For Brussels correspondent Daniela Weingärtner, the row over the spelling of the word 'euro' is of a fundamental nature. "This is because the coins and the notes of the European single currency are a visible manifestation of the issue that will be at dispute to the very last minute in Lisbon: namely finding the right balance between unity and diversity. ... In the medium term such conflicts between the desire for diversity and the need for unity may be resolved in a Europe of diverse regions where the nation-state level has become redundant. But if the euro is to remain the strong single currency it has become in the seven years since its introduction, Bulgarians will have to renounce the spelling 'Ebpo', with which they are familiar." (18/10/2007)

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Björn Mansson sympathises with Bulgaria's calls for the designation 'euro' to be also given in Cyrillic script on euro notes. "Finland's Prime Minister Maati Vanhanen advocates a technical solution. Here in Finland we're used to bilingual texts. One option would be to use smaller print for the Cyrillic script, as is often done with minority languages. Another would be to use only the euro sign '€' in future. Apropos, it's a good thing the Swedes, who like the Bulgarians don't yet belong to the euro zone, write 'euro' even though they insist on pronouncing it 'ev-roh'. Perhaps the Bulgarian spelling 'ebpo' would make it easier for them to adopt the currency?" (18/10/2007)

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The newspaper is perplexed by Bulgaria's demands that the word euro be spelt in Cyrillic letters: "We are witnessing the most foolish battle Bulgarian politicians have ever fought. Ebpo or euro - does it make any difference? No. But great damage has been done. We have insulted the Montenegrins. It will be decades before that small but strategically positioned nation forgives us for blocking its entry to the EU." The daily points out that Bulgaria had threatened to refuse to sign an association agreement with Montenegro. "Poland's behaviour often makes Europe's hair stand on end, but at least that's always about genuine political interests, not letters." (18/10/2007)

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The EU Council of Ministers criticised on October 8th the fact that Montenegro uses the euro as its currency even though the country is not an EU member state. Martin Woker examines the alternatives: "Should it create its own currency? That would be too expensive. Should it adopt the currency of a neighbouring country, as other smaller European states have done? The Croat kuna, Bosnia's convertible marka, the Albanian lek or even the Serb dinar? Never! The proud Montenegrins would never tolerate their neighbours' money in their pockets. That would be out of the question. The only conceivable solution would be to adopt the currency now circulating in Kosovo. Pristina's cash dispensers have long since translated Kosovo's European integration into reality. They spit out what the entire Balkan region wants: the euro." (18/10/2007)

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KA Dilday of the Institute of Current World Affairs considers "1st or 2nd generation immigrants are among the most vociferous champions of national values in their respective European nations." She refers among others to Sweden's integration minister Nyamko Sabuni, the Somalia-born former Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Pakistan-born UK MP Shahid Malik ."When people invoke national character in more fundamental ways, especially in contrasting established social norms to what they perceive as imported mores, discussions become fraught with the memory of past transgressions in the name of preserving cultural purity. If the defence of the national character comes from the mouths of those who fit the ancient phenotype of the nation, it can be subject to accusations of xenophobia or racism. Yet when voiced by an immigrant or the child of immigrants, it rings of promise fulfilled and the triumph of the new country's ideals and mores." (17/10/2007)

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Many history textbooks dedicate only a few pages to the EU, the journalist Jeanne Rubner complains. "Eighth-graders learn far more about the Romans than they do about the Treaties of Rome; tenth-graders know more about pharaohs than about the founding fathers of the European Community. ... The plans for a common history textbook to be used in all EU member states have been boycotted so far. Polish historians immediately warned that there could be no common interpretation of history. This attitude conceals the fear that a common history book would force individual nations to give up their identity. This is unnecessary, as the new and excellent German-French history textbook proves. Rather than dictating a particular interpretation of history, it conveys the nuanced perspective of each nation on their joint history and the EU." (18/10/2007)

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The Dutch daily ponders the meeting of European Heads of State in Lisbon this October 18th and 19th. "So all seems to indicate that they will reach an agreement on the mini-treaty without too many problems." They will give birth to a pile of unreadable paper supposed to replace the readable but defunct European Constitution. [The new treaty] is not readable as it is, while the constitution was. The articles refer to the modifications made in relation to the old European Treaty, which results in texts such as : 'Title VIII with the final dispositions becomes title VI, this title along with articles 48,49,51,52 and 53 are modified as indicated in points 55,56,60, 61 and 62.' Even the most experienced political scientists will have an awful lot of trouble understanding and explaining the new treaty." (18/10/2007)

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As the divorce of Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia is under way, the editorialist Laurent Joffrin notes that the French presidential couple is no longer obliged to simulate wedded bliss. "In the past, presidential couples who were not so united or were separated actually kept up appearances. François Mitterand, leading a double life that we are now aware of, put considerable and often dubious effort into preventing light from being shed on this reality. ... At the time it was a given that individuals, with their desires and heartaches were to efface themselves before collective moral values. A president, no matter the reality of his couple, still had to set the example of a conformist traditional family. With the 1960s and 70s generation, the old institution of marriage, as well as that of the family, has to be compatible with individual freedom." (18/10/2007)

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Michael Bravo of the Scott Polar Research Institute comments on the UK's claim for sovereignty over part of the Antarctic seabed. "The world's largest economies, including the UK, are seeking new supplies of energy away from the instability of the Middle East, without wanting to depend on the whim of Russia. ... The UK's decision is a calculated response to the recent Russian declaration of sovereignty over the North Pole basin. Russia sent out a submarine to plant a flag at the North Pole on the ocean floor. ... Many thought the Russian flag-planting unnecessarily theatrical, echoing an overtly imperialist Soviet tradition. By contrast, the British Foreign Office, anticipating that other Antarctic signatories may soon make similar claims, will hope that the UK is given credit for abiding by international law and following the formal procedures of the International Seabed Authority.” (18/10/2007)

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Candidates in local elections include a remarkably high number of professional athletes and pop stars, writes Mladen Dotschev, reporting on a worrying new trend in Bulgarian politics. "Strange regional party conglomerates with obscure private interests are forming. The arrival on the scene of media, sport and music celebrities who are light years away from understanding the current topics in realpolitik, as well as the participation of business parties in the election campaign, are clear signs that our political system is in the midst of a crisis. This depoliticisation began with the gradual collapse of the two-party system between 1999 and 2001. The big players underestimated the impact it would have." (17/10/2007)

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According to a new study, social benefits fraud is much more widespread in Sweden than was previously thought. 16 percent of respondents freely admitted to having unlawfully received unemployment benefits or sick pay. The newspaper comments: "For outsiders it has long been a mystery how Sweden can have such high taxes without the people revolting. The common explanation was that we pay our taxes because we know that we get help when we need it. ... Now, however, our trust has been shaken. ... The government is facing a difficult task. Those who don't pay taxes and receive benefits from public funding are taking money from their colleagues and neighbours. We all pay - to a greater or lesser extent - for social benefits. It's important to make sure everyone understands this before more people commit fraud." (18/10/2007)

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A general public transport strike has hit France this October 18th. Trade Unions are protesting against the government's intended reform of the 'special regime' pension scheme that certain State employees benefit from. Sylvain Besson considers that the real question lies elsewhere. "The message given by the unions who called for the strike is more wide-reaching: although elected by 53% of the French, Nicolas Sarkozy will not be able to apply his programme without resistance. You can even bet that resistance will arise in all the sectors concerned by his reforms. By placing the abolition of special regimes before other, more important measures (new workers' rights, the reduction of fees taken out of salaries and company taxes ...), the French president is taking a considerable risk. He is neither willing nor able to change his mind, because that would give an impression of weakness that would compromise his future plans." (18/10/2007)

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Opened on October 17th, an unprecedented retrospective of Alberto Giacometti's work is on display at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Six hundred pieces by the Swiss artist (1901-1966) are on show. For the journalist Roger Pierre Turine, this exhibition is a real pleasure: "The appeal of this umpteenth retrospective is that it unveils the saint of all saints, the studio pieces, plaster casts and notes, furniture and trials of an artist whose very life and work are flesh and blood poetry. ... A rare, admirable and moving individual, Giacometti, throughout his whole life, fought to reach the unattainable star. This is why being able to see his painted plasters, his framework clad in plaster well before Diego, close brother and accomplice, suggested it to the bronze smith, is a delight to be placed in the context of over half a century's work." (18/10/2007)

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On October 17th, the jury of the 52nd Venice Biennale announced its prize list. Among the artists awarded prizes are the Argentinian Léon Ferrari, the Palestinian Emily Jacir and the Bulgarian Nedko Solakov. Catalina Serra notes that the prize winners all share an interest in violence. "Time has shown that it is possible to write poetry after Auschwitz, but last century's violence has affected people's imaginations and blown apart the ivory tower of artists obliged to create amid storms. Often politics cease being a theme and become the key objective of works that try to get through to the political conscience of public opinion. Artists resort to direct or metaphorical denunciation of violence and make do with a contradictory system that would clearly have preferred they remained shut up in an ivory tower, even if this means rebuilding one out of Plexiglas." (18/10/2007)

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To commemorate the "International Day for the Eradication of Poverty" which was celebrated yesterday, Hungarian MPs ate bread spread with lard for lunch in a demonstration of solidarity with the poor, the hungry and the homeless. The daily condemns this as hypocrisy: "Politicians who have waved one social benefit cut after another through parliament without objection for party-political reasons are soothing their consciences with bread and lard. It's probably a long time since they passed through one of Budapest's underpasses, where there are many more bookings than at the Hilton. It would certainly be a worthwhile experience for them. They could spend a few days there for research purposes." (18/10/2007)

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The editorialist Beppe Severgnini wonders whether new Internet vocabulary should be translated. "I admit that I have never read nor heard the verb 'Skypare'. I used it once because the Italian translation 'telephone with Skype', is longer: 16 letters instead of 5 ... . Every new instrument develops its particular vocabulary that surprises at first without resorting to ministerial commissions: the tribunal ruled over by habit is less merciful ... . Today we have to decide what to do with Skype and Google. Should the terms be translated, kept as they are, or turned into verbs?" (18/10/2007)

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