Danube Blues
Soon to become part of the European Union (EU), Hungary is now busily trying to dump its Soviet-era trappings, says this article in the Guardian. Symbolic moves, like canceling Stalin s honorary citizenship and prohibiting the public display of communist red stars, are being taken to distance Hungary from its communist past. But economic concerns aren t so easy to legislate away. With a large trade deficit and a public debt as high as 57% of GDP, the government is trying to cope with a wide range of economic problems, including labor and immigration. As current EU states impose immigration restrictions on the new EU member countries like Hungary, Budapest is retaliating with policies that would introduce restrictions on foreign workers in the country. Weighed down by economic and political problems, and forced to balance the imperative for radical change and the need to protect its population, says the author, the Hungarian government has decided to delay its ea