Commenting on the meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome, the Spanish daily writes: "To the detriment of those who want to help, the participants have once again demonstrated that the politicisation of a problem - even with the best intentions - is a sure way to make it worse. It was truly scandalous to have to hear how [Zimbabwean President] Robert Mugabe has exploited the situation to blame the West for the hunger he has brought on his own people. ... On the other hand there was not the slightest sign of self-criticism on the part of the host organisation, ... which was incapable of foreseeing the current situation and identifying the causes" (04/06/2008)

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The newspaper dedicates a leading article to the FAO summit. "When a business, an institution or a government fails to achieve its goals, normally those in positions of responsibility are changed, managers are dismissed or fresh elections are held. In 1996 the FAO set itself the goal of lowering the number of people suffering from hunger, which then stood at 800 million. Today, in 2008, it stands at 850 million, and the food crisis is threatening to raise that figure by an additional 100 million soon. ... FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf's dialogue partners are manufacturers of genetically modified foodstuffs, seed traders and junk food producers. ... And yet the only viable solution is decentralised, democratic and cooperative biological and ecological agriculture. The real problem is industrialised agriculture and the evils it causes, like soil contamination. ... But in Rome such things will not even be mentioned." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Carlo Petrini

The German daily comments on the Food and Agriculture Organisation's lack of a coordinated strategy: "Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the FAO, has begun to reduce the message of 'his' food summit to the standard rhetoric: he warns of the growing threat hunger poses for the world and calls for more money for developing countries. However this message lacks not only a constructive perspective but also plausibility. ... As a result, the excellent expertise of FAO experts stands in contrast to the failure of its political leadership. ... No wonder the FAO has failed to heighten its profile even though the organisation possesses the ability to see the big picture. ... The best contribution Jacques Diouf could therefore make to providing food for the world would be for him to make way so the FAO can make a fresh start." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Tobias Piller

The Guardian argues against biofuels: "Only the wildly optimistic would expect the UN's food conference to stop rich countries throwing subsidies at their farmers. A three-day meeting ... has no chance against the EU's decades-old common agricultural policy. ... There is, however, one measure ministers might take that could have a real and rapid impact: call a go-slow on biofuels. ... It is dawning on the EU and Britain that crop fuels make the food crisis worse. They should use this summit to press the case for stopping biofuel production where there is any evidence that it is interfering with food supplies." (04/06/2008)

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"The Balkans are safer than generally believed," writes the liberal daily with reference to a report by Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "The likelihood of getting murdered is higher in Sweden than in Macedonia, and you can feel safer in Romania than in Switzerland. The Balkan region, the scene of bloody fighting in recent years, is experiencing a decline in classic crimes. Murder, theft, rape and attacks are all less frequent there than in Western European states. ... But the Balkans is still no paradise on earth. The region is plagued above all by organised crime, even though it is in decline. ... The Balkans remains Europe's main entry point for drugs." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Tomáš Vasilko

"When the summit of the Baltic Sea States begins in Riga today [Tuesday], the two most prominent participants, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel, will not be here," writes Hannes Gamillscheg. "Cooperation in the Baltic is no longer particularly high on political agendas, and that is a pity. ... The planned Nord Stream gas pipeline from Wyborg to Greifswald is a case in point. The project of piping Russian gas to Europe could have benefited the entire region. ... And cooperation is lacking not only in the energy sector. The labour market is far from being integrated. Some countries are being drained of their best-qualified workers, while others try to protect themselves against inexpensive competition through dubious means. The Baltic itself is contaminated with fertilisers and other waste, and is threatened with asphyxiation. If the significance of the Council of the Baltic States is waning, it is not for lack of topics, but for lack of political will." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Hannes Gamillscheg

Now that Barack Obama has the Democratic nomination more or less in his pocket, Michael Tomasky offers five pieces of advice: "First, Obama needs to redefine himself. ... He needs a new stump speech geared toward the general election that will reintroduce his strongest themes and answer the criticisms. Second, he needs to define John McCain. ... He needs to put McCain on the defensive over his support for the Iraq war. ... Third, Obama has to make nice with the Clintons and, especially, Hillary's supporters. He will need them in a big way in November ... Fourth, he needs to work more broadly to unite the party. ... Fifth and finally, he needs to brace himself. We are going to see and hear a lot of outright racist and other crazy garbage in this country until election day." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Michael Tomasky

The first gay marriages have been celebrated in Greece. The Greek daily Ta nea comments on the negative reactions to these ceremonies: "It is not easy for a society with such conventional ties and views to accept such radical changes. ... On the other hand we must recognise that these reactions conceal a large dose of hypocrisy, because this type of relationship is widely accepted in society ... as long as it is not lived openly. But such a stance is not enough to solve the problem, ... because those concerned are increasingly demanding the right to live their lives openly. ... There is no easy solution. ... What is required is a resolute legislative initiative on the part of the state which is in accord with the spirit of the constitution and the demands of our times. Anything less is too little." (04/06/2008)

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Journalist Tomasz Wołek notes with regret that his assertion in 1984 that Polish anti-Semitism was a thing of the past has been proved false. "I was wrong. I simply could not believe that the scattered flames of anti-Semitism nibbling away at Poland's fringes could turn into a fire of blind hate in the born-again Poland of the 21st century. That they could consume a section of Polish society, penetrate political life and even corrupt men of the Church despite the teachings of [Pope] John Paul II, who made it clear that anti-Semitism is a mortal sin. When I listen to Tadeusz Rydzyk [director of the Catholic radio station Radio Maryja] or [politician] Ryszard Bender or read articles written by [journalist] Stanisław Michałkiewicz or observe the excesses of the All-Polish Youth ... I feel embarrassed and torn by a sense of burning shame. But I also know that these feelings are not enough." (03/06/2008)

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Arto Hietalahti reflects on changes in the global security situation: "In recent decades the probability of war in Europe has sunk enormously. Former enemies are now dependent on each other and war is hard to imagine. ... Only a plausible armament policy can lower the chance of war even more. ... Nevertheless, trenches do not protect against terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, organised crime, human trafficking, attacks on information systems, ecological catastrophes and many other threats. And participating in international crisis management will not lead to a decrease in defence expenditures. In any case, they account for just two or three percent of the budget. And in return they bring many contacts and experience in the area of cooperation." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Arto Hietalahti

Claire Gatinois comments on the resistance of small and medium-sized enterprises to stricter regulations on the publication of financial statements: "Small and mid-sized enterprises which are traded on the stock exchange are resisting the increasingly bloated stock exchange regulations. This year the Financial Market Authority is forcing them to publish their semi-annual figures on August 31, as opposed to at the end of September as was previously the case. ... These stricter measures could deter smaller enterprises from financing themselves through public equity and lead them to seek capital from investment funds." (03/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Claire Gatinois

Four hundred representatives from 40 countries met yesterday at a conference on the European Charter for Small Enterprises in the Slovenian city of Bled. In an interview with Majda Dodevska, the Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Vizjak states that the success of small and mid-sized enterprises is crucial for economic growth in Slovenia and Europe. "Founding a business no longer presents a problem. The main thing now is to focus our attention on these companies' growth. The Slovenian EU Council Presidency will dedicate itself to this task. ... Enabling these companies to realise their potential will accomplish much - and dovetail with the objectives of the Lisbon strategy." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Majda Dodevska

The large Polish minority living in Lithuania has demanded the right to spell its names according to Polish spelling, Jacek Pawlicki writes in the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza. A year ago the Lithuanian government passed a bill allowing the use of Polish spelling for names. "The Poles in Lithuania have difficulties with the spelling of their names because Lithuanians automatically change foreign-sounding names according to the rules of their own language - so instead of Emilia Plater you have Emilija Platerite, and the proverbial Kowalski becomes Kovalskis, or at best Kovalski. This happens because in recent years the Lithuanian authorities stopped using the Lithuanian endings and instead just change the letters that do not exist in the Lithuanian alphabet, like the letter 'w'. ... Linguistic purists argue that in Lithuania names should be written according to Lithuanian spelling because language law takes precedence over minority laws." (03/06/2008)

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A debate has flared up in the Netherlands about the huge salaries paid at the country's public broadcasting organisation, the studios of which are based in the small Dutch town of Hilversum. The daily compares the station's programme with that of the UK and Germany. "For years the Hilversum diet has consisted mainly of soap operas, reality shows, talk shows, church services, game shows and sport - topped up with the odd news programme and documentary. ... The Germans and the Brits do a better job. That the public broadcasters there provide fantastic reportages and documentaries all week long cannot just be a matter of money. ... Each time I watch these programmes I grow a bit more ashamed of Hilversum's laziness and limited horizons. The top salaries paid there stand in sharp contrast to the shallow viewer ratings-oriented television schedule it often provides." (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Wim de Jong

An increasing number of Polish immigrants are now leaving the UK. When Poland entered the EU in 2004, the paper comments, "conditions were perfect for a Polish influx. A British pound bought more than seven Polish zloty, an exchange rate that provided huge encouragement for those wanting to make their living here. ... With a surging Polish economy, and an exchange rate that will buy little more than four zloty to the pound, the Institute for Public Policy Research reckons that up to half of the one million Eastern European workers who arrived in the UK after 2004 have now left. ... Britain itself has quite a building job to do ahead of the 2012 Olympics. It would certainly be good to have qualified, cheap and reliable labour on tap. The problem is that 2012 marks a proud moment for Poland too, when it hosts the European Football Championships. ... What will the Polish workers decide? Warsaw or London?" (04/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Harry de Quetteville

A particularly talented female Muslim football player has joined the national youth football team. She was given permission by the football association DBU to wear a headscarf while playing. "Will the nationalists will be able to keep out of this debate or will the temptation prove too great?" asks Danish daily Berlingske Tidende. "According to the DBU spokesman, there have been no problems whatsoever during the two games the talented player has played so far. But the DBU, the girl, the government and the country will not get away that easily. ... This is heavy ammunition in the debate about values. A bill and a parliamentary majority are the only solution, and it cannot come quickly enough." (04/06/2008)

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