I'll tell you in September if this is really the case, well if its really the case amongst the members of the government at least.
Interestingly, many people there tend to comment on things slightly differently depending on whether they regard the person they talk to being from the "East" or from the "West". I speak Polish with an eastern accent and was often regarded as someone, still, from the "East", and possibly this is why I was getting that much of comments critical of what Western Europe currently represents. - There is little point to grumble at 'godless secularism' in front of someone who is definitely presumed to believe in secularism and is not at all expected to understand e.g. the
"antemuralis christianitatis" concept/version of
"racja stanu", is there
But also consider this. For a decade they had a firmly established national political consensus: i.e. that joining NATO and the EU was the major
raison d'Etat, national interest, simply a matter of historical destiny; anyone who challenged this, was
ipso facto resigning from the political mainstream.
So, by this established consensus, all the "responsible" elements of their political elites and press felt for a long time largely compelled consciously to keep East-European disgruntlements about the character of West-European societies ( - such as secularism, feminist politics, "multiculturalism", overall social liberalism) under lid - the least it hinders the fundamental
national interest of the accession.
Now this
national interest having been accomplished, this
raison d'Etat rationale disappearing - it will be indeed interesting to see how the display of the attitudes develops from now on, and what impact it may have on the overall 'political climate' in the EU. When it gets to the MEP elections in Central Europe, it may well happen that some in the EU West will be truely
estonished!
(Oh well, in fact Estonia is one of the more socially-liberal places in the new EU East.)
Code: Select allWhy sad for Russia? Because Russia isnt joining EU as well?
Hm, then think of how sad must be places like Moldova. They are not in Russia but are neither offered a prospect of EU accession, while Romania just nearby and speaking the same language, is on the track.