As you say in your article about corruption in Eastern Europe (“Talking of Virtue, Counting the Spoons,” May 24, 2008), the most spectacular cases of it can be found in the Balkans. Surprise, surprise! For the time being, Romania and Bulgaria lead the roost in the European Union. But wait for the next few steps in the Union’s enlargement! When it comes to corruption, Croatia is no slouch, and it is almost certain to join the Union in a couple of years. But then come Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania, all of which are close to the tail of Transparency International’s corruption index. Regardless of all the efforts to stamp out corruption before accession, chances are that it will remain deeply embedded in the social fabric of all these countries. For it is not only the politicians and administrators who are corrupt; rather, corruption is in the very mindset of all and sundry for untold generations. Living for centuries on the fringes of Turkey, Italy, Austria, and Hungary, these subjugated peoples learned to bribe their way to everything outside their reach.

Addendum I (May 28, 2008)

I just received another kind message from Edward Lucas, the correspondent for Central and Eastern Europe and deputy editor of The Economist: “Thank you for another excellent letter. I have recommended it for publication.” Over the moon, I wrote back at once: “Let’s hope the letter will indeed appear in the mighty newspaper. Coming from the region, it may have a bit of an impact.” It is a real pleasure to receive such feedback, it goes without saying. As for the letter’s impact, in the case it appears in print in a week or two, I admittedly allowed myself a touch of indecorous optimism. As though I presently forgot what I have actually written about the godforsaken region.

Addendum II (June 16, 2008)

The letter can indeed be found in the current edition of The Economist. Sadly, the good people in the editor’s office dropped the introductory sentences, and thus there is no mention of the Balkans in the published version. As a consequence, the whole letter loses its carefully considered focus.