Insight Central Europe News

Visegrad countries to send observers to Ukraine

The four countries of the Visegrad Group, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary are to send a hundred election observers to help monitor the re-run of Ukraine's presidential election. After a meeting in Krakow the four countries' foreign ministers said they would make a concerted effort for the European Union to work to help democracy in Ukraine develop. The election is to take place on December 26.

British Law Lords rule that immigration checks in Prague were discriminatory

The United Kingdom's highest court institution, the Law Lords, has ruled that British immigration controls carried out at Prague airport in 2001 were discriminatory on racial grounds. The controls, that were unprecedented on the territory of a foreign country, prevented some Czechs, the great majority of them Roma, from travelling to Britain. The controls, which were suspended after several months, aimed to reduce the number of asylum applications in Britain. The Home Office has responded that it had not intended to discriminate against anyone.

Polish PM calls for unified EU policy towards Russia

The Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka has said that the European Union needs a unified and well-managed policy towards Russia. Mr Belka told the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat that there is no room for solo performances by any individual country. Premier Belka was speaking prior to a visit to Finland, and said that both Poland and Finland belonged to the vanguard of EU policy toward Russia. He added that the two countries are in a position to bring information to their EU partners about Russia, because they know the country well.

Habsburg restitution claim turned down

An Austrian arbitration panel has rejected a demand by members of the Habsburg family that the Austrian government return real estate confiscated by the Nazis. Christian Habsburg Lothringen, a member of the former royal family, made the claim on behalf of about 16 family members in May. They were demanding the return of 20,000 hectares of private forest, a castle and several houses in Vienna. But the three-member arbitration panel ruled that the claim was outside its jurisdiction.

Hungary announces plans to open secret police files

Hungary's ruling Socialists have announced plans to open communist era secret police archives, as a way of coming to terms with the country's past. The socialists are themselves heirs to Hungary's communists, and the move is being partly interpreted as a way of boosting their image as a modern and moderate party. If parliament approves the proposal early next year, is will open all communist era archives, as in East Germany in the early 1990s.

New Slovenian government committed to joining euro

The new Slovenian centre-right government is settling down to work after finally being sworn in last Friday. The government brings an end to twelve years of domination by the left. The Prime Minister, Janez Jansa has said that one of his government's highest priorities would be to ensure that Slovenia meets the criteria for joining the Euro-zone. The coalition government's policy programme was criticised by the outgoing Prime Minister, Anton Rop, who said it would require hefty tax increases.