Eastern promise
Expanding the European Union would be great for Eastern Europe—and the net cost to Western Europe would be almost nothing
THE demolition of the Berlin Wall in December 1989 removed the most potent symbol of Europe's post-war economic and political divisions. More than seven years on, however, the continent is far from united. Not only do huge disparities in living standards between Eastern and Western Europe remain, but eastern countries still face a long wait before they are admitted to the west's economic and political club, the European Union.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Eastern promise”
From the April 12th 1997 edition
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