Past imperfect, future tense

Article is part of a FT Special Report, 'Review of Central and Eastern Europe 2009', and form the lead overview feature.

The countries of central and eastern Europe have had much to commemorate in 2009 – the 60th anniversary of the start of world war two, the 20th of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the fifth of the European Union’s eastward enlargement.

But the global recession has rather spoilt the atmosphere and prompted many central and east Europeans to spend more time worrying about their present and future uncertainties than celebrating the achievements of the past.