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Current AffairsCentral European leaders call on EU to keep momentum of enlargement
Central European leaders have issued a new call expressing support to those
countries waiting to join the European Union, appealing to the EU to keep
the momentum of enlargement to southern and eastern Europe. The call came
at the end of a meeting of the Central European Initiative in the Slovak
spa town of Piestany.
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Czech BooksCan nationalism in Central Europe be a force for good?
This week Czech Books comes from the Irish capital, Dublin. We talk to Dr
Stefan Auer, a lecturer in European politics and society at the Dublin
European Institute at University College. Stefan is originally from
Slovakia, and he has taken a great interest in "liberal
nationalism" in Central Europe. He wrote a book which has as its
basic hypothesis the idea that nationalism, despite its very negative
connotations for many in Central Europe, can also be a force towards
greater democracy.
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Current AffairsPM's reconciliation plan for Sudenten German anti-fascists meets with opposition
The Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek's plan for a reconciliation gesture
towards Sudeten Germans who were expelled from the country after WWII
despite the fact that they had actively opposed the Nazi regime has run
into serious problems. Even before the prime minister had time to specify
what kind of conciliatory gesture he had in mind, the opposition parties
and president Klaus slammed the idea as "totally irresponsible and
potentially dangerous". In addition to that the Slovak Prime Minister
Mikulas Dzurinda has now made it clear that his country wants nothing to do
with it.
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Current AffairsSlovakia proudly hosts Bush-Putin summit, US President to meet Czech 'Freedom Fighters'
"You can imagine how happy and proud I am now because it will be the
first time that Slovakia hosts the US President and this is more than a
clear signal that Slovakia is an ally of the United States. I am sure that
this is a very strong message not only for the Slovak people but also for
all new democracies in the region." The Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas
Dzurinda, proudly representing the country chosen by US President George
Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin to host their landmark meeting.
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Current AffairsSlovak PM Dzurinda makes first Prague visit since EU enlargement
On Thursday the Slovak prime minister, Mikulas Dzurinda, made his first
visit to Prague since both Slovakia and the Czech Republic took the
historic step of joining the European Union, just three weeks ago. Mr
Dzurinda and his Czech counterpart, Vladimir Spidla, signed a memorandum
committing their countries - for 75 years part of the same state - to
maintaining their unusually close ties within the Union. During Mr
Dzurinda's visit Radio Prague's Alexis Rosenzweig spoke to Petr Jezek of
the Czech prime minister's office, and asked him how he saw future
relations between the two states.
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Current AffairsIvan Gasparovic elected Slovak president in surprise vote
Voters in neighbouring Slovakia have chosen the country's new president. In
the second round of voting on Saturday, Slovakia's former parliament
chairman Ivan Gasparovic was elected as Slovak president. With 60 percent
of the vote, he beat his one-time close ally, controversial former prime
minister Vladimir Meciar. Earlier Pavla Horakova spoke to Rob Cameron who
had followed the election in Bratislava and she first asked him to tell us
more about the president-elect.
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Current AffairsNew NATO, EU members call for enlargement to continue eastwards
The Czech Republic has just marked the 5th anniversary of NATO membership,
and joins the European Union in less than six weeks' time. But while the
Czech Republic and most of central and eastern Europe is now safely
ensconced in NATO and the EU, attention is now shifting to the south and
the east - towards the Balkans, the Black Sea, even the Caucasus. Last
week, leaders of more than a dozen countries met in the Slovak capital
Bratislava, to discuss the future of European integration. Rob Cameron
attended the summit, and has this report.
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