Eastern Europe Review

Well as you all know I spent the last 10 days visiting Eastern and Central Europe and well what would it be if I didn’t make three general comments about the similarities I saw among the four countries I visited. Just to remind you I went to…

1. Krakow, Poland
2. Prague, Czech Republic
3. Bratislava, Slovakia
4. Budapest, Hungary

All in all these countries were amazing and this was the best trip by far that I have taken while being here. But I noticed a number of ‘issues’ or maybe ‘concerns’ that the Eastern and Central counties had.

1. All 4 counties had a fear of loosing their identity by joining the EU. Polish were afraid they would become European instead of Poles. Czechs thought they would be engulfed by the EU with no say to their countries actions and power.
2. The second was the fact that this region has had ever changing boarders for quite some time. Switching occupation between Germany and Russia and having so many arguments in regards to borders these countries want to hold on to what sovereignty they have right now and may are afraid they will lose it by joining the EU.
3. There is an intense inferiority complex among the states. Poland thinks it’s better than Czech, Czech thinks it’s better than Slovakia, Slovakia thinks its better Hungary, and Hungary thinks they’re all better than it. But they consistently struggle to be the ‘best’ eastern European state.