19. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of Inter-
13. Between 1991 and 2003, Polish education
net users per 1,000 people increased from 0 in all
spending as a percentage of GDP rose from 5.18
four countries to 469 in the Czech Republic, 269
percent to 5.60 percent. In the Czech Republic it
in Hungary, 235 in Poland, and 422 in Slovakia.
rose from 4.04 percent in 1999 (the first year for
Ibid.
which the data is available) to 4.41 percent in
2003. In contrast, between 1991 and 2003, Slovak
20. Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP
education spending declined from 5.55 percent to
declined in the Czech Republic from 2.35 percent
4.34 percent. Similarly, Hungarian spending
in 1993 to 1.83 in 2004. In Hungary, it declined
declined from 6.11 percent to 5.50 percent. (It
from 3.08 percent in 1989 to 1.74 percent in 2004.
should be noted, however, that the birth rate in
In Slovakia, it declined from 1.99 percent in 1993
Central Europe declined in the post-communist
to 1.74 percent in 2004. In Poland military spend-
period.) Ibid.
ing increased slightly from 1.81 percent in 1989
to 1.89 percent in 2004. Ibid.
14. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total
enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of
21. European Foundation for the Improvement
the age group that officially corresponds to the
of Living and Working Conditions, First European
level of education shown. See "World Development
Quality of Life Survey: Life Satisfaction, Happiness and
Indicators," University of Michigan Library.
Sense of Belonging (Dublin: European Foundation
for the Improvement of Living and Working
15. Gross primary school enrollment ratio
Conditions, 2005).
increased in the Czech Republic from 96.37 per-
cent in 1991 to 102.15 percent in 2003. In Hungary
22. The Harris Poll, "Americans Remain More
and Poland it increased from 94.54 percent to
Optimistic and Satisfied with Life than Europeans,"
98.55 percent and from 98.36 percent to 99.50 per-
Harris Interactive, July 20, 2005, http://www.harrisin
cent, respectively. There is no comparable data for
teractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=585.
the Slovak Republic, but the gross primary school
enrollment ratio in 2003 was 100.24 percent.
23. Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, "New
Between 1991 and 2003, the gross secondary
Slovak Government Embraces Ultra-Nationalists,
school enrollment ratio in the Czech Republic,
Excludes Hungarian Coalition Party," HHRF Alert,
Hungary, and Poland rose from 91.15 percent to
July 9, 2006, http://www.hhrf.org/hhrf/index_en.
96.89 percent, from 78.55 percent to 103.41 per-
php?oldal=182.
cent, and from 81.47 percent to 104.51 percent,
respectively. In Slovakia it was 91.73 percent in
24. Lepper's Self-Defense Party left the coalition
2003. Between 1991 and 2003, the Czech gross ter-
government in September 2006. The Law and
tiary enrollment ratio increased from 16 percent to
Justice Party promised to go on governing with
36.88 percent, Hungarian rose from 14 percent to
the support of a small Polish Peasant's Party or
51.88 percent and Polish increased from 21.74 per-
head for early elections.
cent to 59.47 percent. In Slovakia it was 33.99 per-
cent in 2003. (Unfortunately, no comparable data
25. Lily Galili, "`I'm No Fascist,'" Haaretz.com, May
exists for the Slovak Republic.) World Bank,
6, 2004, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/
"World Development Indicators Online."
ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=431596&contrassID=2&sub
ContrassID=20&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y.
16. Between 1990 and 2003, the number of passen-
ger cars per 1,000 people in the Czech Republic,
26. World Bank, "World Development Indicators
Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia increased from
Online."
228, 187, 138, and 162 to 357 (2002), 274, 294 and
251, respectively. Ibid.
27. "Hungary PM Admits Lying to Win Election,"
Telegraph.co.uk, September 18, 2006, http://www.
17. Between 1990 and 2002, the total network of
telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/20
roads (in kilometers) in the Czech Republic
06/09/18/uhungary.xml.
expanded from 55,892 to 127,672, in Hungary
from 105,774 to 159,568, in Poland from 363,116
28. "Hungary," Financial Times, July 16, 2006.
to 423,997, and in Slovakia from 17,937 to
42,993. Ibid.
29. András Bíró Nagy, "Hungary's Socialist Party
after the Elections," Policy Network, 2006, http://
18. In the Czech Republic, the number of fixed-
www.progressive-governance.net/php/article.php?
line and mobile phone subscribers per 1,000 peo-
aid=588&sid=3.
ple increased from 150 in 1989 to 1,392 in 2004.
In Hungary it increased from 88 to 1,217, in
30. Also see Robin Shepherd, "Slovakia Sets
Poland from 88 to 777, and in Slovakia from 126
Extremist Challenge for Europe," Financial Times,
to 1,026. Ibid.
21