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Archived Articles  Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian descent, and former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with the hot political and economic topics, both Bulgarian and international. ("A Royal Solution." World Press Review. June 1997, provides English versions). He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in the country, and in 1996-1997 participated in the international monitors' teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria. In 1999 he was among the few Bulgarian journalists that supported NATO military operation against Yugoslavia. In 2002 Simeon and his family emigrated from Bulgaria to Canada where they now live in Montreal, Quebec.
Global Real Estate Project
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Europe: East-West Twin cities
After recent EU expansion many dreams have been replaced by economic reality. Reality sometimes has been worse than expectations, but sometimes may be better. We have shown how cities from different countries within Western Europe have utilized some opportunity of closer cooperation. Another big opportunity is to integrate residential, industrial and business areas that were once part of countries lying across the Iron Curtain. Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia) or as they are unofficially called now "Twin City Vienna-Bratislava" can illustrate that such integration isn't only possible but is already taking shape. With population of almost 5 million (9 million with surrounding regions within 2 hours by car or train) this new common urban area may be one of the largest Central European metropolises. Famous European historian of British origin Norman Davis has tried to understand the 20th c. European history as a long way back toward the normalcy of shared political, economic and cultural norms that have existed before the WWI. What he sees in the European development after the end of Cold War is precisely such return toward shared values and interests that were lacking for most of the century. Two medieval cities, Vienna and Bratislava, that for decades were artificially separated by ethnic and ideological divides, are now successfully thriving in their common desire to overcome these past divisions. By creating common urban area, these two capitals that 100 years ago as part of the larger Austro-Hungarian Empire were already linked with regular tramway system, are once again showing Europe and the world the benefices of cooperation and mutual integration. Each of these "just-married" has something special to offer for common good. Vienna has well-developed sector of high-tech biotechnologies. Many world-known companies are already producing and exporting from there. Bratislava and surrounding regions have recently attracted many first class automobile producers. Two countries boast to have first grade education system by any European standard. The economic location of this new "Twin City" is ideal for businesses that are both developing European and Euroasian projects. There is a tough competition from other nearly located metropolises and this competition will help producing one of them as a leader of regional economic development. First results of this common cooperation are already here. Two international airports that once served mainly domestic customers are increasingly turning into new regional air hubs serving tens of millions from all over Central and Southeast Europe. Given its good location on some of European busiest rivers, the new Twin City has all opportunities to become once again, as it did 100 years ago, a focus of Central European economic life.
Vienna-Bratislava Area of development --------------------
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