The Italian newspaper La Repubblica sees the compromise on the EU working time directive primarily as a success for British policies: "The British - champions of the long working week, are delighted, while the Belgians and Spanish are declaring war. Meanwhile, the European Trade Union Confederation condemns the compromise as unacceptable. The doctors are manning the barricades, because under the new directive inactive hours when doctors are on call count as free time. The document lay idle for six years, now it is to reconcile European social policy with Britain's free trade policy. ... Whatever else may be said, this is a victory for British deregulation." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Social Policy / Employment, » Economic Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Alberto d'Argenio

The Spanish newspaper El País condemns the new EU working time directive in its leading article as an attack on the rights of workers: "In passing this directive ... the ministers have put an end to the achievement of the 48-hour week, which the unions were able to push through in 1917. ... This harsh, anti-social setback was made possible by the changes in government in France and Italy. The right-wing governments there have shed the negative stance they shared with Spain, and have now obtained a slim majority. ... Starting in the area of working hours, this directive heralds an onslaught on the rights of workers, which have maintained social peace in Europe over decades. ... Several governments ... are making use of the Eastern enlargement [of the EU] to import some of the worst ultra-liberal traits of wild capitalism." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Social Policy / Employment, » United Kingdom, » Italy, » Spain, » Europe, » Eastern Europe

The daily sees the new agreement on working hours as one of the EU's masterpieces. "The employment ministers have agreed to make a 65-hour-week possible should it be necessary. ... Subcontracted workers are to work under the same work and employment conditions as other workers from the very first day of work. ... Seen as a whole, it is good thing that the definition of the working time directive takes national differences into account. The labour markets and wage agreements vary greatly from country to country. The welcome result", writes the paper, "is increased flexibility in the labour markets." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Finnish)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Social Policy / Employment, » Europe

For the left-wing newspaper die tageszeitung, the new working time directive will endanger next year's European Parliament elections. "Slovenia wanted to achieve a compromise at all costs regarding the working time directive and temporary agency workers. This would have added shine to its EU presidency and put next year's European elections in a good light. ... But Europe currently lacks the basis for a common social policy. While the UK and most new member states are convinced that workers' flexibility creates growth that benefits all, most people in countries like Belgium and France believe that workers' rights must be protected. For that reason, discussion on common minimum labour law standards should be postponed until the 27 old and new EU members can more or less agree on what a social market economy should look like. Hopefully by that time there will still be people willing to vote." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Social Policy / Employment, » Economic Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Daniela Weingärtner

The ongoing strike by Spanish truck drivers resulted yesterday in the death of a striker who was run over by a pickup truck he was trying to stop. The conservative daily ABC comments: "Another day of the hauliers' strike which yesterday cost the life of a striker in Granada. The street blockades are still in place and the supply shortages of citizens who see themselves as the victims of a situation which the government does not know how to deal with are growing. On the one hand it does not know how to negotiate this situation and on the other, it is incapable of fulfilling its duty of ensuring that everything runs smoothly. ... Those who want to continue striking must do so within the framework of the law, while those who want to work should be protected from all threats." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Social Policy / Employment, » Labour market / Services, » Consumers, » Economic Policy, » Spain

Wolfgang Roth criticises European environmental policy in the wake of a new agreement between Germany and France on CO2 limits for car manufacturers. "All EU states are committed to climate protection, but the traffic sector produces more greenhouse gases today than in 1990. New expressways are being built everywhere ... while train traffic has grown appreciably in just one country in the entire market: Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU. This is not right, and Germany is largely to blame. Mrs Merkel's compromise with the French president is worthless in a number of respects. ... European consumer guidelines are necessary because politicians steer clear of the only decisive parameter, namely the number of kilometres drivers travel in their cars. ... By the look of things, rising oil prices provide the sole efficient corrective. They could ultimately give the necessary stimulus for public transport and rail freight." (11/06/2008)

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Energy, » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Germany, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Wolfgang Roth

The Hungarian daily complains that foreign media convey a distorted image of Hungary. It points to a report in the German weekly Der Spiegel about right-wing extremists as the most recent example: "Gradually, it seems, we will just have to get used to Western correspondents not writing about what happens in Hungary or what we Hungarians are concerned with. Instead they prefer to write about matters that serve the interests of influential groups in politics and the economy. ... For those who know the facts and the reality of the situation this is confusing - they can find no trace of Hungarian reality in this image. ... It is a pity that the Spiegel reporter did not even take the trouble to draw a comparison between Germany and Hungary. Synagogues are not set on fire in Hungary; on the contrary, they are lovingly restored. Nor are foreigners stabbed on the street because of their skin colour - and we could list many more such comparisons between the two countries." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Print media, » Germany, » Hungary, » Europe
All available articles from » Csaba Kenessey

In view of the current global energy crisis the daily warns of the dangers of Europe's dependence on Russian gas. "The price of oil will reach 250 dollars per barrel. And if Europe wants to hit the gas pedal it must strike a deal with the Russian energy giant Gazprom. This is the brutal synthesis of relations between the EU countries and their primary gas supplier Gazprom which ... despite all the political concerns, is well on its way to becoming the EU's most important partner in the energy sector. ... Gazprom is defending itself against the concerns of the EU ... pointing to its loyal conduct during the Ukrainian energy crisis. In the meantime the extension of the gas pipeline is in full swing - there is [even] talk of a gas bourse in roubles. Gazprom intends to become the world's largest gas company." (11/06/2008)

» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Russia, » Europe
All available articles from » Gianluca Paolucci

With an eye to current protest movements, Pierre de Gasquet analyses the culture of strikes in France and Europe over the past twenty years: "Today the railworkers, yesterday the cashiers and fishermen, tomorrow the truck drivers and illegal workers. ... If you consider all these protest movements together, you could be excused for thinking France was once more harking back to the major social struggles of May and June 1968 with their record nine million strikers. But the opposite is the case. Official statistics show the number of strikes has sunk markedly in the last twenty years, in France and practically the whole of Europe. ... Nevertheless, the strike is far from dead. ... The decline of the strike in its traditional form - generally connected to job uncertainty and the weakening of unions - is not a sign of the atrophying of social conflicts. ... It would be wrong to think that the movements of June 2008 were only a pale copy of [the strikes of 1968]. The changes in the strike culture do not necessarily mean the end of the combat zone." (10/06/2008)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social Policy / Employment, » Social movements, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Pierre De Gasquet

Anyone caught raising prices either in the run-up to or during Slovakia's conversion to the euro at the beginning of next year could face up to three years in prison at the government's discretion. Author Ľubomír Heinrich criticises the government plans in a blog for the Slovakian daily Sme. "Twenty years after the revolution, socialism has made a comeback. Our constitution does say something about a social and ecological market economy, but what role could the government's plan have in such a context? In a market economy the following principle applies: the market sets the price -full stop. For forty years we had a centralised planned economy, and we all know how that worked out. ... The state should intervene in the price politics of monopolies that have no competitors. Other prices are none of its business - not even with the introduction of the euro." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Slovak)
More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Trade, » Consumers, » Economic Policy, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Ľubomír Heinrich

Commenting on the scandals in which Telekom, Lidl, Volkswagen and Siemens have been implicated in recent times, Flensborg Avis, the newspaper of the Danish minority in Germany, finds it "remarkable how much criminal energy exists among the leaders of certain German firms" and asks: "is it perhaps old-fashioned or naïve to complain that the world is falling apart? Who can really blame Muslims and others for believing the West is driven by excessive materialism and the lust for power and pleasure, and is suffering from mental decline? There is little alternative but to impose financial penalties on managers who are supposed to serve as role models yet have abused their power. Perhaps it would also be worthwhile to consider tightening legislation in this area." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Danish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Crime and Law, » Corporations, » Germany, » Denmark

Russian energy giant Gazprom believes the price of oil could soon hit 250 dollars per barrel. The liberal daily Mlada fronta Dnes examines the possible consequences: "The car-crazy Americans start using public transport. US firms switch working times to four times 10 hours per week, saving on petrol. Owing to higher food prices because of transport costs, restaurants start serving smaller portions. Airlines fight for passengers. Cars on Germany's motorways start slowing down. Globalisation puts a stranglehold on itself. It turns into the cheaper alternative: localisation. The different regions of the world switch to a policy of self-sufficiency. We should get used to the idea of not being able to buy the whole world at our local supermarket. This may sound crazy, but just half a year ago a price of 250 dollars per barrel sounded even crazier." (11/06/2008)

» more information (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Consumers, » Global
All available articles from » Milan Vodička

Geert Bourgeois, the Flemish Minister for Media and Tourism, wants television channels in Belgium and the Netherlands to stop subtitling each other's programmes on the grounds that Dutch is spoken on both sides of the border. The newspaper disagrees, pointing to differences in language quality: "Broadcasting programmes without subtitles would certainly be an honour for programme directors. But to achieve that honour, the Dutch that is spoken must be clear, well-articulated and comply with the rules of grammar and syntax at all times." (11/06/2008)

» more information (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Audiovisual Media, » Netherlands, » Belgium

The European Commission wants to block the plans of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to limit the number of foreign players in football clubs. The Dutch tabloid claims this internationalisation would endanger the future of the football clubs' upcoming generations: "The clash between special interests and legislation poses a threat to the future of the Netherlands as a football nation. The most talented players who started off in the Netherlands and matured in European clubs are now making sure Oranje [the Dutch team] makes its mark. ... In this area, too, Europe must take a step backwards, and if that is not possible then agreements between the individual football associations in each country would be an alternative. After the EURO Cup 1988 and its promising start in Switzerland, it is vital to ensure that Oranje still has the chance of winning the European title twenty years from now." (11/06/2008)

» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Netherlands, » Europe