I began this book by examining the arguments for and against the first and subsequent rounds of NATO enlargement and then proceeded to scrutinize the four East European states' preparedness for membership in the Alliance. I have two remaining tasks: first, to compare the record of Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia with respect to NATO's accession criteria as outlined in Chapter 1; and second, to briefly assess the benefits of potential enlargement scenarios. I strongly support the Alliance's further expansion to Eastern Europe. I am convinced, however, that candidate states should satisfy NATO's conditions of admission prior to becoming members.

PREPARATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

In this section I discuss six substantive areas that largely correspond to NATO's accession criteria. I will complement my personal ranking of the four states in each segment with other available ratings.

Democratic Politics and Minority Affairs

When considering the democratic transition and consolidation of Eastern Europe since 1989 it is important to recognize that the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia are not the regional norm. Far from it, these are states that have been remarkably successful compared to the rest of Eastern Europe and particularly when contrasted to the rest of the postcommunist world.

From the perspective of the four countries discussed in this book, Slovenia is clearly head and shoulders above the others with respect to consolidating a democratic polity.