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Published Sunday April 21, 2002 When leftists see the light

It's a fascinating evolution: Several of the former communist parties in the former Soviet bloc countries have earned respect by jettisoning a leftist agenda and embracing free enterprise.

American journalist Matt Welch, an insightful commentator on such matters, writes in an analysis of Hungary's current election campaign that, "as is often the case in Central Europe, the ex-communists have a solid track record in sober fiscal management and free marketing." In fact, he says, Hungary's ex-communists, who now call themselves the Socialists, have formed a coalition with a free-market party against the country's ruling party, which "continues to flirt with the uglier side of Hungarian nationalism."

Imagine that: In some countries, casting a ballot for a Socialist might actually be the smart thing to do.