Eastern Europe Weighs Costs of Bush Alliance After Re-Election

The re-election of President George W. Bush prompted soul-searching across former communist states in central and eastern Europe, where enthusiasm for the US-led Iraq mission has cooled sharply since 2003.

Hungary announced it will pull its 300 soldiers out of Iraq by 31 March 2005, with Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany citing domestic opposition to the deployment. Poland, which commands a multinational force south of Baghdad, plans a phased withdrawal of its 2,500 troops through 2005, driven by public discontent ahead of upcoming elections.

Press outlets in both countries questioned whether a second Bush term could repair strained transatlantic relations. Bulgarian analyst Ognian Minchev warned that the Iraq war had widened the US-Europe divide and that Bulgaria would face a difficult balancing act between its NATO commitments and its goal of EU membership in 2007.

Romania struck a different tone. President Ion Iliescu said his country, which hopes to host American military bases, stood to benefit from the Bush victory. Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda pushed back against anti-American sentiment in Europe, calling the transatlantic relationship "key for the future of Europe."

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.