What's What and Who's Who in Europe [antikvár]

PREFACE What's What and Who's Who in Europe aims to provide concise information on current affairs in Europe. The information is presented in the form of alphabetically arranged entries which give basic definitions and background on people, places, organizations, terms and events in the news. The book is intended to be of use to students, researchers, journalists and businesspeople, in fact anyone who is interested in European affairs and needs to get their facts straight. Topicality and accuracy are the main considerations. There is extensive cross-referencing to ensure accessibility and ease of use. The project started from two simple premises: first, that in an increasingly interdependent world a grasp of international affairs is essential; and second, that too much discussion of European affairs is based on myths and misunderstandings and not enough on facts. The starting point was coverage in newspapers, magazines, radio and television broadcasts and so on. The final selection of items is to some extent a matter of editorial judgement and inevitably reflects personal interests and preconceptions. I make no apologies for that, but I do, of course, for any errors that have crept in. In the course of researching and writing, two patterns emerged that were in constant tension: on the one hand the great diversity within European society, politics and culture, based on or derived from the multitude of historical experiences and traditions that have come to make up Europe; and on the other the sense of a common heritage passed down from the Roman Empire through Christendom and the Holy Roman Empire to today's European Union and the notion of a 'common European home'. The challenge for Europeans, it seems to me, is to respect and preserve this diversity, channel the creative energies it generates, develop ways of resolving by peaceful means the conflicts it undeniably also entails, and find a means of embedding it into Europe-wide structures. I do not have any prescriptions on how this vision is to be achieved. But I am convinced that awareness and recognition of the diversity of Europe - in essence, the facts about Europe - is the first, and an essential, step towards realizing the loftier goals. What's What and Who's Who in Europe deals with the substratum of facts - dates, biographical details, institutional structures, economic indicators etc - without which no understanding of the contemporary world is possible. Interpretation of facts is of course the stuff of political and historical controversy, but unless the facts are accurate and agreed, such controversy amounts to no more than a dialogue of the deaf. I am