the shift is now backwards. In the past six months the authorities have taken disciplinary action against a dozen prominent judges. Some were among 100 legal luminaries who signed an appeal this year denouncing inefficiency, corruption and politicisation of the justice system. In particular, the protesters are unhappy with Stefan Harabin, a controversial former justice minister who is now president of the Supreme Court.

Mr Harabin has denounced Slovakia’s special anti-corruption court—which has highly paid, security-vetted judges—as a “fascist institution”. The court has now been suspended and replaced by a weaker substitute. High-profile corruption cases, many of which have roots in the 1990s, are at risk of fizzling out. ...

Islamic finance in France: Sharia calling

A political row about Muslim law

WITH western Europe’s biggest Muslim population (some 6m) and a firm secular tradition, France has an unapologetic approach to religious minorities. Immigrants and their offspring must adapt to French rules, not the other way round. France has banned the Islamic veil in state schools. Parliament is looking into outlawing the burqa from public places. But how bendy is this attitude? When it comes to Islamic finance, to the dismay of some politicians on both right and left, the government is trying to introduce elements of sharia—under which “usury” is forbidden.

In a global recession, Islamic finance looks an attractive business. Worldwide sharia-compliant assets grew by 29% over the past year to $822 billion, according to The Banker. French officials fret that Paris is missing out on its share, particularly to London, whose multicultural approach gives an open-arms welcome to Islamic investors. To catch up, the French have pushed through changes to their tax and legal codes. But their latest effort has prompted a political backlash. ...

Germany's foreign policy: A new game of dominoes

The world’s focus on Germany this week has prompted some to ask about Germany’s focus on the world

THE new American ambassador to Germany, Philip Murphy, introduced himself to Berliners recently in an Obama-style town-hall meeting at Humboldt University. “The relationship between Germany and America”, he declared, “is the most important relationship of the past 60-plus years.” That may have been true when the Berlin Wall still stood, just west of where Mr Murphy was bonding with the city’s youth. But it stopped being so when the wall fell 20 years ago.

So long as the wall was there, West Germany was on the front line of the West’s confrontation with the Soviet Union. Its fall, commemorated by European leaders this week with fireworks and the toppling of 1,000 hand-painted dominoes, increased Germany’s population by a quarter, its territory by two-fifths and its economy by a tenth. France and Britain were not alone in fretting lest Germans return to their overbearing ways. In fact, Germany’s relative importance has diminished. Today it is a medium-sized power whose influence looms large within Europe but is spotty beyond it. ...

The far right in eastern Europe: Right on down

No direct threat, yet far-right ideas seep into the mainstream

WHEN Jobbik, a Hungarian far-right party, took 15% of the vote in June’s European election, it sent shudders across the continent. Running on an anti-Roma (gypsy) platform, with nasty words for Jews and homosexuals and with its own uniformed wing, Jobbik seemed more troubling than earlier groups. It joined existing extremists in the region to suggest a new resurgence of the far right. The Slovak National Party (SNP), whose leader, Jan Slota, is known for pungent anti-Hungarian remarks, has won seats in every Slovak parliament but one since 1990 and been part of the government since 2006. Bulgaria’s Ataka lives up to its name with verbal onslaughts against the country’s Turks, and has taken 10% of the vote since 2005. Jobbik may be the third-biggest party in Hungary after next spring’s election.

Yet in other places the far right is in retreat. Poland’s League of Polish Families, a xenophobic bunch with a youth wing known for anti-Semitism, was knocked out of parliament in 2007. The Greater Romania Party, an irredentist group of Magyar-bashers whose leader came second in Romania’s presidential election of 2000, lost all its seats in 2008. Jobbik’s uniformed outfit was banned earlier this year. A far-right group in the European Parliament in 2007 broke up after ten months of in-fighting (Romanian members objected to being called “gypsies” by Italians). The Baltics, the Czech Republic and Slovenia have no big far-right parties. ...

Turkey and the Kurds: Peace in sight?

The government doggedly pursues a settlement of its Kurdish problem

STUFFING its ears to opposition cries of treason, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is going ahead with bold moves to end the country’s long-running Kurdish problem. The odd bout of turbulence notwithstanding, peace between Turkey and its rebellious Kurds now seems closer than ever.

This week the ruling party proposed a measure to reduce or commute sentences for thousands of stone-throwing young Kurds charged with acting for the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). If it is passed, they would no longer be tried in adult courts. That should help blunt the radicalisation of a new generation of jobless Kurds, natural recruits for the PKK. ...

The far right in Russia: Cracked up

Still an active presence, but one the authorities may not tolerate much longer

RUSSIAN fascists did not hide their elation when Stanislav Markelov, a human-rights lawyer, and Anastasia Baburova, a young journalist, were shot dead in Moscow last January. Mr Markelov had been a vital link between anti-fascist activists, such as Ms Baburova, and the police. Yet the sense of impunity long enjoyed by Russia’s far right has been dented by the arrest of a man and a woman for the murders. The police even seem to have got the right people (and others are still being hunted).

Nikita Tikhonov, a 29-year-old ultra-nationalist who has admitted the murders, had been on the run since 2006, when a group of skinheads knifed to death a 19-year-old anti-fascist student. Mr Markelov, who represented the victim’s family, managed to get some of the attackers locked up. But Mr Tikhonov, the main suspect, escaped. He appears to be linked to Russian Mode, an ultra-nationalist group that advertises itself as “not a gang, a PR agency or a political party, but all those things together” and explains how to acquire weapons. He and his combative comrade were detained on November 4th, a new holiday of “national unity” that has been hijacked by ultra-nationalists as their day to march and shout racist slogans. ...

Demography in the Balkans: A birth dearth

The tricky politics of population in the former Yugoslavia

OUTSIDE a hospital in Belgrade, two parking spots are reserved for parents with babies. A placard shows a stork delivering a baby that is then driven off in a car. What is telling is that there are only two spaces. Serbia’s population is shrinking.

Demography is causing alarm in many Balkan countries. In Bosnia and Kosovo, the issue can be fundamental. In Macedonia, a bid by the government to give financial aid to encourage (low-birth) Macedonians to have more children but to exclude (high-birth) Albanians was struck down by the constitutional court in April. ...

Charlemagne: Single market bargaining

Why a deal on tax harmonisation might not boost support for the single market

A FEW times a year, Charlemagne has the luck to teach students at a European management school in Paris. It is an enlightening experience (for your columnist, at least). One popular question has been why some European Union policies are so contentious in places like France, notably the commitment to an internal market based on “free and undistorted competition”. After a while, the penny dropped. If you play word association, it turns out that for many in a Parisian classroom, the polar opposite of “competition” is “solidarity”: ie, the useful rigour imposed by competition is overshadowed by the pain caused as society divides into winners and losers. For Anglo-Saxon liberals, the instinctive opposite of “competition” is “monopoly”: ie, the pain of competition is justified by a quest for fairness, even before getting to arguments about efficiency and companies’ long-term fitness.

In Paris the idea that a free-market liberal may believe he is defending a moral position (rather than a necessary evil) often causes surprise. In parallel, it is salutary to be reminded that the other side has a point too. The open borders written into the EU can be both positive and painful, as globalisation produces losers as well as winners. From the earliest days of the single market, EU leaders have attempted to square this circle by presenting the project as a grand bargain. Popular consent for liberalisation was bought with promises of solidarity in the form of welfare safety nets at the national level, and hefty flows of aid from rich to poor countries at the EU level. ...

Charlemagne: Blair's unbalancing act

Lessons from the unedifying fight over top Brussels jobs

IN THE end, Tony Blair’s great European adventure seems to have been a balancing act too far. As prime minister, Mr Blair built a career on political acrobatics. He was the Labour politician who left in place great chunks of Thatcherism. As prime minister, he swore he was a true European (the “most European of Englishmen”, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy once said) even as he defended opt-outs from such policies as ending internal European Union passport controls. More than any British leader, he backed closer European defence co-operation—and then he split Europe by joining America in Iraq.

But high-wire acts hurt when they fail. And, at an EU summit in Brussels on October 29th and 30th, Mr Blair fell, watching his bid to become the first permanent president of the European Council collapse. Mr Blair needed leaders to agree that he was a sincere European, and they could not. He needed his fellow socialists to admit he was one of them, and they declined (the centre-left Austrian chancellor, Werner Faymann, said Mr Blair represented “Bush and the war in Iraq”.) ...

The euro-area economy: Recovery, of sorts

The European Commission reckons that today’s growth will not last

EUROPE’S emergence from its worst post-war downturn seems assured. Figures released on November 13th will confirm that the euro-area economy came out of recession in the third quarter. The fourth quarter also looks promising. Output rose at its fastest rate in almost two years in October, says a survey of purchasing managers. Business and consumer confidence have continued to improve. A jump in foreign orders for German capital goods in September is a sign that export demand is returning.

The latest forecasts from the European Commission reflect this new mood. The commission says euro-area GDP will rise by 0.7% in 2010, a brighter prospect than seemed likely in May, when it forecast a 0.1% drop. The upgrade would be larger if today’s growth rate were sustained. But the commission thinks the economy will hit a soft patch early next year, as the temporary effects of fiscal stimulus and of firms’ restocking begin to fade. ...

Eastern Europe's economic woes: Down in the dumps

The ex-communist economies have not collapsed. But finding new ways to catch up with the West will be hard

EVEN at the height of the ex-communist countries’ boom in 2006, almost half their citizens felt they lived worse than in 1989. Yet that glum verdict on 17 years of liberalisation, privatisation and stabilisation was tempered by another finding. Most of those polled by the World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said they were optimistic about their children’s prospects.

The worry is that the global economic crisis has dented confidence in the future and intensified gloom about the present. Fast growth eased dissatisfaction with corrupt politicians and bossy bureaucrats. It offered at least the chance of better health care and education, which lag far behind western standards. But the average decline in GDP this year is a whopping 6.2%; recovery is expected to be slow. So east Europeans face higher taxes, bigger debts, less public spending, lower pay and fewer jobs. They do not have the same shock-absorbers as in the west—which is where, in the eyes of many, the crisis originated. ...

The Economist: Europe
Europe