Deutsch
English
FrançaisSub menu: Home
Home / Index of Authors
Bachstein, Andrea
Subscribe to receive the texts of "Bachstein, Andrea" as RSS feeds
3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Italy's slow Berlusconi detox
The verdict against Berlusconi shows that the country he so demoralised is slowly being detoxicated, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes, finding his threats unrealistic: "Berlusconi has said, forgotten and then contradicted many things in recent months driven by baffled capriciousness and a fear of powerlessness. In any event his party hardly has the means to undertake the huge project of putting the state finances in order. And thanks to Europe, Monti's reforms cannot simply be reversed. ... The burden of moral deformation through Berlusconism weighs almost as heavily on Italians as the public deficit. Leoluca Orlando, the powerful anti-Mafia campaigner who was re-elected mayor of Palermo in May, puts it like this: before Berlusconi entered Italian politics, corruption and abuse of power were rather sporadical. Now, however, they have become part of the system. Whereas the base advancement of private interests was at least hidden in the past, now it has become established as the norm. Italy is starting to purge itself of all this. That is demonstrated by the Milan judgement. Even if Berlusconi himself remains an irresponsible, shameless egomaniac."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Justice, » Italy
Flood of refugees bearing down on Europe
Roughly 6,000 refugees from North Africa, primarily Tunisia, are currently on the small Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Europe is paying the price for having based its strategy for illegal immigrants above all on agreements with the Libyan dictator Gaddafi, writes the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "If Gaddafi falls, no one knows when a new state order will be established in Libya or whether it will be able to negotiate border controls. If the addled dictator clings on to power, he will probably keep his word and open his harbours to migrants fleeing towards Europe. The scale of what can be expected is demonstrated by the 15,000 refugees who have arrived from comparatively small Tunisia - with a population of just ten million - in the past three months alone. The first boats from Egypt have already landed in Italy. The extent of what can be expected is revealed by the statements of Interior Minister Roberto Maroni. He has obliged the regions to be ready to take in up to 50,000 migrants. ... All of Europe must prepare for a new wave of immigration."
» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Crises / War, » Migration, » Italy, » Africa, » Europe
Unexpected help from Lampedusa
Silvio Berlusconi may just be able to escape the long arm of justice this time too, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung suspects commenting on the sex trial against Italy's prime minister: "The citizens' vexation has been tangible for weeks. Man say they're ashamed of their government and their country. ... They are angry with an old man with pre-democratic conceptions of power who believes he stands above the law and can do anything he likes. ... It will be interesting to see how Berlusconi and his brilliant lawyers try to prevent the trial. The stream of immigrants from Tunisia comes at an opportune moment. In emergency situations Berlusconi is generally able to present himself as an indispensable man of action. He happily inflates issues to divert attention from his scandals. The Lampedusa affair may mean he has to attend this or that appointment which will unfortunately make it impossible for him to appear in court."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Justice, » Italy
© 2005-2013