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Just under a month from now, the whole of Europe will be watching France, where a crucial referendum is being held on ratifying the European Union's first constitution. The Czech Republic is due to hold a referendum on the issue next year, but the country's conservative president, Vaclav Klaus, has already come out strongly against ratification. But is Mr Klaus's opposition in tune with public feeling? And will it have an impact on voting? Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby has the story.

On May 1st 2004, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and five other European countries joined the European Union. But after years of preparation, Central Europeans met EU membership with 'cautious' optimism, unsure of how EU accession would affect their every-day lives. One main fear that most Central Europeans had a year ago was that prices would go up while salaries would remain the same.

The EU CAP or Common Agriculture Policy has caused many a Central European farmer headaches in the last year on issues ranging from production quotas to direct subsidies. In Hungary, where up to seven percent of the country's population of ten million are trying to earn a living from agriculture, the agri-food sector had high expectations from EU membership.

Central Europe's accession to the EU has also brought calls for new and more co-ordinated border controls with eastern neighbours. Poland has just been chosen to house the European Union's Control Agency for external borders, which will monitor how EU states patrol the bloc's external borders. Slovenia, which shares its boarder with EU hopeful Croatia, and thereby controls an important stretch of the EU's external border, was disappointed at not being chosen to house the new agency.

The collapse of communism in Europe at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s opened up Eastern Europe's markets to foreign investors. But while foreign capital was needed in countries like Slovenia, there were also reservations about what it might do to the country.

Students, graduates, young professionals and NGO leaders of Central European countries came together in Warsaw this week to discuss the current challenges of Visegrad co-operation, established between Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary four years ago. Radio Polonia went along to the 5th Visegrad Youth Conference, organised by the Young Diplomats organization and the 'Centre for Europe' foundation.

The German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected as the new Pope. As Pope Benedict XVI, he shall strive to unite all Christians and has vowed to hold "open and sincere dialogue", even with other religious groups. But to Central Europeans, who hold a special place in their hearts for his Polish predecessor who helped restore faith during the authoritarian communist days, will this new pope be able to continue with the legacy of John Paul II and reach believers and non-believers alike?

The Travel, Leisure and Tourism Group of the financial consultants KPMG in Central and Eastern Europe has prepared a research study analysing what low cost airlines have brought to the Hungarian market and how the tourism industry could benefit as the low cost airline segment evolves further.

The Polish Institute in Bratislava is hosting an exhibition of drawings by Polish film director Andrzej Wajda. The exhibition is an accompanying event of the 12th Febiofest film festival, which is currently underway in Slovakia and has just come to an end in the Czech Republic. The world cinema icon's Japanese-like dreamy pictures offer the perfect time out for Slovak film buffs like us. We met up with Mr Wajda at the institute.

The University of Omniscience is a series of public science lectures launched in Hungary about 3 years ago. It recently celebrated its 100th lectures and is generally thought to be a sweeping success. The lectures also go out on public television, schools stage contests linked to them, and books are published. The man behind the lectures is Norbert Kroo, Secretary General of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.