Cold feet can be contagious: Central European governments leading their countries into the European Union next month are suffering at the polls. In Slovakia, the governing coalition's main presidential candidate lost out to hard-line nationalist and former Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar, who's the favorite going into the final round of voting this weekend. Although the post is largely ceremonial, the return of the controversial strongman would complicate relations with its new E.U. partners, says Grigorij Meseznikov, head of the Institute for Public Affairs in Bratislava. "It's not good for the country," he says. "Our image abroad will...
