Insight Central Europe News

Kwasniewski favours referendum on EU constitution

The Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski has said that he favours holding a referendum in the country over the proposed European Constitution. Speaking during a state visit to Britain, he said that Poland was willing to seek compromise over disputed passages, and he rejected the idea that the Constitution paved the way to a European superstate. Mr Kwasniewski also renewed Poland's commitment to keeping troops is Iraq.

Polish journalist killed in Iraq

Two journalists - a Pole and an Algerian - working for Polish Public Television have been killed in Iraq. Another Polish journalist was wounded. He was taken to an American military hospital in Baghdad. The tragedy occurred on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital on Friday morning.

Iraq becomes an election issue in Hungary

The presence of Hungarian troops in Iraq has become a campaign issue in the run-up to Hungary's first ever elections to the European Parliament. Newly published opinion polls suggest that sixty percent of Hungarians support a withdrawal of the country's 300-strong contingent, and one of the opposition parties, the Hungarian Democratic Forum, has expressed its support for withdrawal.

Austrian Parliament remembers Roma Holocaust

Austria's parliament has held a special ceremony to remember the thousands of Austrian Romanies massacred during the Second World War. Only 2000 of the country's 11000 Roma population survived the Holocaust. The commemoration was one of a series of events to mark the 59th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria.

First Roma parliament in Czech Republic

Representatives of Romany organizations in the Czech Republic have elected the country's first ever Roma Parliament. It aims to act as an umbrella organization for Roma interests, and as a partner for talks with the Czech government and other institutions.

New border regulations bring long queues in Slovenia

There were long delays at the busiest border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia this week as stricter customs laws, brought in after Slovenia joined the European Union, left hundreds of trucks from the Balkans stranded. Slovenian customs officials said that the problem would remain until a new border post was completed later this year.