Bratislava, Slovakia
The center-right party of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda soundly defeated a challenge by Vladimir Meciar, the country’s authoritarian founder, in national elections last week. Dzurinda’s party had campaigned on a democratic, pro-business platform, with an eye toward acceptance into the European Union and NATO. Both organizations had warned that a victory for Meciar would rule out membership. “I believe that in November we will be invited into NATO, and in 2004 into the E.U.,” said President Rudolf Schuster.
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