ex-communist

The SPD must share the left-leaning vote with the Greens and with the ex-communist Left Party, with which it refuses to govern.

To its east, the EU has tried a bit harder to promote political reform, due in part to the demands of its ex-communist members.

Until a few days ago Croatia looked like the tail of the procession of ex-communist countries joining the EU.

The ex-communist Democratic Left is likely to win around a tenth of the vote and yearns to leave the political wilderness.

The ex-communist states did not, with the big exceptions of Yugoslavia and Georgia, collapse into civil war.

But a dedicated bail-out for the ten ex-communist countries that have joined the EU since 2004 is clearly a step too far.

As the largest central European country, Poland was an obvious choice for the first ex-communist Europride.

Turnout in September may be 30 points higher, bringing back traditional supporters of the SPD (and of the ex-communist Left Party).

Ex-communist Europe still has to grapple with its share of problems: an ageing workforce, bossy officials and poor infrastructure.

The idea of a single "ex-communist region" called eastern Europe does not bear scrutiny.

Like many ex-communist countries, Ukraine too often adheres to the shameful standards of the Soviet Union in dealing with such matters.

For ex-communist countries in the euro, pegged to it or hoping to adopt it soon, the Portuguese example merits careful study.

Havel is, however, disappointed that ex-communist societies have followed the west in embracing globalisation and rampant consumerism.

So much for stereotypes of ex-communist countries' chaotic politics.

It makes little sense to talk of the ex-communist countries as a single region.

But it looks unlikely, unless the SPD takes the risk of including the ex-communist Left Party in a coalition.

Not all Europeans demonise the market. Ex-communist Europe, which only recently threw off the command economy, is less hostile.

For the ex-communist countries, stabilising economies and introducing market mechanisms has proved the easy bit.

Ex-communist countries are more resilient and flexible than countries with happier histories.

Norway plays down the threat of real conflict. "Unlike some ex-communist countries, we are not hysterical, " an official insists.

In return, ex-communist countries loyally supported America, particularly in providing troops for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The ex-communist countries of Europe realise that it hurts their cause to sound plaintive, needy or nostalgic.

AFTER two decades of sometimes fervent Atlanticism in the ex-communist world, disillusionment (some would call it realism) is growing.

Sheer diversity makes "Eastern Europe" an unhelpful way of talking about the ex-communist countries (see article).

Today, the idea that politicians in ex-communist countries would take humble lessons from Western counterparts seems laughable.

The accession to the European Union of the ex-communist countries has brought laws on discrimination. But they are not enforced.

Portugal suffered a shock when ex-communist countries joined the EU and lured multinational firms that liked cheap labour.

But the figures are also higher than from other ex-communist countries with large Roma populations and visa-free travel to Canada.

Many ex-communist countries have big national minorities: think of Hungarians in Slovakia.

The ex-communist countries need to show that their brainpower, creativity and innovation deserve a place at the top table.

The Agenda 2010 reforms tested that tolerance, alienating the SPD's core supporters and fuelling the rise of the ex-communist Left Party.

Expensive modern antibiotics are less often prescribed in ex-communist countries.

The Basque region of Spain has a history of tragic struggles and exotic ethnography to rival any ex-communist country.

One big remaining problem, especially in the poorer ex-communist countries, is the justice system.

Only the ex-communist Left Party is demanding an immediate pullout.

But the ex-communist NATO countries, in particular, want more effort on guarding their soil.

So it may seem odd that so many politicians in ex-communist Europe, with wobbly economies and security, often do the opposite.

That highlights the real problem for the ex-communist countries of Europe: weak politics.

In the ten ex-communist countries already in the club, reform has largely stalled.

Poland is not only doing well in the "ex-communist" region (already a dated category). It is doing well by any standard.

The gainers were the three smaller opposition parties: the FDP, the Greens and the ex-communist Left Party.

The SPD says it will not govern with the ex-communist Left Party.

In elections the east leans towards the ex-communist Left Party.

The ex-communist countries of central Europe have fared well, mostly, since 1989.

It absorbed many of the ex-communist states of eastern Europe, offering a club membership on the way to joining the European Union.

many of the African nations, the ex-communist bloc, and some Asian nations lagged far behind.

and the ex-communist Left Party, which enters NRW's legislature for the first time.

Even solid ex-communist countries such as Poland want to speed up their preparations to meet the conditions for joining the common currency.

Indeed, a rare common factor among 20-odd countries in the region with the "ex-communist" tag is that they dispute its relevance.

The ex-communist states know that protesting against a done deal will only make them look weak and paranoid.

The ex-communist Left Party is a mess.

The biggest of all saw the admission of ten new members, including many ex-communist central European countries, on May 1st 2004.

For all the strides made in past years, the sad truth is that no ex-communist country has fully reformed its public administration.

The biggest failure has been in Poland, the most important ex-communist country in the EU.