THE PULSE OF EUROPE : A Tale of Two Continents

It is truly the best of times in Europe--and perhaps the worst of times.

The Times Mirror survey reveals a continent full of ethnic tension, if not outright hatred. It reveals profound concern about economic conditions and confusion about the best path to the future. It suggests that extraordinary political leadership will be vital to steer Europe, East and West, through the changes that confront it--but simultaneously reveals deep skepticism about politicians.

On the other hand, it also illuminates a Europe fundamentally altered from the one which the world has known for the past nearly five decades. It’s worth recalling that a poll such as the one summarized in these pages would have been out of the question not so long ago among Soviet and East European citizens long conditioned to keep their opinions to themselves. For all its problems and dangers, there is also a new Europe of cooperation and enlightenment revealed here.

Perhaps most hopeful, the survey found, is that in general, the younger and better educated are firmly rooted to this new Europe. In an era of increased emphasis on education and instant global communication, it is reasonable to imagine that this broader identification with the idea of Europe--with a set of essentially humane values and democratic political beliefs--will one day dominate.

That would be the best of times.