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Tabery, Erik
5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Wiretap scandal harms Slovakia's image
Slovakia's military intelligence service tapped the telephone lines of a number of journalists for several months, apparently with the knowledge of Defence Minister Ľubomír Galko, who was forced to resign on Wednesday as a result. In an opinion piece for the liberal daily Sme the chief editor of the Czech weekly Respekt, Erik Tabery, talks of an attack not only on press freedom but also on Slovakia's image: "What has gone on in Slovakia is comparable with election fraud. It is an attack on free society, but also on Slovakia's image abroad. Such practices destroy trust in the rule of law. ... In the former Czechoslovakia the politicians and police tried to intimidate the media and gain access to its sources. What matters is what follows. This practice must be punished and rules must be set up to prevent repetitions."
» more information (external link, Slovak)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Press freedom, » Crime, » Czech Republic, » Slovakia
Czech Roma policy haphazard
At demonstrations against Roma criminality staged in Northern Bohemia on the weekend there were blatant calls for members of the minority to be hunted down. The weekly paper Respekt harshly condemns this and blames the government's haphazard minority policy for the problems: "Most commentaries published in recent days pointed out that the Roma themselves must first decide that they want their situation to improve. That sounds great from behind a desk. It's indisputable that the Roma themselves have to get active. But it's also true that first of all a clear concept is needed for how to deal with the situation. And then the concept has to be put into practice. For people like the Roma who are forced to attend special schools, are automatically labelled as parasites and thieves by society, who have no chance of getting a job and have to listen to people shouting under their windows that they should be exterminated it's difficult to believe that things will change for the better."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Unrest / Riots, » Crime, » Czech Republic
A disaster for the major parties
The Czech voters were right to punish the major parties, writes the weekly Respekt: "The country now has the opportunity to carry out the reforms so badly needed in these times of economic crisis. The political landscape was shaken to its foundations over the weekend. Two new parties entered parliament, while the Christian and Democratic Union is out, as are the Greens. ... It's hard to imagine a more surprising result. But even if no one expected it, the message is clear. The big parties have behaved unacceptably, and as of now nothing says they have to remain big forever at all."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Czech Republic
US missile defence and NATO
In the Czech Republic, opposition to a radar station for the US missile defence system in Central Europe is growing. That doesn't make it easier for the government to win over a majority in Parliament to support the project. It would be helpful if NATO would promote the building plans, says Erik Tabery. "At the NATO summit meeting in April in Bucharest, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek wants to get the Alliance's public support. But even Czech diplomats admit that it would already be a success if the Alliance would just say it is considering the project. NATO should not completely leave the Czechs in the lurch. Because then the radar and rockets would be built in Poland. But that would draw NATO even closer to the game. Warsaw places great emphasis on good relations with America and pays far less attention to the attitudes of other countries."
» full article (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Poland, » Czech Republic, » Europe, » U.S.
Czechs agonize over probing the history of totalitarianism
57 Social Democratic and Communist members of parliament have submitted a constitutional challenge to the creation of an authority for research into the totalitarian regime. Their reason: True, the 1950s in former communist Czechoslovakia were terrible years, but the 1970s and 1980s were bearable. Erik Tabery is amazed that there is no protest against this position: "Czech intellectuals have been waiting for years for a probing of the past, based on the German model: For the young to ask the older generations what they really did back in the old days. But that's not happening at all: Instead, the older ones come along and demand that the courts proclaim that these years were not so bad after all. And the younger ones go along with it; it's basically all the same to them. They'd rather take arms against the American Satan."
» full article (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » History, » Czech Republic
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