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Schoepp, Sebastian
5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Spaniards must get active
If the dissatisfied Spaniards want to bring about change they must show initiative and put the knowledge gained abroad to good use, writes the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "One of the protest movement's major demands is that elections be open to independent candidates. Many banners at Puerta del Sol hold up Iceland as a model, where the crash gave birth to a clever political movement. But until such a movement comes about many of the dissatisfied prefer not even to go the polls - or they vote for a regional party: in times of crisis the closest haven is under the local church tower. But they are mistaken, because the extravagances of such spreading regionalism are one of the reasons for Spain's economic woes. ... There has long been a new wave of emigration to German, Italian, British or French firms. But only the young Spaniards can reinvent their country with the knowledge gleaned away from home."
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More from the press review on the subject » Elections, » Politics, » Unrest / Riots, » Spain
Austerity programme endangers Spain's unity
The EU Commission is urging Spain to introduce more austerity measures than the government has already approved. This could threaten the country's unity, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "Zapatero is supposed to economise and boost the economy at the same time - that's practically impossible. Employers say the reforms don't go far enough while the trade unions accuse him of betraying the working class. The EU is praising him but he's becoming isolated at home. ... What will come after Zapatero? The centre-right People's Party has put itself beyond the pale with its unpatriotic obstruction politics. The Spanish will take refuge in their regionalism even more than before; in times of need people cling to the local for support. In particular the parties of the wealthy Catalans and Basques, which so far have played only a minor role in the Madrid parliament, will become stronger. This doesn't bode well for Spanish unity - a situation like that in Belgium looms over the country. Spain has well and truly arrived in the modern age."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Economic Policy, » Spain, » Europe
Sebastian Schoepp on the pre-modern Eta ideology
Writing in the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung Sebastian Schoepp contends that the nationalism of terrorist group Eta, which on the weekend carried out another attack on Majorca, conceals a pre-modern 19th century ideology: "In fact the different ideologies have only ever barely touched upon the Basque yearning to 'be alone' (as [political scientist and Eta specialist Antonio] Elorza put it). This yearning is older than Eta and will outlast it because it is unrealisable. [The Basque sculptor and philosopher] Jorge Oteiza writes that the Basque soul lives in a state of constant conflict between complementary opposites like old and new, rural and urban. He refers to this using the Basque term 'huts' - a kind of vacuum, the lack of something one yearns for but can't name. … It may be that it is this feeling of emptiness that drives young people in one of Spain's most prosperous region to chase after the brutal anachronism of Eta. This construct of a pre-modern homeland ideal, which also opposes globalisation, probably possesses so much appeal precisely because its true content must remain unknown."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Social movements, » Weltanschauung, » Spain
Eta's goal remains the same
The Basque terrorist organisation Eta on Sunday carried out its second attack on Majorca in less than ten days. This is proof of its continuing destructive power, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "An Eta commando on Majorca: that means that the enemy is strong enough to organise itself where it hurts most. … It is part of Eta's perfidious strategy that this time, unlike with the attack ten days ago, it gave warning beforehand. It wants to make it clear to foreign tourists that they are not the targets but are still in Eta's line of fire. … The objective remains the same: to force the Spanish state to negotiate on the independence of the Basque Country. Yet the violence is provoking as much rejection there as everywhere else in Spain. … The conflict can hardly be resolved without talks on the subject. But each new attack by Eta pushes such dialogue even further into the distance."
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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Social movements, » Spain
Victory over European mediators
For the Süddeutsche Zeitung Betancourt's rescue represents a triumph for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe over the European mediators. "Hardly anyone in Colombia can doubt that Uribe's poll results will break all the records. ... The former presidential candidate for a Green alliance and the conservative neo-liberal president have little in common politically - except the conviction that taking hostages should not be rewarded. ... European mediators like Nicolas Sarkozy, who even offered to take in released rebels, have failed to understand this. They were doomed to failure because they do not know the law of the jungle."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » France, » Europe, » Latin Amerika
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