Deutsch
English
FrançaisSub menu: Home
Home / Index of Authors
Veiel, Axel
4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Merkozy present joint front for Europe
The meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Strasbourg has shown that they both need each other in the debt crisis, the left-liberal daily Frankfurter Rundschau writes: "Whereas before the differences were often provocatively underlined, now they're covered up, played down - or talked away. In Strasbourg Sarkozy no longer put forward even tentative arguments for euro bonds, the joint shares for the Eurozone so heartily rejected by Merkel. Nor did he make any reference to the expansion of the European Central Bank's competences he had hoped for. Instead he professed his commitment to the independence of the ECB with such eloquence that Merkel herself couldn't have done a better job. For her part the Chancellor called for a European fiscal union, as envisaged by her host, as if simply harmonising the tax systems could permanently end the crisis. ... At least the two know that they need each other. And they're acting accordingly - more consistently than ever. That's all we can expect for now. But in times of crisis that's already plenty."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Germany, » France, » Europe
Super Sarko has failed
President Nicolas Sarkozy would be to blame for a potential defeat of the conservative government camp in France's regional elections, the left-liberal Frankfurter Rundschau writes: "The head of state cast himself to voters as someone whose will could move mountains, as 'super Sarko'. 'I am the state', was his arrogant message. And now that the French state, already staggering under the weight of over inflated expectations, is not providing the required protection in the crisis, his 'I am the state' has turned into a boomerang. ... First he announced he would rescue companies threatened by closure, which then closed anyway. Then he announced falling unemployment figures only to be contradicted by the statistics. ... With all the toing and froing quite a few French have lost their faith in the president and what was once his trademark: strong leadership."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » France
More democracy
According to the Berliner Zeitung the French constitutional reform puts more power in the hands of the people. "France ... is daring to reinforce parliamentary democracy - although it is only at second glance that it becomes apparent how daring this move really is. At first glance the changes to the Fifth Republic undertaken by the parliamentarians and the senators at President Nicolas Sarkozy's behest do not come across as particularly daring. The representatives of the people may have reformulated almost every second article in the constitution on Monday evening at Versailles ... but on the face of it the changes, some of which were the subject of fierce debate, are less than spectacular. ... They are just provisions like those to be found in the constitutions of many other European states. It is only when you look at them against the backdrop of French history that they take on the dimensions of a bold reform. ... Until now the country's constitution, penned by Charles de Gaulle, was marked by a deep distrust of the people and their representatives. In the eyes of not a few neo-Gaullists ... Sarkozy has [thus] precipitated a reversion to the unstable times of old."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » History, » France
Sarkozy's visit to Moscow
According to Axel Veiel, the French president's stance towards Russia is more confrontational than that of his predecessor Jacques Chirac. "French-Russian relations would be in a sorry state were it not for the fact that Putin and his guest have something in common: they are both great pragmatists. Sarkozy's reproaches on the subject of Russia's human rights violations in Chechnya are therefore likely to be forgotten as soon as it comes to cooperating on an economic level to the advantage of both sides. ... Perhaps Sarkozy will even manage to convince his counterpart that it's in Russia's best interests to support Paris's policy on Iran and step up pressure on Tehran."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Energy, » Economic Policy, » France, » Russia, » Europe
© 2005-2012