On February 17th, Margaret Beckett, the president of the Board of Trade, confirmed that the government intends to stand by its election pledge to compel companies to give a trade union the right to negotiate pay and conditions for employees when a majority of workers have voted to be represented by a union.

ECONOMIST: Trade unions

The 350, 000-odd ethnic Hungarians (or Magyars), a fifth of Vojvodina's people, are a cause dear to the heart of Hungary's ruling centre-right, which came to power in last year's general election partly because it promised to do more to stand up for Magyars outside Hungary.

ECONOMIST: Magyars in Serbia: Worried | The