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European press review The German press debates the recent turnaround in relations with Libya, as well as compensation claims brought by the Herero people of Namibia against Germany. Russian newspapers express their concern over the dangers of soaring oil prices, as well as joining French and Swiss newspapers in their anticipation of the Athens Olympics. 'Omen' Libya's decision to compensate some of the victims of the 1986 nightclub bombing in Berlin continues to provoke comment in the German press. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung welcomes a German government statement saying Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will visit Libya soon in response to the deal. Such a trip, the paper says, would "come at just the right time to convey to the Libyan leadership that... closer economic ties alone cannot be enough." Der Tagesspiegel, however, sees the "lightning speed" of the chancellor's announcement - which also included an invitation to the Libyan leader to visit Germany - as evidence of the "concrete material interests" behind Germany's recent rapprochement with Libya. While arguing that there is nothing wrong with German business showing an interest in North Africa, the paper accuses Mr Schroeder of having a track record of promoting economic interests over human rights. "And this is really not a good omen for a meeting with Gaddafi," it warns. Meanwhile, the Berliner Zeitung says Libya itself is justified in demanding compensation from the US for the bombings of Tripoli and Benghazi which came in the wake of the Berlin attacks. 'Genocide' Another compensation issue preoccupies Der Tagesspiegel as a German minister for the first time attends ceremonies commemorating the massacre of Namibia's Herero people by German colonial troops in 1904. Describing the killings as "deliberate mass murder" and "genocide", the paper says demands for $4bn in compensation by the victims' descendants are "morally legitimate". It adds that the events of 100 years ago should also be taught in German schools, along with other dark periods in German history. "Not this as well?", the paper can imagine some Germans asking, and answers: "Yes, this as well, for what is at stake is the historical truth." Oil woes Russian dailies are preoccupied by the domestic economy, particularly in connection with rising oil prices. Moskovsky Komsomolets says that, as a country depending on oil exports for income, Russia should in theory be delighted with predictions that the oil price could hit $100 per barrel in the future. However, such rises may not be all good news for Russia, the paper thinks. "Our economy is at risk of choking on all the petrodollars being piled into it, because we have still not learned to digest them or metabolise them into something useful for the body," it warns. "Just as gluttony will kill a man," the paper adds, "so super-high oil prices will destabilise first industry, then the financial system, then the pockets of ordinary citizens." Trud has similar fears, arguing that Russia is still far too dependent on oil exports for its own good. "There is clear underinvestment in the hi-tech sectors of the economy that can make good Russia's financial losses after the world oil price boom collapses," the paper explains. Olympic anticipation The Olympics do not seem to be going right for Russia either, according to some papers, despite the fact that they have not yet begun. Aside from the woes of the Russian shooting team members who, as reported in Novyye Izvestia, have been forced to survive on "dry rations", it is the women's basketball team who have got off to the worst possible start. Greece is showing that it is something more than a theme park of ancient history Liberation The Rossiskaya Gazeta reports that the team will not be attending the opening ceremony on Friday. Why? The paper explains: "There weren't enough uniforms for them. The Bosco Sport company which provided clothing for our Olympians could not find suits for the team because of their extremely unusual measurements." In France, on the other hand, the daily Liberation is upbeat, and looks forward to what it suggests could be a "triumphant" games in Athens. Greece, it says, has "spectacularly given the lie" to any doubts that it could stage an event as large as the Games. "Greece is showing that it is something more than a theme park of ancient history." Swiss newspaper Le Temps is less concerned with the efforts of Greece than with its own country's contribution to the Olympics off the track. The paper points out that partly Swiss-made airships will carry the television cameras which film the events, Swiss trains and travelators will transport competitors around the Olympic village, and Swiss firm Swatch is the official timekeeper of the Games. To top it all off, however, the paper adds that athletes' urine samples will be
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European press review Tuesday's German papers view opposition to Chancellor Schroeder's attempt to reform the country's welfare system. The main topic in the Czech republic is the start of a four-year jail sentence by a former communist official for his role in the 1968 Soviet occupation. In France, holidaying cabinet ministers have heeded President Chirac's instructions not to go too far for too long, but apparently to no avail, and the EU's military arm shows its mettle in Afghanistan. German welfare reforms German papers note Monday's demonstrations against Chancellor Schroeder's welfare reforms, echoing the "Monday demonstrations" of 15 years ago in the former German Democratic Republic in the run-up to the collapse of the communist regime. The Berliner Zeitung believes that officials who reject comparisons between 1989 and the present fail to take into account what the paper calls "the aggressive social mood engendered by disappointment". "Politicians," the paper says, "have not told their fellow-citizens the truth in a comprehensible, timely and honest fashion." According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the "resentment-laden" demonstrations "have little to do with the realities of the country and its problems". "There is astonishingly little talk", the paper argues, "of the 900,000 social welfare recipients... who live in meagre circumstances and whose situation will improve with the new law." "But we hear a lot about the fear of decline of the middle class, which now sees just how threatened its prosperity is," it adds. Former communist behind Czech bars All the major Czech dailies comment on the case of 80-year-old Karel Hoffmann, the former senior communist official and director of state telecommunications, who has started a four-year jail sentence for his role in the Soviet Union's occupation of what was then Czechoslovakia in August 1968. A commentary in Pravo expresses mixed feelings. The paper points out that Hoffmann's behaviour in preventing the country's leaders from broadcasting a statement denouncing the occupation, was "a targeted act of sabotage". It takes moral unscrupulousness to describe Hoffmann's behaviour on 21 August 1968 as 'a breach of the telecommunications law' Hospodarske Noviny On the other hand, it says, a sick octogenarian does not belong in jail. So the mooted pardon from President Vaclav Klaus, the paper stresses, "should be on the grounds of advanced age and poor health", and not because "all he did, after all, was break the telecommunications law". Hospodarske Noviny finds Mr Klaus's reported intentions "beyond comprehension". "It takes moral unscrupulousness," the paper says, "to describe Hoffmann's behaviour on the night of 21 August 1968 to those who well remember what happened afterwards, as 'a breach of the telecommunications law'." Mlada Fronta Dnes says Hoffmann's case "provokes compassion rather than hatred" and finds it understandable that President Vaclav Klaus should be considering a pardon. What is worse, in the paper's opinion, is that the communists who support Hoffmann have not abandoned the stance which "brought humiliation to the country", and that opinion polls show some 20% of the population in agreement with them. French leave Following the public and media outcry during France's 2003 heatwave, when elderly people were dying in Paris in their thousands with hardly a member of the government to be found, the French Le Figaro notes that President Chirac's instructions to his ministers to have "short and studious" summer breaks, and never be more than two hours away from Paris, have been "obeyed". This year, the paper says, "as soon as a local disaster has occurred, or concerns have been expressed, the minister in charge has never failed to turn up". Poor ministers - mid-August is almost upon us and they haven't the slightest heatwave to get their teeth into Liberation Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin set the example, it points out, by interrupting his summer break in Haute-Savoie to visit a horse-riding school after a fire in which eight people died. Paris's Liberation says that having been instructed by President Chirac to "look concerned every time a tourist is stung by a mosquito", all cabinet ministers had "learned their roles and prepared their responses", but the summer "is proving deadly" for their ambitions because nothing much is happening.The paper takes some heavily ironic pity on the dutiful government. "Poor ministers," it says. "Mid-August is almost upon us and they haven't the slightest heatwave to get their teeth into." Eurocorps' Afghan mission A French-led Eurocorps military force made up of troops from Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain assumed command of the Nato-led international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, Isaf, on Monday. The German Der Tagesspiegel observes th
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European press review Monday's French dailies suggest that the days of Corsican separatism may be numbered, but warn that its more extreme elements are all the more dangerous for that. The German press looks at leading social-democrat Oskar Lafontaine's threat to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and with the Olympic Games almost upon us, papers across Europe ponder the changes since the first modern games in 1896. Death throes? The weekend's meeting of Corsican and other European separatist organisations in the Corsican town of Corte prompts the French Le Figaro to conclude that the Corsican separatists "seem increasingly divided". Despite the fact that those attending "declared their preference for a solution negotiated with the French state", the paper notes, "negotiation is no longer on the agenda, and those who support it are being fiercely challenged by the illegal underground groups". Le Figaro's fellow-Parisian daily Liberation agrees. The weekend's meeting, the paper says, "showed a Corsican nationalist movement if not in decline, certainly up a blind alley and perhaps on the point of splitting between 'political' and 'military' wings". The very idea of nationalism seems to have run its course Le Monde "Last March's regional elections," it adds, "confirmed that the movement's sympathisers are a minority." Its activists "are not many" the paper notes, "and its 'soldiers' a mere handful". But the latter "are armed and dangerous", Liberation warns, "and some seem about to break away from the strategy of unity, of dialogue with Paris and of a truce in their attacks". "Over the past ten years," the paper says, "the Corsican nationalists have been tearing themselves apart in vendettas worse than the clan fights against which their movement was formed." They have "allowed their struggle to become corrupted by crime and racketeering to such an extent that they have become their own hostages", it concludes. Le Monde also believes that the Corte meeting "may well have heralded the end of an era", because "militant Corsican nationalism seems to have lost its life-force". "It is above all the very idea of nationalism that seems to have run its course," the paper argues." It points out that issues which were "a novelty" 30 years ago, "such as the defence of the Corsican language and culture and the protection of the island's coastline", are now "practically taken for granted". But "as always happens when an armed organisation begins to fade away", Le Monde warns, "the lost fighters of Corsican nationalism are certainly still capable of the worst". German politics In Germany, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung believes that Oskar Lafontaine, the former finance minister and former leader of the Social Democrats, put his foot in it when he threatened on Sunday to help form a breakaway leftist party if Chancellor Schroeder's government continues with benefit cuts which have led to protests across Germany. The paper believes these remarks may well cost the controversial left-wing politician the party's backing even in his native Saarland. "This was probably Mr Lafontaine's biggest mistake since his resignation in the spring of 1999," the paper says. Lafontaine knows that the Chancellor would rather lose office than visibly change the direction of his social reforms Die Welt It suggests that his remarks come at a time when his party needs him as a counterweight to Mr Schroeder. "Somebody should have a word with Lafontaine - as one Social Democrat to another," the paper urges. Die Welt, for its part, suggests that Mr Lafontaine's real plan is to found what it calls "his own Lafontaine party". Mr Lafontaine's "patronising ultimatum to the SPD was nothing of the kind," the paper says, "because Oskar Lafontaine also knows that the chancellor would rather lose office than visibly change the direction of his social reforms". Looking at the situation from further afield, the Spanish El Pais accuses Oskar Lafontaine of "disloyalty to a political project" as well as "intellectual frivolity" for, as the paper puts it, "suggesting a leftward split" and "according respectability to parties which remain attached to a totalitarian tradition in eastern Germany". "So far," the paper says, Mr Lafontaine "has only contributed to aggravating the crisis in his own party", has "worsened the confrontation with the trade unions" and has made the SPD's internal rifts "more acute". "Lafontaine's insolence," it argues, "provides not so much a solution to the crisis as a way of making it worse." Olympics France's Le Monde believes that Greece, the host of the 2004 Olympics, "no longer has much in common" with the country which staged the first modern Games in 1896. It points out that present-day Greece is a member of the European Union and the euro zone, "to which", the daily says, "it owes its new prosperity and natio
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European press review Russian papers voice varying degrees of concern over renewed tension between Moscow and Tbilisi over Georgia's two breakaway regions. Some German papers are not keen on the latest economic advice dispensed to the government by the OECD. And France's leading daily makes an impassioned plea to Zinedine Zidane not to quit the national football team. Holidays with a difference The president of ex-Soviet Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, has ordered his forces to fire on Russian cruise ships heading for the Black Sea resorts of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, on the grounds that the Kremlin supports the separatists. One can well imagine what America would do if a congressman were to be fired upon in a neighbouring country, and not by bandits, either, but by members of the security forces Krasnaya Zvesda Moscow's Izvestiya points out that the Georgian president issued his warning personally to Russian holidaymakers in a live broadcast. But "Russian tourists are not worried by Saakashvili's threats", it says, because "they travel to the resorts overland, not by sea". The paper notes that Abkhazia and the other breakaway region of South Ossetia "are convinced" that Georgia has a new policy of settling such disputes by force. "Having promised his people that he would get South Ossetia and Abkhazia back within a year," it says, "Saakashvili... cannot afford to slacken the pace". "They've started firing not only on ordinary Russian citizens living in South Ossetia, but on high-ranking representatives of our country," says a slightly more alarmed Krasnaya Zvesda, in connection with an incident when a convoy carrying a Russian parliamentary delegation came under fire near the village of Sarabuk. In a reference to Mr Saakashvili's current visit to the United States, the paper adds: "One can well imagine what America... would do if a congressman were to be fired upon in a neighbouring country, and not by bandits, either, but by members of the security forces." "It is not hard to guess," it continues, "where American ships, aircraft and marines would promptly turn up". As for Russia, the paper notes, it is "behaving with restraint". The problem is that "such a manifestation of patience can be taken for weakness in the Caucasus." The German patient Germany's Die Tageszeitung criticizes some of the recommendations for the German economy contained in a report published on Thursday by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, the OECD. Germany is doing better, but it is still convalescing Le Temps The report suggested that the government should carry out more radical labour market reforms than those planned so far. "But all this would, initially, lead to further cuts in people's income and would thus in the short term cause a slowdown in the economy," the paper argues. "Not to mention the fact that additional, harsher reforms would be difficult to carry through politically," it adds. In neighbouring Switzerland, Geneva's Le Temps takes a more upbeat view of the OECD'S document. "Germany is doing better, but it is still convalescing," the paper says. The good news contained in the report, the paper explains, is that German industry is "in good health" and unemployment should start falling from 2005 onwards. Back in Germany, the Frankfurter Rundschau is indignant over a government proposal which would require the long-term unemployed to use their own assets before qualifying for unemployment benefit. It says that those who lay their hands on the potential inheritance of the children of the unemployed "instead of taxing the rich or forcing bosses to disclose their earnings" have jettisoned any left-wing credentials they may have had. Advantage Chirac Paris's Le Figaro records a victory for President Jacques Chirac in the long-running war of attrition with his finance minister and avowed rival for the presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Sarkozy, the paper says, "had made it known from the outset" that he hoped to include the Ministry of Defence in his drive to tighten next year's budget and cut expenditure. "But the minister has just lost his battle," it adds. Already on Bastille Day, 14 July, the paper recalls, President Chirac "declared that there was no question of touching" the military procurement programme and the 15.6 billion euros earmarked for "investment" in defence. And the prime minister's office has since announced that next year's defence budget will amount to 1.5 billion euros more than that for 2004, it adds. The Hungarian commissioner Budapest's Nepszabadsag calls the controversy over the appointment of Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs as Hungary's representative in the European Commission "an April Fool's Joke in the middle of summer". We are indeed a country much given to jokes Nepszabadsag "The new commissioners," the paper believes, "have immeasurably stronger" links with their g
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European press review French papers pay tribute to renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. The Spanish press comments on Gibraltar's celebrations of 300 years of British rule. A Warsaw daily wishes Russia would come to terms with a dark chapter in its history. In Germany, papers take a keen interest in a trial involving sex, drugs, and a friend of the chancellor. Cartier-Bresson France's Le Monde describes Henri Cartier-Bresson, who has died at the age of 95, as "one of the 20th century's great master photographers" and "a major witness to all the major world events" of the last century. For many people Cartier-Bresson was to photography what Michaelangelo was to sculpture or Rembrandt to painting La Tribune de Geneve "This austere magician combined the rules of geometry with an outstanding intuition which enabled him to capture the crucial moment, in all places and all circumstances," it says. Liberation devotes its entire front page to a photo of Cartier-Bresson looking through the objective of his tiny hand-held Leica in his younger days. The paper points out that the photographer decried his own art, describing it as "a mechanical trick". It also quotes him as having once said: "I have no imagination, I just look". "But in capturing the world in his pictures", it says, Cartier-Bresson "knew that he was continuing in his own century the artist's endless quest to steal a spark of life from time and space". The Swiss La Tribune De Geneve sees Cartier-Bresson's passing as heralding "the end of the world in black-and-white". "For many people," the paper says, "he was to photography what Michaelangelo was to sculpture or Rembrandt to painting". 'Provocation' Madrid's El Pais criticises the way the UK government marked the 300th anniversary of British sovereignty over Gibraltar on Wednesday. [Brussels] could, for example, force London to end Gibraltar's role as a tax haven and international smuggling centre which so contributes to the Gibraltarians' attachment to the status quo El Pais It says that sending Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon to the territory was London's "third unfriendly gesture in just a few months" - the other two being visits by Princess Anne and by the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless. The dispute, "has moved from the seemingly imminent prospect, two years ago, of an agreement on shared sovereignty", to such "acts of gratuitous provocation". The paper links this change with what it sees as the British prime minister's own shifting political fortunes, from "the triumphant Blair" of after the 2002 elections, to the current "enfeebled" version preparing to go to the polls next year for the third time. Brussels, it argues, "has trump cards it can play to unblock the situation: It could, for example, force London to end Gibraltar's role as a tax haven and international smuggling centre which so contributes to the Gibraltarians' attachment to the status quo". Slicing the cake Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung expects incoming EU Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso to face strong pressure from member states over the sharing out of portfolios among the new commissioners. Barroso would make a total fool of himself were he nevertheless to choose the German as Europe's economy tsar Sueddeutsche Zeitung "Barroso will have to fear all EU governments as enemies who regard their 24 supposedly European commissioners in reality as champions of their own national interests." It points out that Berlin wants a key economic post for its commissioner even though, in the paper's opinion, he lacks economic expertise. "In the eyes of most EU partners," the paper says, "Barroso would make a total fool of himself were he nevertheless to choose the German as Europe's economy tsar." Austria's Der Standard says the areas of expertise of the 24 incoming commissioners do not match the available portfolios very well. The paper notes that eight of them are experienced in foreign policy while there are no experts in the fields of agriculture, home affairs or justice. "The problem would be aggravated," it argues, "were it to turn out that the economic portfolios... are to be put together and, in line with Berlin's declared wish, given to a German." "What would then be left for the others?" the paper wonders. Katyn "Russia is incapable of stripping its own history of lies," says a commentary in Warsaw's Gazeta Wyborcza, following a decision by the Russian military prosecutor's office not to issue indictments at the end of an investigation into the notorious 1940 massacre of some 23,000 Polish officers in the town of Katyn. The paper points out that, under the UN Convention of 1948, such an act fits the definition of genocide, and it takes a scathing view of Russia's claimed inability to accept the application of the definition. The real reason, it argues, is that acknowledgin
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European press review Many hail the successful outcome of a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Geneva, but not all are convinced it will lead to fairer trade. The German chancellor's speech at the commemoration of the Warsaw uprising receives lukewarm responses and Czech papers worry about the effect of an explosion in Prague on tourism. WTO accord The new global trade framework agreed on at the Geneva WTO meeting provides "eloquent proof" that globalization is not just another means of domination by larger countries, says Spain's El Pais. The paper also believes the deal struck in Geneva has averted a disaster. The agreement will mean higher added value for all concerned. Die Presse Any failure in negotiations would have seriously threatened the growth of "an already unbalanced world economy", it says. Austria's Die Presse also welcomes the agreement, which it believes will mean "higher added value for all concerned". In fact, it goes on to argue that the trade deal could be regarded as the "crowning glory" of the EU's outgoing agriculture commissioner, Austria's very own Franz Fischler. And Switzerland's Le Temps believes that the meeting has set a new direction for world trade, namely one in which developed nations will have to open their markets to farm produce, the main asset of developing countries. "Non-binding promises" But not all commentators are as optimistic about the agreed trade framework. In Germany, Die Tageszeitung complains that the agreement is "vague" and biased in favour of industrialised nations. The poorest countries are quite simply vulnerable to blackmail. Die Tageszeitung The paper argues that the poorest countries will still find it hard to negotiate a final deal in line with their interests, as they are "quite simply vulnerable to blackmail, for example when threatened with the withdrawal of food aid". It also believes that while developing countries have made concessions over opening their markets, they obtained no more than "non-binding promises without concrete deadlines" in return. These countries would only have enough power to assert their interests if they stopped allowing themselves to be divided, Die Tageszeitung says, adding, however, that they would also first have to be able to afford such firm principles. Political implications Switzerland's Tribune De Geneve would seem to agree, noting that "nothing was agreed in Geneva that cannot be reversed". But the paper is more interested in the meeting's political implications, and highlights the fact that developing and industrialised countries managed to overcome what it calls their "visceral antagonisms" to engage in "proper discussion". "For the first time, two southern giants, Brazil and India, were so closely involved in the negotiations that they aroused the jealousy of some of the northern countries," it says. Warsaw uprising In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's visit to Poland to attend the country's commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw uprising against Nazi occupation was noted with lukewarm approval. "Expectations of a visitor have rarely been as high," says the Frankfurter Rundschau, which believes the chancellor fulfilled his task "in an appropriate manner". Die Welt agrees that the chancellor "found the right words", but argues that his speech lacked "warmth". But then, it adds, it would have been unrealistic to expect this from Chancellor Schroeder, because "symbolic politics is not his thing". The paper is more concerned about Berlin's seeming lack of ideas for closer cooperation with Poland, and says "a future-oriented impetus" in the chancellor's speech would have been good for the damaged German-Polish relations. Prague blast Finally, in the Czech Republic, Hospodarske Noviny worries that the explosion of a grenade in a busy Prague street will affect the country's image around the world. Although the authorities believe the blast to have been a gangland-related incident, "whenever there is an explosion we automatically react by thinking about terrorism", the paper says. A reputation for violence can mean economic death for tourist destinations Pravo "So the world will now for some time look at the Czech Republic as a place where a bomb has gone off," it laments. Pravo also worries about the far-reaching effects of the explosion. Prime Minister Stanislav Gross's implication that the blast was "merely" a criminal act may have been an attempt not to scare off foreign tourists, "whose money the country needs", but it was not really reassuring, the paper says. "A reputation for violence can mean economic death for tourist destinations, and those in fear for their lives do not much care whose hand detonates a charge or throws a grenade."The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main Eur
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European press review Spain's dailies examine the inquiry into the Madrid terror attacks last March. Simmering rivalry between President Chirac and a young minister appears in the French press, and Russia's papers look at how the Bolshoi Ballet is going down in London. Spain's bombing aftermath After a month of hearings, a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the 11 March Madrid terror attacks is waiting to present its first conclusions. El Pais slams the former ruling Popular Party (PP) for seeking to convince everyone the bombings were the work of Basque separatists. "As early as the afternoon of 11 March, investigators were already collecting leads pointing exclusively to Islamist extremism." "Rather than admitting its mistake, the PP has indulged in the most nonsensical conspiracy theories, unable to accept that it lost the elections because too many people had become tired of an arrogant government." Madrid's El Mundo turns its wrath on the testimony of the current interior minister, Jose Antonio Alonso, to the investigation panel. "His testimony could not have been more disappointing," the paper says. It says he made a "clumsy mistake" in "distancing himself from the contradictions and falsehoods contained in the report by the Civil Guard director general, on the grounds that such events occurred when the PP was in power". Spectre of terror Germany's Der Tagesspiegel says a threat against European countries by a group linked to al-Qaeda is a reminder that Germany, too, could become a target. Those who believe al-Qaeda will spare this country because we opposed the war in Iraq are indulging in a false sense of security Der Tagesspiegel "It is regarded as certain that at some point al-Qaeda will strike again in Europe." Iraq war backers Britain, Italy and Poland face the greatest danger, the paper says, but the choice of target will also depend on the presence of local collaborators. "There is no lack of such people in Germany. Those who believe al-Qaeda will spare this country because its government and people opposed the war in Iraq are indulging in a false sense of security". France's political rivals The duel of words between France's ambitious and popular finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his former political mentor but current rival, President Jacques Chirac, surfaces in Mr Sarkozy's interview for Le Figaro. On Bastille Day, 14 July, Mr Chirac publicly rebuked the minister over his warning that defence expenditure would be cut. The president said there was no quarrel between himself and Mr Sarkozy "for the simple reason that I make the decisions and he carries them out". "I carry them out," comes Mr Sarkozy's riposte, "because I agree with them". "As far as I know, having an opinion is not a crime". For sale: Aeroflot The Russian government's preliminary approval for the privatization of the country's flagship air carrier Aeroflot is scrutinised in the press. "The government doesn't really seem to have any option," observes Izvestiya. "There is already a hole of R30bn in next year's budget... and revenue from privatization is the only way to fill it." "All in all, privatization is no easy thing," comments Rossiyskaya Gazeta. "In Russia this process has been dragging on for over a decade and it is premature to speak of it ending yet." Lost in translation? Spain's Socialist prime minister, Rodriguez Zapatero, who recently completed 100 days in office, tells Paris's Le Monde Spaniards will support the European Constitution, but he is worried about the document's literary merit. "We will need a major translation effort. The writing of the final draft should have been entrusted to a couple of outstanding writers". "The EU is built on a language for which no-one feels accountable," he says. Asked whether an alliance between his predecessor Jose Maria Aznar and Britain's Tony Blair went too far, he says: "In effect they had one foot in Europe and the other outside, to put the brake on the EU's advance." Like a lead balloon Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta winces at the panning meted out by British critics to the Bolshoi Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet in London. It seems we brought Shakespeare to his homeland too soon Nezavisimaya Gazeta "The result has dashed the hopes of those who are used to seeing the Bolshoi as the guardian of the traditions of Russian ballet. It seems we brought Shakespeare to his homeland too soon." But did Kommersant's critic witness an entirely different performance? "The curtain fell. The theatre was silent - just like at the Bolshoi's first 'Romeo' in 1956. Then there was a shout. The spectators erupted with an ovation." "The dancers relaxed, smiled, took their bows unhurriedly in turn. They had won at the ballet world championships." The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet ed
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European press review The release of four French nationals from Guantanamo Bay is the major story in France's national dailies. Elsewhere Spain's papers welcome a mission with Morocco and Austria's choice for EU commissioner comes under fire. Welcome home? "What is to be done with the Frenchmen from Guantanamo?" Le Figaro asks in its main headline. Four of seven French nationals seized by US forces in Afghanistan were handed over and flown back to France, where they were immediately taken into custody. Le Figaro says their release marks "the beginning of a long judicial process" as France awaits to see if they will be charged or released by its own legal system. They were in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people, but this does not constitute a crime Liberation "The fate of the men will - finally - depend on justice. An anti-terrorist justice system, yes, but one which obeys the rules of law and founds its decisions on tangible facts," says an editorial in Le Monde. "If they are acquitted, it will be an new blow for the credibility of the 'war on terror' being fought by President Bush in contempt of the law - national and international - and morality". Liberation hails the detainees' return with the headline "Return to the Law Zone". The least these men deserve is to be presumed innocent after their two-year detention without charge, it comments. "They were in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people - Bin Laden's foreign legion - but this does not constitute a crime." "Bush and his team have set aside the law and lowered the standard of personal freedoms," and France must therefore "refuse to imitate him" by offering these men the "most scrupulous legal guarantees". The fact that these men may follow an ideology which would "happily throttle these guarantees" is "completely irrelevant", the paper concludes. Le Monde carries a cartoon showing the freed prisoners being shepherded off a "Guantanamo Airlines" plane by a very disgruntled Uncle Sam and led into the arms of a puzzled French judge - who one of the former inmates mistakes for an imam. Another Spanish surprise Madrid's El Pais welcomes the news that Spain and Morocco are to send a joint reconstruction force to Haiti. Coming just two years after the crisis over the tiny Mediterranean island of Perejil - "the lowest point in recent relations between Morocco and Spain" - the governments of the two countries "have surprised everyone", the paper says. Relations with our southern neighbour have not always been easy La Razon "Few initiatives could illustrate like this the turn-around in foreign policy made by [Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez] Zapatero's government. It increases trust between both countries." Mr Zapatero has demonstrated "a determined will" to improve relations with Morocco unlike his predecessor, Jose Maria Aznar, who treated ties with the north African state "with exceptional clumsiness and arrogance", the paper says. "Relations with our southern neighbour have not always been easy", comments La Razon, "partly because the king of Morocco maintained as an inalienable principle a series of claims of sovereignty" over the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Old vs New Hungary's Nepszabadsag assesses the visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who praised Hungary's efforts in the US-led war on terror. "In the eyes of Bush and co there is indeed 'a new Europe', which, with the Bulgarians, Hungarians, Poles and Baltic people, fortunately compensates for the 'old Europe' - the French, Germans, etc." Vienna in whirl over EU choice Austria's Die Presse doubts the nomination of Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner as their new EU commissioner is the best choice for the country. There are few political traps set by her enemies which she has managed to avoid Die Presse Conservative Ms Ferrero-Waldner, who personified Vienna's charm offensive against international sanctions over Joerg Haider in 2000, lost April's presidential election to Social Democrat Heinz Fischer. The paper questions her political instincts. "In domestic politics there are few political traps set by her enemies, including members of her own party, which she has managed to avoid." And the paper doubts she will be able to win over a "Eurosceptic public" to the cause of the European Union. Austria's Der Standard slams Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel for declaring he hadn't even thought about who should succeed Ms Ferrero-Waldner at the Foreign Ministry. "He must think we are all idiots to believe him," it says. The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3931909.stmFrenchmen freed from Guantanamo dominates in Fran
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European press review Spain's papers believe the takeover of the British banking group Abbey National by a Spanish bank will boost the country's image but may take a while to produce tangible results. And French surgeons plan to head for London to highlight their own health care crisis. Spain gets the habit Madrid's El Pais welcomes the takeover of Abbey National by Spain's biggest bank Santander Central Hispano (BSCH) as "the motor of unification for the European banking market". "The purchase of Abbey benefits the growth of BSCH, demonstrates the viability of cross-border bank mergers and shows companies in other markets the way to go," it says. "And, of course, the fact that an operation of this importance has been directed by a Spanish financial organisation benefits Spain's image." However, papers say the fact that Abbey is 70% of BSCH's size may make it hard to digest, with the company's share price and dividends likely to fall for some time. Surgeons on warpath "Angry surgeons" reads the headline of an editorial in France's Le Monde newspaper. Those able to pay receive all the care they need, while the others queue up behind the counters of an outdated public-health system Le Monde Overworked surgeons are confronted with "the increasing demands of patients and practitioners", the paper says, "due mostly to the population getting older". It says the crisis of overburdened doctors in France is "emblematic" of health systems in other developed countries. French surgeons are due to spend a week in London in August as a "symbolic" protest against their own government, the paper reports. Le Monde describes London as the "capital of a country flying the ultra-liberal flag in Europe", a country with a "two-speed health-care" system. "Those able to pay receive all the care they need, very expensive and with no reimbursements, while the others queue up behind the counters of an outdated public-health system, overburdened and inefficient." Trading blows Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung regrets France's criticism of a World Trade Organization effort to revive stalled global free trade talks. The paper says the French always make themselves heard "when the give and take begins" at the WTO. When it's a question of giving developing countries better chances on the European market, French friendliness quickly comes to end Der Tagesspiegel It argues that Paris is entitled to assert its interests by asking for the protection of EU agricultural aid, but adds that the timing of French objections is "awkward". "Why did President Chirac not protest weeks ago, when the European Commission offered an end to [farm] export subsidies?" it asks. Germany's Der Tagesspiegel says France has damaged its claim that it supports developing countries. "When it's a question of giving developing countries better chances on the European market, French friendliness quickly comes to end," the paper says. Tongue-tied The appointment of Stanislav Gross as the Czech Republic's - and before it Czechoslovakia's - youngest-ever prime minister dominates Czech newspapers. Pravo weighs the 34-year-old former interior minister's linguistic abilities. His predecessors entered politics each speaking at least one global language, a skill Gross lacks, the daily says. "This does not mean at all that Gross cannot be a successful prime minister." "If he does not want to be embarrassed during informal talks with European Union colleagues or with foreign journalistic wolves, he will have to master some language and express ideas in interviews." "And that is a hell of a job, even for a young man such as Gross," Pravo adds. The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3928593.stmSpain's papers welcome the takeover of Abbey National and French surgeons head for Britain in protest Related...
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European press review In Mondays' round-up, the papers look at the reopening of an emblematic bridge in Bosnia-Hercegovina and in the Czech republic, the likely new premier comes under the spotlight. Elsewhere, Russian xenophobia and an anti-GM protest in France arouse comment, while a Swiss paper warns of prison overcrowding. Finally, an American cycling hero fails to win European hearts. Bridging the gap After Friday's reopening of the historic bridge of Mostar - blown up in fighting between Muslims and Croats during the Bosnian war in 1993 - European papers assess the significance of the ceremony. "The town is slowly returning to its daily routines" a reporter writes from Mostar in the Saturday edition of Bosnia's Dnevni Avaz. "Mostar was full of love, the streets had a special smell - they say it is the smell of the good will of the Old Bridge and that it is a sign that the bridge has returned to life." Either Gross will learn to face the opposing currents or he will drown Lidove Noviny Dnevni List reminds its readers that "the Old Bridge for centuries used to link the banks of the Neretva river and the people, regardless of their name, religion or ethnicity." "The new Old Bridge is a sign of the rebirth of the old new Mostar, just like the one in the hearts of all citizens of Mostar," it adds. The Madrid daily El Pais on Monday points out that although the bridge once again links Muslims and Croats, it does not reunite them. "The rebuilt Mostar bridge reminds us that the arduous road towards reconciliation has only just begun in former Yugoslavia." Gross interest Some Czech papers cast an eye over acting Social Democrat leader Stanislav Gross, ahead of his Monday meeting with President Vaclav Klaus when he is likely to be appointed as the new prime minister. Lidove Noviny is unexcited at the prospect. "Gross's advance to the post of prime minister has not caused any major opposition, but also no major enthusiasm," it says. "Gross probably does not want to enter the troubled waters. However, the logic of the party and government crisis, to which he had significantly contributed, left him no choice but to jump into them." If everything continues as before, like Hitler in the 1930s, his admirers may come to power in Russia at the next elections through completely democratic channels Novaya Gazeta "Either Gross will learn to face the opposing currents or he will drown. He can be absolutely sure that the populist bubble will not last for long." Mlada Fronta Dnes also predicts a gloomy future for Gross. "It was sensible of the Social Democrats to put him in charge of the party at the time of their rift. After they recover and create a programme and spawn real leaders, they will jettison the talented boy." Russian far-right? The Russian weekly Novaya Gazeta is alarmed at the rise of attacks in the country prompted by nationalism. "Nationalist and Nazi propaganda is being circulated in Russia without hindrance." "Excesses based on nationality are taking on the form of blatant terror. A Caucasian or Asian appearance has become a risk factor on our streets." Geneva has already exceeded crisis point Le Temps The paper blames the mass media and "difficult" social conditions for fuelling the phenomena and worries where it may end. "If everything continues as before, like Hitler in the 1930s, his admirers may come to power in Russia at the next elections through completely democratic channels." Moral maize The Paris daily Le Monde highlights the action taken on Sunday by anti-GM protesters who uprooted all the genetically-modified maize plants on a test site in southern France. The paper cites a warning by anti-globalization leader Jose Bove, one of the protest's leaders, that more GMO test fields will be destroyed in the coming weeks. Another Paris daily, Le Figaro, points to a report by the French Health and Food Safety Board made public on Friday. "It highlights, albeit cautiously, the fact that certain GMOs could be beneficial to health, reducing the use of pesticides... and possessing improved nutritional qualities." "Is this mere coincidence?" it asks, observing that the report's publication on the Internet came at almost the exact moment when the protesters were destroying a hectare of GM maize. Swiss guards The Swiss daily Le Temps voices concern about the explosion in the prison population. The American from US Postal has become a legend of the Tour Le Figaro "Geneva has already exceeded crisis point," the paper says, wondering if the zero tolerance policy is to blame. "The uncompromising war on local petty crime... no longer accommodates such arrangements". Geneva's Champ-Dollon prison, designed for 270 prisoners, now holds more than 400, a situation it says which is seen as potentially explosive. Terminatour VI Several European f
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European press review Two papers on Friday praise newly-elected European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso for a good first impression, but still have reservations. Elsewhere, the acquittal of six German executives in a corruption trial, the shortcomings of the former Spanish premier and the new French climate plan are under scrutiny. But in Russia, diplomatic incidents are in the news. New broom Several papers consider Thursday's election of former Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the new president of the European Commission. "The Portuguese know how to surprise people, and... Jose Manuel Durao Barroso is a good example of that," Slovakia's Pravda remarks. The judge has pronounced a moral verdict about the behaviour of the defendants which could hardly have been any clearer Sueddeutsche Zeitung Although the paper notes that leading 24 European commissioners will not be easy, it stresses that "from the very outset he made clear his intention of being 'a playing captain'." Austria's Der Standard says Mr Barroso made a good impression during his presentation in the European Parliament. But it adds that he needs political priorities in order to become a strong president. "Apart from vague signals in all directions and his defence of the Iraq war, Barroso failed to offer anything of substance," it remarks. "His strong performance in the European Parliament was a beginning, but no more." Pyrrhic victory? Several German papers focus on the acquittal of all six defendants yesterday in a high-profile corruption case centred on the legality of bonuses paid to Mannesmann executives after Vodafone bought the company in 2000. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung says the trial has fulfilled its purpose despite the acquittal of the head of Germany's largest bank, Joseph Ackermann, and all his co-defendants. "The judge has pronounced a moral verdict about the behaviour of the defendants which could hardly have been any clearer." The defendants may have scored a judicial vistory - morally they are seen as losers because of greed and abetment Frankfurter Rundschau According to the judge, awarding the bonuses was not in the interest of Mannesmann and illegal under German stock law, although it did not amount to a criminal offence. The paper believes the fact that the head of Deutsche Bank was found to have violated German stock law is "explosive". "The trial will change the behaviour of top executives at German companies," it predicts. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says the acquittals "can reassure nobody". "The defendants will have to live with the stigma that the court has reproached them with serious violations of stock law." It adds that the trial has given the public what it calls "alarming insights" into the management structures of German companies as well as the work of "supposedly objective prosecutors". The Frankfurter Rundschau agrees that the reputation of the defendants has suffered. "The defendants may have scored a judicial victory - morally they are seen as losers because of greed and abetment." It argues that in order to prevent similar cases in the future, the law may have to be changed to ensure complete transparency with regard to corporate pay. "Then the public can and should arrive at its own verdict." The climate legacy The French daily Liberation casts a sceptical eye over the government's climate plan. It observes that scientists from around the world have "sounded the alarm in vain, predicting... flooding in the north, water shortages in the south and millions of displaced people", because, it says, "nobody is listening". This episode shows that Aznar has confused himself, his post and the state El Pais The paper sees the government's "recanting" over the climate plan as typical of the avoidance policy practised by politicians in the developed world. Although Environment Minister Serge Lepeltier originally "looked credible... after a gestation period... of months and months, his plan announced yesterday boils down to just a few symbolic little measures". The paper condemns the indefinite postponement of "the only real measure initially planned" - the pollution tax on dirty vehicles - as "spinelessness". Going, going, gong Madrid's El Pais reports that former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar paid a lobbyist $2m of Spanish public money to secure him a medal from the US Congress. "This episode shows that Aznar has confused himself, his post and the state," the paper says, also recalling his daughter's earlier wedding in a palace and his alleged removal of secret documents. The Barcelona daily El Periodico agrees. "This new episode... reflects the egoism that pervades him and his known tendency to monopolize the state." Fly in the ointment Russia's Izvestiya reports a diplomatic spat yesterday over the upgrading
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European press review Portugal's former prime minister may be celebrating later on Thursday if he is voted in to head the European Commission, but two European papers still think he has a lot to prove. Elsewhere, the German press ponders a recent proposal to accommodate refugees in camps in North Africa while their asylum applications are considered. And two French papers take the government to task, one for its economic policy, the other for its environmental agenda. Modest expectations The European Parliament is widely expected to confirm former Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the new president of the European Commission on Thursday. Germany's Berliner Zeitung, for one, predicts Mr Barroso will be a weak leader of the commission. The paper thinks he may have done enough to deserve a chance at the job, "but nevertheless, he will be weak, even if he makes no mistakes from now on". Barroso will have to demonstrate that he is not the plaything of the big EU states Die Presse The problem facing Mr Barroso, it explains, is that the European Union's enlargement has strengthened the influence of national governments at the expense of Brussels. Increasingly, it says, countries are seeking solutions in smaller groups. "Whether you call that a core Europe or a vanguard, in any case the initiative lies with the states, not with the European Commission." Austria's Die Presse agrees that Mr Barroso is in for a tough presidency, but is prepared to give him some time to show his worth. "As early as in the first few weeks," it says, "Barroso will have to demonstrate that he is not the plaything of the big EU states." Mr Barroso, the paper acknowledges, took the opportunity on Wednesday to confirm he would resist any attempts by member states to influence the commission. "In the interests of Europe, it is to be hoped that he will persevere with this," it says. Refugee camps Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau reports that Interior Minister Otto Schily is standing by a proposal which would see the EU set up camps in North Africa to house refugees while their asylum applications are being processed. Although a government spokesman has said that no firm decision has been taken on the matter, the paper notes that Schily has backed the idea "in principle". It is an illusion to believe that Europe, with its wealth, will be able to shield itself permanently from the world's misery Die Welt But opposition to the plan is already mobilising. "His ideas have earned Schily little applause," the paper observes, "not just among his own ranks, and among churches and refugee groups, but also in the camp of the (opposition Christian Democratic and Christian) Union parties." Critics of the proposal, German daily Die Welt notes, have condemned it in terms ranging from "legally problematic" through "half-baked" to "inhuman and cynical". But the paper argues that the idea has sparked a useful debate, adding that it is "worth examining". "It is an illusion to believe that Europe, with its wealth, will be able to shield itself permanently from the world's misery," it warns. "A comprehensive concept is needed - Schily has given the signal for it." Working week With some French workers agreeing to work more than the statutory 35-hour week in order to keep their jobs, French daily Liberation is keen to find someone to blame. What the trend shows, it says, is that Economy Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's plan for workers to choose their own hours and pay has failed. "It is illusory to suggest - knowingly or not - that there is... a civilised and tolerant employment market where everyone can opt between working less while earning less and working more while earning more," the paper insists. Also at fault, it says, are employers whose sole management technique consists of putting a squeeze on salaries. "There is no doubt that they feel encouraged by the governing right's current agitation over this famous 35-hour law," the paper says. But this, it concludes, "is in many respects a scapegoat for their inability to draw up an economic policy that sustains growth effectively". A 'high-class burial'? Still in France, the fate of a government plan to introduce a pollution tax on 4x4s and other gas-guzzlers appears to be in the balance, reports Le Monde. The right is even less capable than the left of pursuing a real environment policy, of matching good intentions with deeds Le Monde It believes Ecology Minister Serge Lepeltier has ditched the flagship policy, or at least postponed its introduction. The decision, an unnamed minister tells the paper, amounts to "a high-class burial". Mr Lepeltier has pledged not to abandon this central plank of President Chirac's climate plan, the paper concedes. "But what will he be able to do in the face of pressures from industry and the inconsistency of
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European press review Wednesday's papers split over the European Parliament's new speaker, and also look at France's commitment to the EU and Germany's attitude to its Nazi past. The election of Spanish socialist Josep Borrell as president of the European Parliament, notes Spain's El Pais, is the product of the "complex balancing acts" which it says have come to typify the institution. Mr Borrell, the paper suggests, is someone with plenty to offer, but also someone who will have to adapt. "He is a politician with great management experience, who spent a long period in the wilderness and who faces a task which is less partisan than being a deputy in the Spanish parliament," it says. Missed opportunity However, two Warsaw dailies argue former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek was actually the right man for the job. The largest groups in the European Parliament agreed long ago who its president was going to be Trybuna "There could hardly have been a better candidate to lead the European Parliament," says Rzeczpospolita, "in which for the first time we have deputies from the part of Europe that was once cut off by the Iron Curtain." The problem, the paper says, is that many MEPs still think in terms of a division between "old" and "new" Europe. "Yesterday," it continues, "they themselves did much to reinforce it." For Trybuna, the choice of Mr Borrell over Mr Geremek reveals the true balance of power in Europe. "It's very unfair, but it is the strongest who decide on the order of the world and its institutions," it complains. "The largest groups in the European Parliament agreed long ago who its president was going to be and shared out the offices between their candidates," it argues. "So the outcome of the vote was a surprise only to those who believe in willpower overcoming the laws of political physics." French enthusiasm One of the thorny issues facing the European Parliament is the fate of the proposed EU constitution. But French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is one person who does not need to be persuaded of the document's merits, says France's Le Monde. Mr Barnier, it believes, "is convinced that it will reinforce Europe and that France's voice will be heard even more in the world as it uses the European amplifier". And the minister's commitment to the European project shows through in his top five foreign policy objectives. "Europe is at the same time one of these major priorities and the common denominator in the other four," the paper observes. On relations in the Mediterranean, transatlantic ties, the Middle East peace process and poverty reduction, it adds, Mr Barnier's position is clear: "Europe is in a position to act, and, in some cases, it is only Europe that has the full panoply of necessary resources." German heroes In Germany, two papers arrive at contrasting verdicts on Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's speech marking the 60th anniversary of a plot by army officers to kill Adolf Hitler. Yesterday, the chancellor tried the force of caution - and it suits him surprisingly well Die Tageszeitung The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung accuses Mr Schroeder of treating the occasion as an opportunity to justify his current policies. But that, the paper says, was not the chancellor's only failing: "He doesn't even have an inkling of the sources from which the men of the 20 July plot drew their strength." Die Tageszeitung, however, seems far happier with what Mr Schroeder had to say. The paper describes his performance as "a good speech, perhaps even his first good speech, on German history". "Yesterday," it says, "the chancellor tried the force of caution - and it suits him surprisingly well."The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3912343.stmWednesday's papers split over the European Parliament's new speaker, and also look at France's commitment to the EU and Germany's attitude to its Nazi past. Related...
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European press review In Tuesday's European press, a leading French daily sees a hidden agenda in Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's appeal to French Jews to move to Israel to escape the threat posed by anti-Semitism. German papers reflect on the 60th anniversary of a failed plot by army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler. And army officers are also in the news in Russia, where the papers are keen to interpret President Putin's decision to sack some of the country's top brass. Sharon 'not welcome' "What," asks France's Le Monde, "is Ariel Sharon trying to obtain?" The Israeli prime minister, the paper reminds its readers, has been told by President Jacques Chirac that he is no longer welcome in France, after he urged Jews living there to emigrate to Israel in order to escape anti-Semitism. The image has been set, in the United States as in Israel, of an anti-Semitic country at the heart of Europe Le Monde Yes, the paper concedes, France "was slow to recognise the gravity of the problem of increasing anti-Semitic acts". "But it has taken measures to combat this scourge, measures which Mr Sharon himself acknowledges," the paper argues. Despite this, the Israeli prime minister's remarks will be difficult for the French to dismiss. "The image has been set, in the United States as in Israel, of an anti-Semitic country at the heart of Europe." What really lies behind Mr Sharon's comments, the paper maintains, is his desire to exclude Europe from the Middle East peace process. In Israel's eyes, France is "at the forefront of Europe's pro-Arab policy". And what Mr Sharon is hoping for, it concludes, is a Europe "stained by its pro-Arab position, and relegated to the role of banker". Hitler plot remembered Sixty years on from an unsuccessful attempt by German army officers to kill Adolf Hitler, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung observes that public perceptions of the plot have changed sharply in the intervening years. In the early 1950s, the paper says, most Germans took a dim view of the failed coup. Now, almost 75% of Germans recognise its symbolic significance. "However, this positive image of the 'officers' revolt'... does not correspond to that held in neighbouring European countries, where interest is at best focused on Hitler," the paper ventures. The Germans have always had a difficult relationship with liberation movements during their history Sueddeutsche Zeitung In countries occupied by the Nazis, it argues, officers who helped those persecuted on racial and political grounds are more likely to be commemorated than the 20 July plotters. Even so, it says, both groups deserve "the gratitude and recognition of their contemporaries as well as of later generations". The Sueddeutsche Zeitung notes that it took a long time for other members of the German resistance to receive public recognition. "The Germans have always had a difficult relationship with liberation movements during their history, partly because the 20 July plot failed and freedom had to be fought for from outside," it says. And while the plotters may have harboured illusions about Germany's greatness, the paper says they should be understood as a product of their time. "Their historical contribution is that they demonstrated that individuals are responsible for their actions, in a system which had made irresponsibility the guiding principle." Fallen generals President Vladimir Putin's decision to sack some of Russia's most senior army officers on Monday was widely expected, and the Moscow daily Izvestia offers a very simple explanation for the move. "This reshuffle," the paper says, "falls into the general scheme of army reform." In short, it adds, the army "needed to be led by other people". Both the troops and the public received the news with the sort of approval rarely seen in such circumstances Trud Two other papers, however, are convinced that the dismissals are linked to a series of rebel raids a month ago in the southern republic of Ingushetia, in which at least 80 people were killed. "This," insists Gazeta, "is payback for their inaction during the bloody events in Ingushetia." "This string of high-profile dismissals is the result of the unsatisfactory situation in the Caucasus," says Rossiyskaya Gazeta, "where the last straw was the rebel attack on Ingushetia." "The president has removed all the generals responsible for the situation throughout the Caucasus." But Nezavisimaya Gazeta thinks that the officer cull, which claimed army chief of staff Gen Anatoly Kvashnin among others, had been in the pipeline for some time. "It is obvious," it asserts, "that the mistakes in the Caucasus were only a pretext, the last straw but not the main reason for Kvashnin's dismissal." Whatever the reasons may be, Trud thinks the sackings will do President Putin's ratings no harm at all. "Both t
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European press review Power politics among France's ruling elite attracts the attention of papers in Germany and Austria on Monday, while an industrial dispute in Germany itself appears to have taken a rather unusual turn. A French paper weighs up Turkey's prospects of joining the EU, ahead of a visit by the Turkish prime minister to Paris. And a Hungarian daily reports on a potentially embarrassing sexual harassment case in the corridors of power. Chirac's "obsession" The apparent rivalry between French President Jacques Chirac and his ambitious Economy Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been a cherished theme in the French press for some time, but now papers elsewhere in Europe seem keen to join in. The obsession which Chirac shows in trying to sideline the ubiquitous Sarko is becoming increasingly unreal Berliner Zeitung Germany's Berliner Zeitung tells its readers of a cartoon which appeared in the French daily Le Monde, in which Mr Chirac, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and one of the latter's predecessors, Alain Juppe, are caught in the shadow of Mr Sarkozy. "This fictitious scene... describes reality," the Berliner Zeitung says. The fact of the matter, it argues, is that any aspirations the minister may have for higher office are likely to come true, because his party believes he is the best. "The obsession which Chirac shows in trying to sideline the ubiquitous Sarko is becoming increasingly unreal," it says. Austria's Der Standard finds it difficult to ignore the similarities between the two men. Mr Sarkozy, the paper believes, "is cast in the same mould as his former mentor". "So this would be an amusing case of shadow boxing," it says. "But the future of a nation which still regards itself as one of Europe's pacesetters is at stake." Pay package Opinion is divided in the German press after top managers at the car manufacturer DaimlerChrysler offered to take a pay cut in exchange for employees agreeing to a compromise over proposed cutbacks. If Daimler managers give up some of their money, then they should not be doing so because of an industrial dispute Die Welt The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sees this development in the dispute as "a good and clever sign". "In this way, people can demonstrate solidarity and obtain approval among the rank and file," the paper argues. Employees, it adds, realise that labour rules will have to become more flexible if their jobs are to be safeguarded. But Die Welt dismisses the proposal as "pure populism". "If Daimler managers give up some of their money, then they should not be doing so because of an industrial dispute," the paper says. Stories such as these, it warns, threaten to make Germany a less attractive destination for top executives. "Germany," it insists, "will only manage the leap from an industrial to a knowledge-based society if it has the best people." Der Tagesspiegel , meanwhile, believes the offer is essentially symbolic, and says the promise of long-term investment to protect jobs is more likely to win the workers round. "If this is guaranteed, then nobody can dodge a compromise," it predicts. Backing for Turkey With Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan due in Paris on Monday, France's Liberation examines his country's claims to European identity and membership of the European Union. The Union would be seriously betraying itself if it demanded a baptism certificate from possible applicants Liberation On the one hand, it argues, "neither the Byzantine empire nor the Ottoman empire that succeeded it shared the kind of historical experiences that have shaped modern Europe". But that alone should not rule out the prospect of membership. "The Union would be seriously betraying itself if it demanded a baptism certificate from possible applicants," the paper says. "And there is no convincing reason to think that Islam is in essence incompatible with democracy and secularism," it concludes. Hungarian dilemma In Hungary, a new government department for equal opportunities has blundered its way into an "unenviable situation", reports the Budapest daily Nepszabadsag . As the paper explains, a senior official in the department is in the process of being sued by his secretary for sexual harassment. But it notes that the concept of sexual harassment is not recognised in Hungarian law, and no-one has managed to take such a case to court and win. At any rate, the department would appear to be in a no-win situation. "If it damns the man, it will be seen as biased," the paper warns. "And if it rejects the woman's story, then what is all the talk of equal opportunities about?" The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/eu
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European press review European papers analyse Lord Butler's criticism of British intelligence before the Iraq war, and several are reluctant to let Prime Minister Tony Blair off the hook. In France, personality issues appear to cloud news of a future EU referendum, while a fictional racist attack leads to an apology. What Butler saw Following Lord Butler's conclusion that the intelligence used by the British government to justify invading Iraq was seriously flawed, several German papers assess the implications of his report for Prime Minister Tony Blair. Berliner Zeitung wonders why Mr Blair will not finally admit it was wrong to attack Iraq. Blair's credibility lies in tatters... his stubborn insistence that the Iraq war was right is merely an act of desperation Berliner Zeitung Instead, it says, having been cleared of manipulating the intelligence, he "brazenly demanded in the House of Commons that the debate about his integrity finally stop". But why should it? the paper asks. "Even if Blair was in some ways absolved by Lord Butler, the prime minister's credibility lies in tatters." The British public would quite rightly be sceptical if Mr Blair warned of new dangers in the future, the paper adds. "Blair may sense this, and his stubborn insistence that the Iraq war was right is merely an act of desperation," it believes. The report's criticism of the UK's intelligence services has, according to Die Welt , "deeply shaken confidence in the prime minister's judgement". Despite the faulty basis of his decision to go to war, the paper says, Mr Blair still holds that the invasion was justified. Even those who don't call into question the prime minister's honesty will at least have to think about his ability to lead the country Sueddeutsche Zeitung "That is a point in his favour", but "his critics will not be satisfied". "The debate goes on. And just as in the US, the secret services are in deep disgrace," it concludes. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung agrees that while the report may have exonerated Mr Blair, it has not stopped his continuing loss of standing. "In view of the pillars of the establishment making up the Butler commission, and in view of its soft investigating brief, a stronger verdict was not to be expected," it says. But the not-guilty verdict will not convince the British, the paper warns. "Even those who don't call into question the prime minister's honesty will at least have to think about his ability to lead the country." Blame and accountability Similarly, the Frankfurter Rundschau says the report's exoneration of Mr Blair will not draw a line under the British government's role in the invasion of Iraq. While not accusing Mr Blair of deceiving the public, Lord Butler hinted that he "tried to carry along the nation on the path to war without much consideration for balance or facts". While Mr Blair need not fear any more investigations on Iraq, it adds: "Several questions remain open... The public is still waiting for an answer and this is not the end of it." Elsewhere in Europe newspapers consider other aspects of the Butler report. Whatever the final details of the report on the CIA and MI6, the failure of British intelligence is obvious Nepszabadsag The Madrid daily El Pais is baffled by what it sees as contradictions in the report's recommendations. It recalls the blame recently attached to the CIA over pre-war intelligence but says Lord Butler accuses no individuals and even advises that John Scarlett's appointment as head of the British overseas intelligence agency, known as MI6, be upheld. "It is not easy to understand the consistency of all these observations," the paper remarks. "It is stressed that there was no culpable negligence... but the secret services' ability is seriously called into question when it comes to compiling data and conducting analysis," it notes. The paper also contrasts Mr Blair's admission that weapons of mass destruction may never be found in Iraq with his assertion that the world is now a safer place. Hungary's Nepszabadsag focuses on what it sees as deficiencies in the secret services. "Whatever the final details of the report on the CIA and MI6, the total failure of British intelligence is obvious." "It could neither detect nor digest the data... and instead presented to Bush and Blair the versions that Saddam wanted presented and were used by the two to justify the war," it adds. The paper says the spies it dubs "Bond and his mates" - referring to the fictional James Bond "007" secret agent - have made mistakes before, but warns that the problem could be greater if trust in them is lost for ever. "It will really be a weapon of mass destruction if the credibility of the data provided by the double-0 agents is reduced to zero." Mr Chirac's worry For the Paris daily Liberation , President Chi
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European press review The ruling by the European Court of Justice that EU finance ministers were wrong to let France and Germany off the hook for violating budget rules takes centre-stage in several European papers. The French daily Le Monde believes the European Commission has emerged stronger as a result and is now the acknowledged guardian of treaties such as the stability pact. "The ball is now in the court of the Commission," it says. "The decision means that the stability pact is not a political instrument to be moulded by finance ministers, as the French have asserted for years." If the EU is not to burst at the seams, it needs a strong centre in Brussels Berliner Zeitung "On the contrary it fixes a binding legal framework from which member states cannot free themselves... they can no longer do as they please". Le Figaro agrees that the decision will bring new life into the stability pact, which "had been lying in intensive care for months". But in Germany, Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel has some words of warning for the Commission. "If it is wise, it will not use the verdict to force a conflict with the deficit offenders." A new Commission comes into being in the autumn which will have to "find a new way of dealing with the member-states' finance ministers with the aim of serving the stability pact," the paper says. All are now equal The Berliner Zeitung stresses the importance of a strengthened Commission in the light of the recent EU expansion. "If the EU is not to burst at the seams, it needs a strong centre in Brussels," the paper says. The Czech Republic's Hospodarske Noviny agrees. "At a time when 15 changed into 25, the Orwellian impression that all are equal but some are more equal than others would be the worst possible starting point. "And not only for the country's whose peoples left behind the world of Big Brother only recently." Madrid inquiry As Spain's parliamentary commission into the Madrid train attacks enters its second week, the country's El Pais welcomes the fact that the first "ray of light" has emerged from inquiry. "The theory that the government of former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar had a number of warnings about the danger... " has emerged more strongly from the hearings, it says. But it feels Spanish people are confused about the purpose of the inquiry. "What's it about? Saving the image of the previous government, smearing the victory of the Socialist Workers' Party or rather that massacres such as the one in Madrid should not be repeated?", it asks. "Above all, it's about reaching solid conclusions which will allow the country to be defended against international terrorism", it responds. Long haul The mounting crisis over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia continues to concern the Russian press. The standoff here can end in a war Novyye Izvestiya Business daily Vedomosti holds out little hope that the conflict can be resolved any time soon. "Russia has no motives to change its current status quo, while Georgia is practically powerless to change anything there." "Georgia must stop sabre-rattling and begin building its relations with Russia in such a way that it will stop wanting a weak Georgia" if any progress is to be made, the paper says. The daily Novyye Izvestiya is equally pessimistic. "I cannot see any good scenarios for South Ossetia," writes a political analyst. "The standoff here can end in a war. Or in a situation when there is neither peace nor war. And this can last a long time." The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3892151.stm Published: 2004/07/14 03:51:57 GMT © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3892151.stmSeveral papers ponder the future of the European Commission after the European Court quashes a decision to suspend sanctions against Germany and France. Related...
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European press review "Train of hate" reads the front-page headline in France's Le Figaro, referring to Friday's anti-Semitic attack on a woman and her baby on a train just north of Paris. "The cowardice of the attackers was matched by the cowardice of the passengers," the paper says, after other passengers failed to intervene when six men attacked the woman, whom they accused of being Jewish. Liberation is also horrified that no eye-witnesses came forward after the attack. The paper says the incident brings back memories of World War II when the French "allowed their police to round-up the Jews and pretended to know nothing about where they were being sent". Saving Yukos As the fraud trial of Russian oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky resumes, the country's press is preoccupied with what will happen to the embattled oil firm Yukos, in which he is the main shareholder. Events taking place around the company show that the implementation of the 'shares for taxes' deal has begun Nezavisimaya Gazeta Interfax news agency had quoted a senior Yukos source as saying Chief Executive Stephen Theede had offered to voluntarily pay $8bn in back taxes if the company is given three years to make the payment. But, according to the business daily Vedomosti , the proposal appears to have fallen on deaf ears. "In the words of a Vedomosti source in the government, the authorities are not planning to hold any kind of talks with Yukos," it says. The broadsheet Nezavisimaya Gazeta disagrees. "Representatives of the authorities are not admitting that they are holding talks with Yukos... but events taking place around the company show that the implementation of the 'shares for taxes' deal has begun." Spotlight on Sudan Germany's Berliner Zeitung focuses its attention on Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's visit to Sudan. The paper holds out little hope that the visit will encourage the Sudanese government to end the violence in the western province of Darfur. People who support the violence "of almost genocidal proportions" in Darfur will not let anyone tell them what to do, it says. But it does not believe that Mr Fischer's trip will be completely in vain, adding that "at least it will mean that the phenomenon of officially-sanctioned mass murder in Africa will be reported". Feeding the wolves The Czech paper, Lidove Noviny , concentrates on domestic affairs, as Stanislav Gross - the new leader of the country's Social Democrat Party - continues talks on forming a new government after the resignation of prime minister and party leader, Vladimir Spidla. The paper believes Mr Gross will have his work cut out. He is now in the "unenviable" position of being "a wolf that has won the fight for the pack leadership," it says. "He has pushed the old leader away, with the help of the others, but now he has to secure some prey for his fellow wolves that would justify the fight." The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3885563.stm Published: 2004/07/12 05:43:59 GMT © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3885563.stmAn anti-Semitic attack in France and the future of Yukos are among the issues which concern today's European press. Related...
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European press review Tensions between Spain and Britain over a nuclear submarine's visit to Gibraltar, the South Ossetia conflict, racism in France and Russia's Yukos affair are the main topics in today's European papers. 'Tensions' Newspapers in Spain see relations with Britain at rock bottom after the country's foreign minister on Wednesday described the planned stopover by a British nuclear submarine in Gibraltar a "provocation". The submarine's visit is raising tensions to unnecessary levels El Pais The HMS Tireless, due in Gibraltar on Friday, was at the centre of a row between the two countries in 2000, when it underwent repairs in the British colony for nearly a year. El Pais says relations are already strained by the failure of a shared sovereignty plan for Gibraltar in 2002, what it calls the "lukewarm chemistry" between British Prime Minister Tony and his Spanish counterpart Jose Rodriguez Zapatero and a series of diplomatic spats. "The submarine's visit is raising tensions to unnecessary levels," the paper says, and urges both countries to patch things up. "The time has come for the two governments to get their act together and tone down the stridency, in the knowledge that for the moment, the chance of a definitive solution to the sovereignty issue has vanished from the horizon." Madrid's ABC agrees, saying that the Gibraltar issue is adding to friction caused by it calls Spain's "hasty" withdrawal of its troops from Iraq. "HMS Tireless's visit is the latest bill Spain's interests and image are being made to pay in the international arena," it laments. 'Powder keg' The Russian press continue to focus on tensions with Georgia over the South Ossetia after the region's authorities detained some 40 Georgian soldiers. The Moscow daily Novyye Izvestia says the conflict has put Russia, which the Georgians accuse of backing South Ossetian separatist ambitions, in a difficult position. The latest events have shown that Tbilisi is banking on force Krasnaya Zvezda "This could cause a lot of bother for Russia, which will be criticised whatever it does - for failing to intervene if it keeps its distance, or for throwing its weight about if it tries to put either of the sides in its place," the newspaper muses. The Russian defence ministry paper Krasnaya Zvezda is disinclined to trust the Georgian authorities' assurances that they want to resolve the dispute peacefully. "The latest events have shown that Tbilisi is banking on force," the paper believes. In response to remarks by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili describing South Ossetia as a "powder keg", the article says: "It is of course dangerous to sit on a powder keg, but playing with matches whilst you're sitting on it verges on madness." The popular daily Trud uses a similar metaphor to blame both sides. "Georgia's leaders seem to have forgotten the tale about the match that burnt down the whole forest," it says, but also criticises the South Ossetian leadership for misinterpreting Georgia's dispute with the Russian peacekeepers as an attack on itself. "They have their share of hot-heads there, too." Lessons of history In France, reports that suburbs are becoming ghettoes for the Muslim minority, continuing tension over the ban on headscarves and a rise in the number of anti-Semitic attacks have pushed concern over the state of community relations to the top of the agenda. On Thursday, President Jacques Chirac used a visit to a southern French village famous for sheltering Jews during World War II to urge the French to fight all forms of racism - a move praised by the daily Liberation . "At a time when racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic violence is rising sharply in France," the paper says in an editorial, "the president was right to stress that the state will respond with unswerving resolve against acts of hatred". But while welcoming Mr Chirac's warning that the lessons of the past should not be forgotten, the paper warns that the feelings of marginalisation it says many young Muslims are experiencing in today's France are the real danger. "History has its virtues, but it is not enough when the handing down of democratic values is jeopardised by social exclusion," it concludes. Similarly, an analyst in Le Nouvel Observateur regrets the fact that no Muslim figures were invited to the ceremony attended by representatives of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths. "This was a mistake which is bound to give rise to inter-communal tensions," he says. 'Russian scenario' Newspaper across Europe continue to take an interest in Russia's Yukos affair. In Germany, the Berliner Zeitung finds it odd that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder did not discuss the possible bankruptcy of Russia's biggest oil exporter in his talks with President Putin in Moscow on Thursday. The paper believes the r
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European press review There is an air of crisis in the Russian press, with predictions of conflict with Georgia over the South Ossetia region and rumours of a possible banking crash. Elsewhere in Europe, Austrian papers look back at President Klestil's career, while a French paper sees Britain's famous EU "rebate" under threat. 'Hotting up' Mounting tension between Georgia and Russia, after Georgian troops intercepted a Russian convoy heading for the disputed region of South Ossetia, has set alarm bells ringing in the Moscow press. "Russia and Georgia have reached the brink of armed conflict," the leading daily Izvestiya says. The two peoples are racing towards armed conflict like two avalanches Komsomolskaya Pravda The broadsheet Nezavisimaya Gazeta believes that an outbreak of fighting over the breakaway Georgian region may now be inevitable. "The South Ossetian crisis has reached the critical point beyond which the shooting starts," it says. A commentator in the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda agrees, pointing out that Georgian forces are massing on the Russian border while the South Ossetians are preparing for general mobilization. "The situation in the republic is hotting up," the daily says. "The two peoples are racing towards armed conflict like two avalanches." It adds that Russia must decide whether to protect South Ossetia's breakaway status or accede to Georgia's claim over the region. "Russia is faced with a difficult choice," the paper concludes. An article in the army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda is equally concerned, and describes the situation on the Georgian-Russian border as "worse than it has ever been before". The paper appears to blame Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili for the crisis, saying that he promised his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to continue talks on South Ossetia during his visit to Moscow in February. Cash-flow problems There are jitters on Russia's domestic front as well, with rising speculation over a possible banking crisis after one of the country's banks closed down its branches and cash machines in Moscow and St Petersburg. Izvestiya says Guta Bank's move has sparked a "mass of rumours", and finds little comfort in an offer by Central Bank chef Sergey Ignatyev to help another bank buy out Guta Bank. The cash dispensers are literally smoking Nezavisimaya Gazeta "Is this the beginning of a huge banking crisis?" the paper wonders. "Or is it just an asset grab taking place under cover of a banking crisis?" The daily Trud is similarly suspicious, saying that Ignatyev's plan may herald "the onset of a redistribution of property in the banking sector". "First-division banks which were close to the Kremlin in the 1990s might be falling out of favour - and some have already done so," the daily says. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta , the sense of crisis appears to have spread to customers of other banks. "The cash dispensers on the streets of Moscow are literally smoking," an article in the paper says. "There are queues everywhere, or otherwise little signs saying that they have run out of money." Assurances by the Russia's Central Bank that there is no crisis in the banking sector have also failed to impress Novaya Gazeta . "Huge queues for which you have to sign up several days in advance, empty cash dispensers and refusals to pay out 'for technical reasons' mean that there is a crisis," it says. The newspaper is worried that queues are also forming outside branches of the Alfa Bank, which it says has no liquidity problems. "If Alfa goes, it will be impossible to avoid a re-run of August 1998," it says. Man of the world As Austria prepares to swear in its new president, Heinz Fischer, the country's press pays tribute to his predecessor Thomas Klestil, who died on Tuesday after a heart attack. Die Presse says that with his death, part of the Austrian republic died too. "This is why today all those who had the odd difference of opinion with Thomas Klestil are also in mourning," it says. In the paper's opinion, one of the late president's many accomplishments was his brilliance as a diplomat. But it adds that "the tragedy of his presidency" was the gap between what he wanted to achieve and what he was able to do. Der Standard agrees, observing that no other president before him tested the limits of his powers quite as much as Thomas Klestil. The newspaper says there were occasions when he "spectacularly" failed to assert himself, in particular when he was unable to prevent Joerg Haider's far-right Freedom Party from joining the governing coalition. However, it praises Klestil for managing to veto two of the Freedom Party's nominees for cabinet posts, and insisted on modifications to the coalition's programme. Even so, the paper says, "Austrians were shown that a president's formal powers end where
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European press review Wednesday's papers take an interest in the British prime minister's admission that weapons of mass destruction may never be found in Iraq, and in the latest UN report on the spread of the Aids virus. Meanwhile, there is reaction to the Spanish prime minister's promise that from now on all troop deployments abroad will be subject to parliamentary approval. 'Tactical move' Germany's Berliner Zeitung sees the admission by British Prime Minister Tony Blair that WMD may never be found in Iraq as "no more than a tactical move". It argues that he had "made a fool of himself" by repeatedly claiming that sooner or later something would be found. With a simple sentence Tony Blair started a verbal retreat Le Temps So "we no longer expected Tony Blair to bring himself to make such a statement," the paper concedes. But it notes that he has still not apologised for what it calls "misleading" the public over the quality of the intelligence gathered on Iraq. "With a simple sentence", says the Swiss Le Temps , "Tony Blair started a verbal retreat which he hopes will draw a line under the stumbling block that Iraq has become... and will enable him to tackle a long run-up to elections free from such a hindrance". "With less than a year to go to the likely date of the general elections," it notes, "battle has been joined over domestic issues, and here too, the prime minister seems to have lost his drive." "And on matters such as health, education and transport," the paper points out, "there is no possible verbal retreat." Straw's warming effect British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived in Russia on Tuesday on a two-day working visit, with Iraq very much at the top of the agenda. The visit, Moscow's Nezavisimaya Gazeta predicts, will "bring an end to the cooling in bilateral relations caused by the Iraq war". The paper notes that the seniority of British officials visiting Moscow is rising, and that Prime Minister Tony Blair himself is expected "in the not too distant future". "It seems that the cold spell in bilateral relations is over," it concludes. But Kommersant , still in Moscow, takes a diametrically opposed view. It says that Mr Straw will not be received by President Vladimir Putin, "even though it has become a tradition that, as a rule, the Russian president meets visiting foreign ministers from the world's leading nations". "It seems, therefore," the paper concludes, that the chill in relations between Moscow and London is not over yet." Aids crisis German clients still often want sex without a condom, and that means: full risk Der Tagesspiegel In Germany, Der Tagesspiegel says that the new UN report on the incidence of Aids points to the focal point of the crisis moving to eastern Europe and central Asia. It fears that Germany will also be affected because many east European women regard prostitution as a way out of poverty and because prostitution is one way in which the virus can be transmitted. "German clients still often want sex without a condom, and that means full risk," the paper says. Die Tageszeitung believes "there is no reason not to take the fight against a killer such as Aids as well as other devastating diseases, such as malaria, as seriously as the fight against weapons of mass destruction and terrorists". France's Liberation takes some comfort from the view of specialised NGOs that "it is not too late to prevent the worst". Democracy in action? With the European parliament due to elect its new president in two weeks' time, France's Le Monde laments a wasted opportunity to fill the post with, as the paper puts it, "an emblematic figure for a reunified Europe". The figure in question is former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, whom the paper describes as "a true European in every sense of the word". His "handicap", it says, is that he belongs to neither of the two dominant groups in the parliament, the PPE on the Right, and the PSE on the Left. They have already agreed to share the post by cutting the term of office into two halves for their respective candidates. Spain Iraq move Madrid's El Pais notes that the Spanish parliament, for the first time in its history, was consulted on the deployment of troops abroad. Its response, the paper notes, was to approve by "an overwhelming majority", the strengthening of the Spanish contingent in Afghanistan and the dispatching of a Civil Guard unit to Haiti. The paper sees Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero's decision to consult parliament as a "watershed" in the country's participation in international military operations. It notes that Mr Zapatero has pledged to introduce legislation requiring government in future to submit such troop deployments to parliament. Oslo protests Oslo's Aftenposten welcomes the Norwegian government's decision to protest to the US about the abuse of ch
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European press review Tuesday's mixed bag of European topics and preoccupations includes an unusual number of ailing politicians, as well as a somewhat under-the-weather Italian budget. Germany's Die Welt says the judges at the war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, having ordered a radical review of proceedings because of the defendant's ill health, are faced with a dilemma. It argues that if they force the former president to appear and if he then suffers a heart attack, the court could be seriously discredited in moral and legal terms. "On the other hand," it points out, "if the judges... let the trial continue as before, or if they simply adjourn for a few months, they will be at the mercy of the defendant's whims and health (fluctuations) - and in this case, too, the tribunal will become a farce." The paper suggests that providing Mr Milosevic with a lawyer to conduct his defence would seem to offer a way out. In reality it is he who wants to destroy the health of the judicial authorities Der Tagesspiegel Der Tagesspiegel , for its part, suggests that the defendant should be told to stop smoking. The paper notes that the former president yesterday accused the court of trying to destroy his health. "In reality," it argues, "it is he who wants to destroy the health of the judicial authorities." Italy's budget Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sees as predictable Monday's decision by EU finance ministers not to censure the Berlusconi government in Rome over its excessive budget deficit. "This is because the days when EU states squabbled over the best way to consolidate budgets are gone for ever," the paper says. It suggests that hardly any EU member state is willing to be guided any longer by the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact, after proceedings against France and Germany for breaching its rules were suspended. "It is... obvious," it says, "that the ministers, unlike the European Central Bank, no longer place a high value on stability in the field of economic and financial policy." Switzerland's Le Temps attributes what it calls the "successful defence" mounted by Silvio Berlusconi when he met the EU finance ministers on Monday, to "a new trend" which shows member states keen "to stand up to the Brussels executive". In Spain, however, Barcelona's Avui says that "for the third time the EU has temporised with a flagrant breach of the rules". The full Monti France's Le Monde notes that the odds-on favourite to replace Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, who resigned two days ago, is the current EU commissioner for competition, Mario Monti. His job it would be to get the country's budget back into line with EU rules. The paper believes that the appointment of "Super Mario" - which, it explains is the Italians' nickname for Mr Monti - would "enhance the Italian government's image and credibility abroad". Having accepted the post of president of the European Commission, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso yesterday presented his resignation to President Jorge Sampaio. Neighbouring Spain's El Pais notes that these events have sparked off a political crisis in Portugal. Even though Mr Barroso "justified his acceptance of the EU post on the grounds that the country's stability and economic growth were safeguarded", the paper says, "a period of uncertainty has opened up before a country still struggling with issues of self-esteem". Thomas Klestil Austria's Der Standard reviews the presidency of Thomas Klestil, who is in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack on Monday, with three days to go to the end of his term of office. The paper says that things got off to a "dynamic" start in 1992, noting that he was the first Austrian president to admit to his country's share of responsibility for the Holocaust, a gesture which the paper describes as "long overdue". But it adds that his last few years in office were marked by "defeats", notably his inability to prevent the forming of a coalition which included the far-right Freedom Party. Still in Vienna, Die Presse notes that the president's condition also means that "many tricky issues of the constitution and protocol have to be resolved". "But Austria can be confident that the constitution as well as the Republic will pass the test," it believes. Hip op The prime minister has finally communicated with the outside world Dagens Nyheter Papers in Sweden speculate about Prime Minister Goran Persson's political future after he finally broke a three-week silence on the subject of his party's poor performance in the European election results, in the aftermath of a hip replacement operation. "The prime minister has finally communicated with the outside world", exclaims Stockholm's Dagens Nyheter . "Order restored. No, not really," the paper says. "The image
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European press review Two high profile court cases in the Middle East stir Thursday's European editorial writers, and there is a chilling story on the lengths some will go to in Russia to get a drink. Trials, tribulations Germany's Berliner Zeitung agrees with the Iraqis' right to try Saddam Hussein, but stresses that "everything will now hinge on a fair trial". The paper argues it will enable the Iraqi population to find out what actually happened under Saddam's reign. The West will not come out of this whiter than white either Berliner Zeitung "The West will not come out of this whiter than white either," it warns, citing the West's "major role" in the Iran-Iraq war. The point is echoed by Austria's Der Standard , which fears the trial may run into difficulties through lack of sufficient incriminating evidence. "On the basis of which documents and witness statements is Saddam Hussein's direct involvement in crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide supposed to be shown?" the paper asks. "Saddam and his helpers might provide details of an entirely different nature," such as "the co-operation formerly received from the USA and France". Spain's El Pais says Saddam "deserves a trial with all the guarantees" that a justice system can provide, but rejects capital punishment. "Were the former dictator to be executed, this would not only supply ammunition to the insurgents, who insist on depicting him as a martyr, but it would also be a waste of an excellent opportunity to show that a different and better order is truly emerging in Iraq." Russians convicted The conviction in Qatar of two Russians for the murder in February of former Chechen president Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev prompts a mixed reaction in today's Russian papers. For Novyye Izvestiya , there was relief that death sentences were not meted out. The sentence passed should not be taken as the last word in this scandalous affair Nezavisimaya Gazeta "Judicial practice in Muslim countries shows that a life sentence instead of the death penalty is a kind of hiatus which leaves open the possibility of a reversal of the court's decision." "In other words, the necessary conditions have been established for further horse-trading between Russia and Qatar," which, the paper says, will inevitably involve Washington getting involved as well. Nezavisimaya Gazeta too thinks the Russians will eventually be released, commenting: "The sentence passed on the Russian intelligence agents should not be taken as the last word in this scandalous affair." Moskovskiy Komsomolets describes the trial as a murky piece of political theatre. "If Yandarbiyev's killing was 'to order', then so was the trial, according to a specific screenplay. The defence argument and testimony from defence witnesses was listened to but then almost demonstratively ignored," it says. France's dilemma Under the headline "Splendid isolation", France's Le Monde says the Iraq issue is confronting President Jacques Chirac with "a highly difficult diplomatic equation". France found itself isolated in its refusal to accede to America's requests Le Monde The president, it says, has to work out a way of "maintaining his opposition to the war without appearing to be shamefully nostalgic for Saddam Hussein". His dilemma is "how not to oppose the reconstruction of a 'sovereign' Iraq without reneging on his original position". As a result, at the Nato summit in Istanbul "France found itself isolated in its refusal to accede to America's requests and in its blunt criticism of George W. Bush's public pronouncements." Prague summer Czech newspapers examine the political turmoil enveloping the government, as Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla steps down after poor results in the European Parliament elections. He is incapable of striking either compromises or routine agreements Lidove noviny "The fresh resignation of Vladimir Spidla's cabinet is nothing dramatic, but still some may feel anxious about the times ahead of the Czech Republic," Hospodarske Noviny comments. Lidove Noviny tries to think of a suitable new job for the outgoing premier. "Spidla is an extraordinarily hard working and also intelligent man but with a fatal deficit in communication skills. He is incapable of striking either compromises or routine agreements. This in fact disqualifies him as a politician." But he is the perfect candidate for National Inspection Office president, it says. "Spidla could crack down on imperfect state bureaucrats. Their life would become very difficult under him as the supreme inspector." Last orders Times are hard in Lipetsk, according to a story in Russia's Trud headlined: "To the morgue for a drink". "In Lipetsk, four homeless people dug a tunnel under the local forensic mortuary looking for alcohol. They dug under the single-storey building from its yard and got inside." "But they didn't find any alcohol there, so they s
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European press review German papers today scoff at the results of the Nato summit and diagnose the Alliance's poor health. Many of Europe's papers examine the tussle between France and the United States over Turkey's place in Europe. Nato's challenges Commenting on the Nato summit in Istanbul, Germany's Der Tagesspiegel describes its results as "meagre". Afghanistan is becoming a credibility test for Nato Der Tagesspiegel As the paper sees it, the summit failed to heal the split between those Nato members who opposed the war in Iraq and those who backed it. "The Nato summit was superfluous and took place at the wrong time." It says decisions taken by the 26 heads of state and government could equally have been left to foreign ministers. And the fact that the United States is shouldering the security burden in Afghanistan is a sign of Europe's military weakness. "Afghanistan is becoming a credibility test for Nato, and in particular for its European pillar," the paper says. Germany's Berliner Zeitung says that although Nato cannot afford to fail in Afghanistan, its resources there are pitifully limited. It says the 6,500 soldiers currently in the country plus the 1,000 to be added in September are "a drop in the ocean". Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta looks at the summit and sees a slightly healthier state of affairs. "In general, one gets the impression that Russia has already 'digested' Nato enlargement and come to the conclusion that it does not create large problems for it, although some concerns remain." Row over Turkey Under the headline "Bush pushing Turkey into Europe", France's Le Figaro remarks that US President George W Bush "continues to press the Europeans to welcome Turkey in their midst". Bush was nevertheless right when he said Turkey's membership of the EU would contribute towards dismantling the myth of the clash of civilizations La Vanguardia "The American president has taken no notice of (French President) Jacques Chirac's admonition that the negotiations between the Union and Ankara are none of Washington's business." Austria's Die Presse backs Mr Chirac for chiding Mr Bush after he urged the EU to give Turkey a date for acceptance of its membership bid. "Chirac was right," the paper says. "The independent global political initiatives of the current US administration have resulted in the French again and again supporting positions critical of America." Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung notes that, despite standing up to the USA over the issue, the French president was actually very positive about Turkey's EU bid. And Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he believed there would be a positive EU Commission report on Turkey in October. "If opinions are so solid from the outset, we could have done without this whole farce," the paper says. Spain's La Vanguardia takes the view that "providing the religion professed by the overwhelming majority of the Turkish people and their leaders does not come into conflict with the progress and consolidation of the law-based state", Turkey could actually "become an example for the entire region". President Bush may have been "admonished" by France but "he was nevertheless right when he said that Turkey's membership of the EU would be a powerful contribution towards dismantling the myth of the clash of civilizations", it says. Bridges across Europe In Sweden, Malmo's Sydsvenska Dagbladet welcomes the fact that a fixed link between Denmark and Germany over the Fehmarn Belt straits has taken "a few pleasing and slightly unexpected steps forward". Danes, Germans and other Europeans are more than welcome in Sweden Sydsvenska Dagbladet A declaration of intent was signed in Berlin last week by the two countries' transport ministers, supporting a road and rail bridge at a cost of about 4.4 billion euros ($5.3 billion). There is "every reason to welcome the decisiveness" being shown by Copenhagen and Berlin, the paper says, adding the existing Oeresund Link between Sweden and Denmark will become even more significant to long-distance transport when the new bridge is built. "And incidentally, the bridges also lead northwards. Danes, Germans and other Europeans are more than welcome in Sweden." The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3852165.stmPublished: 2004/06/30 04:09:36 GMT© BBC MMIVRelated... http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3852165.stm
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European press review The European dailies welcome the early transfer of sovereignty in Iraq. But they vary in their degree of optimism and many fear for the country's short-term future. 'In name only' France's Liberation devotes its whole front page and five inside pages to yesterday's early handover of power and the situation in Iraq. "Ayad Allawi's government will be sovereign in name only," it says. "It has no democratic legitimacy to issue legislation, only limited access to financial resources and above all it lacks a monopoly on the use of armed force within its borders that is the hallmark of a sovereign state." "The near future will tell if this limited sovereignty can be anything more than a paper screen soon to be torn up by bomb blasts." Madrid's El Pais believes "formally everything is different now, but in reality little has changed. And yet we must hope that this transition process works, because there is no alternative." But the daily sees "a growing mood of scepticism" among Iraqis "and even despite their high-sounding words, among the allies in an Atlantic Alliance lacking in a sense of European unity." 'Sign of failure' Spain's La Razon sees yesterday's ceremony as the beginning of "an institutional precedent with few precedents in the region's - and even the world's - recent history". Whether it succeeds or fails "is basically in the hands of the Iraqis, but they will need everyone's cooperation". They hate the sovereign Iraqi government and regard it as a creation of the Americans - which it is indeed Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung And El Mundo says success is needed for Iraq's sake, but also "for the sake of the United States' credibility as the paramount promoter of freedom and democracy in the world". Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung plays down the handover and predicts it will not stop those it calls "the terrorists". "They hate the sovereign Iraqi government now led by Ayad Allawi, too, and regard it as a creation of the Americans - which it is indeed." The paper argues that only the general elections planned for January will tell what kind of government the Iraqis really want. Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung interprets the bringing forward of the transfer of sovereignty by two days as a sign of failure. "The fact that the fear of attacks meant that not even a massively protected ceremony could be held as planned, amounts to an admission of failure." What took place was not so much a transfer of power as "the transfer of chaos". "In this situation, it goes without saying that it would be wrong to send a Nato peace force to the country." 'The best day' Austria's Die Presse , on the other hand, describes the early transfer of sovereignty as "a clever political move, which surprised friends and foes alike and duped the enemy". As the paper sees it, Monday was "the best day for a very long time... for both the much criticized allies and the suffering Iraqis". The Czech daily Hospodarske Noviny believes that the handover was brought forward partly because the coalition wanted it to coincide with the Nato summit so as to forestall a potentially unpleasant debate on setbacks in Iraq. The other reason, the paper adds, was that the allies wanted "to take the wind from the sails of Iraqi armed rebels" planning "deadly attacks for 30 June". "Is this not clear proof of how strongly the rebels affect developments in Iraq?" "Unquestionably, this is a step towards settling the situation in the occupied country," says Russia's Krasnaya Zvezda. The transfer of sovereignty was President Bush's way of justifying himself to his electorate Tribune de Geneve "The normalization of the situation in Iraq promises to be extremely difficult, because the central nervous system of the state has been knocked out and its life support systems destroyed." "The extremist forces have taken advantage of this in their own way and unfortunately, as sober politicians predicted, the foreign military intervention has pushed the country to the brink of civil war." 'Between hammer and anvil' For the Swiss daily Tribune de Geneve "the transfer of sovereignty was President Bush's way of justifying himself to his electorate by suggesting that, while not everything in the garden is rosy, the essential task has been accomplished." The paper finds it "a bit rich" that in Istanbul, Nato should "be lending itself obligingly to accommodate America's exercise in self-congratulation". Elsewhere in Switzerland Le Temps says the new Iraqi government, "fragile though it may be and caught between the hammer of the terrorist threat and the anvil of the multinational force, is at least now standing on its own two feet". After "a war that has cost America dear in every respect", is America "now ready to pay the price of Iraq's regained sovereignty?" it asks. The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the
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European press review The opening of the Nato summit and the appointment of the future European Commission president dominate European papers on Monday. And two dailies ponder a crisis in the Czech Republic triggered by the prime minister's resignation. Allies, or all lies? Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung predicts that there will be a false show of unity at the Nato summit which opens in Istanbul on Monday. The paper believes that, by agreeing some resolutions on Iraq, the Balkans and Afghanistan, Nato country leaders will try to give the impression that the organization is still "alive". "But all this is a thin veneer," it argues, predicting that tensions will rise again after the US presidential election. It points out that the details of Nato's proposed assistance in the training of Iraqi soldiers and police have yet to be agreed, and it predicts that Washington will soon demand greater support, including allied troops. A real test will merely be postponed in Istanbul Sueddeutsche Zeitung "Then, at the latest, the alliance will face a real test, which will merely be postponed in Istanbul," it says. Berliner Zeitung wonders whether Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is wise to insist that the German army will only train Iraqi officers outside Iraq. The paper concedes that, with the hindsight, the chancellor's early 'no' to the war in Iraq was right. "Germany's opposition" to the war, it says, "has helped to ensure" the rise of Berlin's "influence in the Arab world and in international institutions". But the paper warns that Chancellor Schroeder, by laying down another "red line", is depriving himself of the ability to use Germany's influence. "To Iraq but not with us!" it exclaims. "That may be one 'not' too many," it concludes. In France, Le Monde expects disagreements between Paris and Washington over Iraq to resurface at the summit. President Bush, the paper believes, "would like Nato to get involved at the side of the Iraqi government, which has itself asked for help in the training of its security forces". But last Friday, it points out, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said that raising the Nato flag in Iraq would be "counterproductive". Lowest common denominator The announcement that Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso is to be proposed as the new European Commission president at an EU meeting on Tuesday provokes mixed feelings. France's Le Figaro breathes a sigh of relief. "At last. This should mark the end of the hard-fought battle," the paper says. Mr Barroso "is as much of a convinced European as he is staunchly committed to the transatlantic relationship", which is why he was found acceptable by everyone, the paper argues. But the reaction in several other papers is lukewarm. Le Monde says Mr Barosso is "the lowest common denominator" to have emerged following divisions between Germany and France on one side and Britain and Italy on another. Austria's Die Presse describes Mr Barroso as "a Portuguese who to date has failed to stand out in any particular way". Berlin and Paris have chosen neither a strong or egocentric candidate nor a great visionary Die Welt Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung is distinctly unimpressed. Mr Barosso's "most striking characteristic" is the fact that "neither London nor Paris nor Berlin have any objections to him". "The heads of government may yet come to regret very much having sent a second choice man to Brussels," it says. Der Tagesspiegel says Mr Barroso "has not exactly distinguished himself as far as a vision of Europe is concerned." "Maybe this is why he is regarded as a suitable candidate by Europe's powerful states," it points out. Die Welt says "Berlin and Paris have chosen neither a strong or egocentric candidate nor a great visionary". But the paper believes that although Mr Barroso "may not have the nerve to pick a fight with statesmen of Chirac's or Berlusconi's calibre," he would be "a friendly facilitator" in Brussels. But Madrid's El Pais welcomes "a face from our friend Portugal" at the helm of Europe "in these times of change". He may "lack the airs of a leader," the paper concedes, "but he may yet surprise everyone." Romano Prodi had them and yet he failed" because "he was unable to put to good use a quality team of commissioners". Czech mate In the Czech Republic, papers are preoccupied by Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla's resignation over his party's poor showing in the recent European elections. Hospodarske Noviny wonders if Mr Spidla made a "mistake" two years ago by forming a Left-Right coalition government and if the resignation might have vindicated those who ridiculed his cabinet as "a strange hodgepodge". Czech experiment will probably soon be over Hospodarske Noviny Although "the correct answer to these two questions is no", the paper says, it concedes that what it calls this "Czech experiment" will "probably soon be over". Th
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European press review The internal politicking in various countries comes under scrutiny as governments begin to act to ratify the European constitution, and one Hungarian paper reflects on how drink drove some to the EU. In Germany a court ruling curbing access to secret police papers splits the press and more than a few Italian commentators call for a more realistic look at the reasons the Azzurri exited Euro 2004. European constitution Spain's El Pais hails Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero's decision to hold a referendum on the European constitution as soon as possible. The paper believes the prime minister "quite rightly" wants to see Spain in the vanguard of the drive to ratify the constitution and calls on the opposition Popular Party (PP) to co-operate. It urges the PP to work with the ruling Socialists as it did in drafting the constitution, instead of reiterating charges that the Socialists gave away power in Brussels "in exchange for nothing". Consensus should prevail in the referendum campaign instead of more division El Pais "This kind of consensus should prevail in the referendum campaign instead of more division," the paper says. In France, Le Monde also warns the opposition Socialist Party against splitting over the constitution. The paper believes that it is "presidential ambitions" that have led leading Socialist and former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius to reject the constitution's text. It suggests that Mr Fabius feels his "ambitions" would be better served if he shed his image as "France's Tony Blair" and placed himself on the party's left instead. This is "a very risky tactical move", the paper warns. The European constitution "is certainly imperfect, but it is an advance", it says. "In denying it, Mr Fabius risks ruining his chances." Schnapps out of it In Hungary, Budapest's Nepszabadsag attempts to calm another potential EU row, over the use of the word 'palinka', the Hungarian collective name for varieties of locally distilled schnapps. Nepszabadsag reports that distillers are accusing the government of "national treason" for allowing Romania to sell its own spirits to the EU using the trademark 'palinka'. But it points out that Romania included the 'palinka' trademark in its accession negotiations with Brussels "at the prompting of its ethnic Hungarian parliamentarians". "Unfortunately, palinka cannot be given a Hungarian passport: that's not what the EU is all about," it concludes. Kohl case In Germany, the press is divided over a federal court ruling curbing access to files on former Chancellor Helmut Kohl kept by the former East German secret police, the Stasi. Behind this is Kohl's opinion, apparently shared by the court, that journalists are by definition dangerous. Sueddeutsche Zeitung The Sueddeutsche Zeitung criticizes the ruling as too restrictive and says it curtails press freedom in a way which violates the constitution. The paper also argues that the court's decision to grant academics greater access to the papers than journalists is "absurd". "Behind this is Kohl's opinion, apparently shared by the court, that journalists are by definition dangerous," it says. Die Tageszeitung also takes issue with the court's ruling that academics may view some files, but must not publish them. "This suggests a strange understanding of academic work, which depends on openness," the paper says. It adds that journalists and academics might want to consider testing the federal court's line. Chancellors have rights too. Der Tagesspiegel But Der Tagesspiegel backs the court's decision. "Chancellors have rights too", the paper argues, saying that public institutions such as the Stasi archives must act in line with the law. "This is what the court made clear yesterday, no more," it adds. A commentary in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says the court has merely banned the publication of anything "based on secret service voyeurism". The paper believes former Chancellor Kohl is right to suspect that many of those interested in his files want to find incriminating material against him, rather than against the Stasi. Euro 2004 blues Finally, a handful of Italian commentators give short shrift to the conspiracy theory that Denmark and Sweden colluded to draw their game and knock Italy out of the tournament. "We all saw it," says a commentary in La Repubblica . "Our elimination was of our own doing, as so often happens." It was not our fault - it is never our fault... It is always fate that prevents the world's best team from winning. Il Sole 24 Ore The paper hopes the setback will finally do away with the myth of Italy as football's "sleeping beauty", who "finally awakens when she reaches the quarter-final stage". Avvenire concurs. Italy's "doom", it says, was "self-inflicted" by a team that made too many mistakes, wasted "endless goal chances", and spent its energies on internal rows. "It was not o
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European press review The merits of the European Union constitution agreed in Brussels continue to be debated in the press, with many dubious it can be hailed an unqualified success. Some also believe that EU leaders now face a bigger challenge in convincing their countries to ratify it. And, in another battle in the European arena, Spain leaves the Euro 2004 football tournament "doubly humiliated", says one commentator. Better than 'slow death' The constitution may not be ideal, but it represents the best deal that could be obtained, says Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The paper says the new basic law is the minimum a united Europe needs for its future, and adds that it is certainly better than the previous status quo, with which it believes the EU would have faced "a slow death". Europe seems to have chosen to throw away a cornerstone of its historical memory. L'osservatore Romano The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says it is too early to say whether the agreement deserves the label "historic". It does, however, believe the constitution to be "unwieldy", "long-winded" and "even incomprehensible" in parts. "Thus this is a typically European document, which means that presumably hardly any 'ordinary European' will ever read or particularly like it," the paper says. In Russia, Izvestiya believes "the majority of participants returned home dissatisfied with the historic decisions". The paper adds that French President Jacques Chirac welcomed the agreement "with such a gloomy face that it became clear to journalists that the mood of the boss of the Elysee Palace was far from festive". And the Vatican's L'osservatore Romano laments the fact that a proposal to include an explicit reference to Europe's Christian roots in its preamble was "disappointingly" turned down. Europe "seems to have chosen to throw away a cornerstone of its historical memory", it says. Ratification Others are less critical of the constitution itself, but see its agreement as a prelude to tougher battles. Ratification is far from a foregone conclusion, bearing in mind the euroscepticism dominant in Denmark and, first and foremost, in the United Kingdom. Adevarul France's Le Monde warns that the constitution alone "will not suffice without a common resolve to surmount differences... for the sake of common interests". Romanian daily Adevarul also notes that its ratification by all 25 member states is "far from a foregone conclusion, bearing in mind the euroscepticism dominant in Denmark and, first and foremost, in the United Kingdom". Switzerland's Le Temps would seem to agree, noting that the rejection of the document by a single member country "would be fatal". The paper concludes that the construction of Europe "remains ground that must be fought inch by inch". And a commentary in the Czech Hospodarske Noviny worries that the document might end up in university libraries "as an interesting attempt to achieve the impossible", given, it says, the distancing of the EU's populace from Brussels evinced in recent European elections. 'Sore throat but happy' On another European battleground, Spain's largely unexpected elimination from the Euro 2004 championships in Portugal has elicited harsh words for national football team coach Inaki Saez from Madrid's La Razon. The paper charges Mr Saez with fielding "his favourite players and those whose qualities are more widely recognised", when he should have chosen "whoever was in better physical and mental shape". It goes on to demand an explanation "both from Saez and from whoever renewed his contract until 2006". The Spanish team leave the competition "doubly humiliated", says Le Temps, first because they were eliminated in the first round, and second because the blow was dealt by what the paper calls "their closest enemy". "As for Portugal," it concludes, "it woke up this morning with a sore throat, but happy". The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions.Related... http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/2/hi/europe/3824807.stm
[news] European press review
European press review Newspapers across Europe debate the EU summit in Brussels, where some fear differences over the next commission president could put talks on the European constitution at risk. Papers in Spain and Poland, meanwhile, wonder what the talks could mean for their own countries. Successor As EU leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday, Germany's Der Tagesspiegel fears wrangling over the choice of successor to European Commission President Romano Prodi may endanger the success of talks on the new EU constitution. "The heads of state and government will be well-advised to postpone the debate about the next president if it threatens to become too heated," it suggests. The new document would hardly deserve the name of constitution Austria's Der Standard "The constitution is a project which this time must not fail under any circumstances." Austria's Der Standard is worried about rumours that the UK may be persuaded to accept Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt in return for keeping the national veto on taxation and foreign policy, arguing that such a deal could undermine the entire project. "The new document would hardly deserve the name of constitution," it says. However, the paper's mood appears to lighten when it points out that Austria's own chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, also has a chance of moving to Brussels. "In Austria at least, the pro-Europe mood would improve dramatically," it says. But German daily Frankfurter Rundschau has its money on the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker. The paper believes he would be backed by the European Parliament, which, as the paper points out, will have to approve any nomination. "Since he is also regarded as a first-class choice among his counterparts, it should not be difficult together to persuade him to change his place of residence," it says. In Spain, La Vanguardia believes the fact that finding a successor to Mr Prodi appears to be more difficult than agreeing on the constitution is "good evidence of the delicate moment" the European Union is going through. "Who cares?" Germany's Berliner Zeitung asks, arguing that the identity of the commission president is in any case "completely irrelevant" as long as Europeans are not allowed to choose him or her through elections. According to the paper, the European Union is not run by the people of Europe, but by heads of government looking for "a chief EU official - and nothing more". 'Battered notion' The Paris-based International Herald Tribune thinks EU leaders will struggle to revive popular enthusiasm for the "battered notion" of ever closer union and strike a deal on Europe's first constitution. "With the most fundamental questions about power sharing between countries still unresolved," the paper says, "the meeting will be a test of whether the 25 presidents and prime ministers can find the middle ground on key questions and then sell their decisions to a sceptical European public." Under the headline "Spain in Europe: Not a step backwards!" Spanish daily ABC urges Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero to be wary of giving too much away at the Brussels talks, in particular on the touchy issue of voting rights. There will be hell to pay in Europe if our prime minister vetoes the European constitution Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza "Zapatero faces the serious responsibility of finding a place for Spain in a new and complex balance of powers" in the EU, the daily says. His performance, it warns, will be compared with that of his predecessor Jose Maria Aznar, who negotiated the Nice Treaty giving Spain generous voting rights. The new prime minister, the paper says should support a formula "which will preserve Spain's present standing among the nations of the Union". In Poland, which blocked a deal on the EU constitution in last December, Gazeta Wyborcza warns Prime Minister Marek Belka against a repeat performance. "There will be hell to pay in Europe if our prime minister vetoes the European constitution," a commentary in the paper says. Fearing that Poland may be marginalised in EU budget negotiations if it blocks a deal, it urges a compromise that works for both Warsaw and Brussels. "Those who think otherwise should ask themselves if Poland would be able to afford two hells - one at home and one in Europe." Shoot the messenger? France's Liberation says delegates from more than 60 countries meeting in Paris to discuss the role of the internet in spreading racism must perform a difficult balancing act. "The fight against ideological poison needs to avoid the twin pitfalls of censorship and indifference," the paper says. "Above all, it must not confuse the messenger - the internet - with the message - racism - by imagining that curbing the former would make it possible to abolish the latter." The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and s
[news] European press review
European press review Papers ponder what effect the European election results are likely to have on the draft EU constitution that leaders will discuss at a summit opening in Brussels on Thursday. One German paper decides to go without news at all on "Bloomsday". Now for the constitution Looking ahead to the Brussels EU summit, France's Le Monde says the particularly low electoral turnout in some of the new member countries "is going to create problems in the coming months and make things very difficult for leaders trying to get their reluctant public opinion to accept a constitution". In democratic terms the current EU project is sick, weak and lacks the ability to enthuse and involve citizens Information Another stumbling block to the constitutional treaty's ratification, it believes, will be "the rise of anti-European populist and sovereigntist movements... especially in Britain and the countries of central Europe". Denmark's Information fears for the fate of the constitution. The low turnout, it says, is "a serious reminder to political leaders that there is something fundamentally wrong with the current EU project." "In democratic terms the project is sick, weak and lacks the ability to enthuse and involve citizens." "Apathy, impotence and abstention," the paper warns, "are threatening to pull the rug out from under the EU's fragile project of a new constitution". The Spanish daily El Pais sees the Brussels EU summit as a test of Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero's negotiating skills. It notes that Mr Zapatero has voiced support for double majority voting in the EU Council of Ministers, which takes population sizes into account. "The safeguard that Spain will be seeking to introduce," it explains, "is that a decision may be blocked only if no less than four member states oppose it... This is the minimum guarantee required to ensure that three major countries cannot hold the key to all decisions," the paper points out. "Spain," it argues, "must show an ability to organize majorities... and become part of the solution, not part of the problem." Winners and losers France's Le Nouvel Observateur says that, following the routing of President Chirac's UMP party in the European elections, political leaders have been looking to the French national football team's "last ditch victory" over England at Euro 2004 for inspiration. A stupid and ill-considered display of post-election euphoria Lidove Noviny The paper quotes a presidential spokesman as saying that the football victory "proved that you can be losing at half-time and still come out the winner". "This was a hint," it suggests, "that the government still has three years to win back the support of public opinion". A commentary in the Czech Mlada Fronta Dnes takes a swipe at the opposition Civic Democrats (ODS), a Eurosceptic party that soundly defeated the governing party in the European elections It accuses them of committing a political faux pas by announcing that they would not respect any undertakings entered into by Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla in this week's negotiations on the draft European constitution. "This is the same as the ODS saying that it would no longer respect the highway code because the government lost the elections," the paper argues. The results are not so much a yellow card being shown to the Left, as a ringing alarm bell Trybuna "The ODS," it points out, "out of arrogance or clumsiness, has challenged the premier's right to sign treaties on behalf of the country." This might prompt its voters, the paper suggests, "to ponder if they made the right choice last weekend". Prague's Lidove Noviny calls the move "a stupid and ill-considered display of post-election euphoria" which "weakens and harms the Czech Republic's position". But it also says that the opposition's complaint that the government did not seek broad political consensus on EU-related affairs is justifiable, and suggests that the government "should really have taken the ODS's views into account" during the negotiations for EU membership. A commentary in Warsaw's Trybuna sees the Polish Right as the "absolute winner" of the European elections in the country. "Translated into national electoral terms," it points out, "the European results would provide two variant options for strong, future right-wing coalitions in Poland." Using a mixed sporting image, the paper says that the results "are not so much a yellow card being shown to the Left, as a ringing alarm bell". Stockholm's Aftonbladet wonders what lessons the country's ruling Social Democrats can draw from their 24.8% of the vote - their worst result since 1912. "At the moment," the paper says, "there is a tendency to blame the defeat on EU enthusiasts in the party". But this is "a shallow analysis", it believes. "The voters' strong 'no'," it argues, "means that the Social Democrats increasingly leant towards (Prime Minister) Go
