Kick-off in Eastern Europe
Poland and Ukraine are co-hosting the Euro 2012 football championship, which for the first time since the fall of communism is taking place in Eastern Europe. Kiev is being harshly criticised for the imprisonment of opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko. How should politicians and fans react to the tournament?
Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Wednesday, 24. October 2012
The Polish organisers of Euro 2012 will receive up to 1.3 million euros in bonuses independently of their performance even though the games were marred by serious glitches, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita writes. News like this doesn't go down well with the people, according to the paper, "because the man on the street will ask: » more
The Polish organisers of Euro 2012 will receive up to 1.3 million euros in bonuses independently of their performance even though the games were marred by serious glitches, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita writes. News like this doesn't go down well with the people, according to the paper, "because the man on the street will ask: 'Why do they get such treatment and not me?' Secondly, even if such colossal bonuses for the heads of the big sporting organisations have a legal basis, this all whiffs of dishonesty. And the people who feel cheated and robbed on every corner will then want to act in just the same way. Thirdly, at the beginning of the year when the bonuses affair first came to light, Donald Tusk was vehemently against them and promised to introduce various controls in the future. Now however we find out that they have a clear contractual basis and are legally unassailable. Be that as it may, the fact is that the image of a powerless prime minister cannot fail to make a poor impression on the public."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Sport, » Poland
All available articles from » Piotr Skwieciński
Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Wednesday, 11. July 2012
The Polish Ministry of Economy indicated on Tuesday that the state may possibly assume control of construction companies that are on the verge of bankruptcy after miscalculating the profits they would turn with the Euro 2012 football championship. The conservative daily Rzeczpospolita says this is the wrong approach. "In the capitalist system, insolvency doesn't put you at a disadvantage. On the contrary: » more
The Polish Ministry of Economy indicated on Tuesday that the state may possibly assume control of construction companies that are on the verge of bankruptcy after miscalculating the profits they would turn with the Euro 2012 football championship. The conservative daily Rzeczpospolita says this is the wrong approach. "In the capitalist system, insolvency doesn't put you at a disadvantage. On the contrary: it's an advantage! The wealth of the insolvent businesses isn't lost, but is auctioned off by the bailiff. And it is bought up by businesses that are on a sounder financial footing than the bankrupt firms. These buyers are more careful with their assets, and have therefore managed to avoid bankruptcy. That means they will use this new wealth more wisely and create jobs with it. Perhaps they too will also make mistakes, and in turn declare insolvency. If so, they will be bought up in turn by the next firms that have avoided making such mistakes and that will put their assets once again to better use. And precisely this continual development is what brings progress."
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Main focus of Tuesday, 3. July 2012
Euro 2012 ended on Sunday with Spain's victory over Italy in the final. The Championship leaves an important legacy in its co-host countries Poland and ... » more
Euro 2012 ended on Sunday with Spain's victory over Italy in the final. The Championship leaves an important legacy in its co-host countries Poland and Ukraine, said Uefa President Michel Platini. Commentators criticise Uefa's all-powerful role, lamenting that despite all the enthusiasm the tournament failed to strengthen the bonds between the host countries.
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Tuesday, 3. July 2012
The clear winner of the Euro 2012 football championship is Uefa, the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes, warning against further commercialisation of the event: » more
The clear winner of the Euro 2012 football championship is Uefa, the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes, warning against further commercialisation of the event: "The sale of the marketing rights and tickets brought in revenues of more than 1.3 billion euros. And business is only going to grow: starting with the Euro 2016 in France, 24 countries will participate in the group stage of the tournament. The fact that this will lower the sporting quality of the event is accepted in return for the expected higher profits. But the financial success also has its ugly side. ... The few hotels available in Ukraine were blocked by Uefa for their so-called 'families' - or members and business partners - and only Uefa's drivers had free access to what was supposed to be public parking at the stadiums. ... It will only become clear in a number of years whether the two host countries count among those who earned money on the European Championship, once the billions of euros in investments in the stadiums and infrastructure have stood the test of time."
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lrytas.lt - Lithuania | Monday, 2. July 2012
After the Euro 2012 final in which Spain beat Italy, the Internet portal Irytas.lt is delighted that the tournament has dispelled Northern European prejudices about the South: » more
After the Euro 2012 final in which Spain beat Italy, the Internet portal Irytas.lt is delighted that the tournament has dispelled Northern European prejudices about the South: "The stereotype of the lazy Southern European usually flourishes in the summertime when the Northern Europeans, exhausted by their mind-constricing principle of order, travel to the Mediterranean on holiday. ... Last week you didn't need to go anywhere. The Mediterranean pushed its way right into the homes of the Northern Europeans via their television screens. Night after night the waves of the European Football Championship saturated their homes with Southern Europeans and their mentality, which, as it turns out, is superior to that of the North. ... If we look at the results of the European and world championships over the past 10 to 15 years, we see the Italians' washing hanging out to dry, the Spanish siesta, the Greek philosophy and the French brioches. We see indebted Southern Europe and its motto for survival, 'Life is beautiful!', to which so many who live north of Munich are allergic."
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Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Tuesday, 3. July 2012
European football championships don't really bring the countries that co-host them together, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung, arguing that the Uefa simply used the competition to stage a commercial mega event: » more
European football championships don't really bring the countries that co-host them together, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung, arguing that the Uefa simply used the competition to stage a commercial mega event: "That Poland and Ukraine would host the championship together as a call for the two countries to draw closer to each other remained an empty promise. Little of this could be seen. What took place in Poland had nothing to do with what went on in Ukraine. Admittedly this is nothing new, but it was much more apparent than for instance in 2008 when Switzerland and Austria did their European championship in Geneva and Klagenfurt: in cool Gdańsk the whole Euro experience was a different one to in hot Donezk almost 2,000 kilometres away. 'Creating history together' - the Euro trademark slogan mercilessly exposes the hollow core not just as a co-event: writing history together, but according to the terms dictated by the Uefa trademark."
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Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Tuesday, 3. July 2012
In a survey conducted by the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza, 90 percent of the Poles included rated the Euro 2012 as "excellent". This survey can't be taken seriously because the respondents were carried away by a prevailing mood without thinking about the cost of the event, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita notes ironically: » more
In a survey conducted by the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza, 90 percent of the Poles included rated the Euro 2012 as "excellent". This survey can't be taken seriously because the respondents were carried away by a prevailing mood without thinking about the cost of the event, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita notes ironically: "Of course there is no doubt that the enthusiasm expressed here is the product of careful consideration. The respondents no doubt really are so happy with the Euro 2012 yet at the same time know exactly how much the city of Warsaw spent on organising the event - not to mention the entire state. They're also no doubt aware that the closure of more schools and the axing of kindergarten places, as well as higher prices for public transport and parking spaces that are bound to come soon will mainly be due to the costs incurred by this undying event."
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Sme - Slovakia | Monday, 2. July 2012
Apart from Spain and Italy, the controversial Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych also had his moment of glory at the Euro 2012 final in Kiev on Sunday, writes the liberal daily Sme: » more
Apart from Spain and Italy, the controversial Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych also had his moment of glory at the Euro 2012 final in Kiev on Sunday, writes the liberal daily Sme: "At the last match of the biggest sporting event in Eastern Europe since the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, several heads of state and government sat beside the Ukrainian president and co-host. The group photo of the VIP box was the real reason why Yanukovych wanted to play host to the best footballers in Europe. And nothing annoyed him more than the way his biggest rival Yulia Tymoshenko messed things up for him from her prison bed. Members of the EU Commission, heads of state and ministers from Germany, the UK and France boycotted the games in Ukraine, underscoring their conviction that Tymoshenko is a political prisoner. But the final put an end to all that. Now Yanukovych has photos to show he's been accepted. And he cleverly put off Tymoshenko's next trial until after the Championship."
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ABC - Spain | Monday, 2. July 2012
Spain won the final of the Euro 2012 football championship against Italy 4-0 in Kiev on Sunday. The conservative daily ABC hopes that Spain's political and economic decision-makers will be infected by the footballers' team spirit: » more
Spain won the final of the Euro 2012 football championship against Italy 4-0 in Kiev on Sunday. The conservative daily ABC hopes that Spain's political and economic decision-makers will be infected by the footballers' team spirit: "The victory over Italy in the final of the Euro 2012 raises our team to a pinnacle of success that no one else has attained so far because now it has won the European football championship twice and the World Cup once within the space of four years. ... Spain has invented a new form of team play in this sport that has been practised for over a century all over the world. ... The team's players are all idols in their own right but the solidarity, the closeness to the people and the normality they project has united all Spain behind the team. ... It's a pity that the Spanish don't demonstrate the same solidarity and team spirit more often when it comes to facing the challenges of the economic crisis."
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Wprost - Poland | Monday, 2. July 2012
Taken as a whole the Euro 2012 football championship was a success for Poland, writes journalist Michal Kobosko in the conservative news magazine Wprost, but he also notes: » more
Taken as a whole the Euro 2012 football championship was a success for Poland, writes journalist Michal Kobosko in the conservative news magazine Wprost, but he also notes: "It's clear that not all that glitters is gold. Since Euro 2012 we have excellent roads but a growing number of firms that built them are filing for bankruptcy. And we have stadiums that we don't quite know what to do with. They are supposed to generate revenue at some point. ... Euro 2012 has also left us with a kind of football hangover because yet again we played badly. ... And we have something that could be called the Polish-Ukrainian complex. Not that I love [the radio presenters] Wojewodzki and Figurski for their nonsense. But they did highlight highlight a problem that has long been swept under the carpet: the contempt for Ukrainians. … We have a lot of homework left to do."
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Polska - Poland | Friday, 29. June 2012
The Uefa European Football Championship in Poland and Ukraine will end on Sunday with Spain and Italy facing each other in the final game. The quality of the event's organisation was as high as in the West, writes the conservative daily Polska, taking stock of the tournament: » more
The Uefa European Football Championship in Poland and Ukraine will end on Sunday with Spain and Italy facing each other in the final game. The quality of the event's organisation was as high as in the West, writes the conservative daily Polska, taking stock of the tournament: "The Euro 2012 has turned out excellently. That much is clear already. ... And if the signs with the names of the cities hadn't adorned the stadiums, TV viewers could not have distinguished matches in Lemburg or Gdańsk from those at the Nou Camp in Barcelona or San Siro in Milan. Even the most seasoned fans who travel around Europe to the most important games no doubt had similar impressions: the infrastructure around the stadiums and the organisation of the fan zones in Poland and in Ukraine looked exactly like they do at big events in other countries. ... No fan noticed that the Euro 2012 took place in countries that are considerably poorer than states in the richer part of our continent."
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Público - Portugal | Thursday, 28. June 2012
The Euro 2012 football competition is coming to an end and soon there will be no way to forget the euro crisis at least for a few moments, the daily newspaper Público laments: » more
The Euro 2012 football competition is coming to an end and soon there will be no way to forget the euro crisis at least for a few moments, the daily newspaper Público laments: "Once the Euro tents in Kiev have departed the single currency will once again be the only thing called the 'euro' and the veil of illusion will disappear. … Football has become international and combines a variety of traditions - also at the level of individual national teams. It's paradoxical that the decision makers on the playing field of EU policy continue to pursue their own goals and national interests - and the North is increasingly excluding the South. If Merkel were the coach of the German team it would give up its relaxed style and like the Greeks play in an aggressive, purely defensive mode. Merkel's crisis strategy has more to do with emotion than rationalism: she behaves like a coach in the stand. … Perhaps this is why the story of the EU summit [this Thursday and Friday] will be the story of a Germany that, without realising it, is condemning itself to the same insignificance to which it has condemned the South so far."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Thursday, 28. June 2012
Germany plays Italy tonight in the second semi-final of Euro 2012. The patriotism of the German fans before the game is no cause for alarm, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza, looking back to the Fifa World Cup in Germany in 2006: » more
Germany plays Italy tonight in the second semi-final of Euro 2012. The patriotism of the German fans before the game is no cause for alarm, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza, looking back to the Fifa World Cup in Germany in 2006: "The Nazi legacy and the crimes committed during the Second World War weigh heavily on German history. ... The Germans have based their postwar identity on their economic success, the trademark 'Made in Germany' and their own currency. However the deutsche mark hasn't existed for the last ten years. In the end all the Germans had left was football and the national team. Then in 2006 they took everyone by surprise with the masses of three-coloured flags and their relapse into patriotism. ... But there was no outbreak of xenophobia, and the extreme right was also claim the German flag as its own. After the wave of joy during the Fifa World Cup, life in Germany once again immediately subjected itself to the dictates of political correctness."
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All available articles from » Bartosz Wieliński
De Standaard - Belgium | Tuesday, 26. June 2012
Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal have made it into the semi finals of the Euro 2012 football championships. It's no mere coincidence that - with the exception of Portugal - these countries also have the strongest national leagues, writes the liberal daily De Standaard: » more
Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal have made it into the semi finals of the Euro 2012 football championships. It's no mere coincidence that - with the exception of Portugal - these countries also have the strongest national leagues, writes the liberal daily De Standaard: "Certainly, individual talent can destabilise the hierarchy. But otherwise an international football championship above all highlights the strengths of the different leagues. ... In this competition Spain and Germany are the stable powers. That also has to do with the present highly talented generation. But it's no coincidence that these very countries have been praised for their youth training programmes in recent years. Strong competition at home in combination with a long-term vision is a guarantee of success. ... If we accept that the national leagues have outflanked the international competition and that Euro 2012 is for the most part a Champions League, we have every reason to expect a finale between the Primera División and the Bundesliga."
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Polityka Online - Poland | Monday, 25. June 2012
The Polish government apologised on Friday at the behest of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the behaviour of two Polish radio presenters. After the Ukrainian team was eliminated from the Euro 2012 football championships, the two joked that they would "now act like true Poles and send their Ukrainian [cleaning lady] packing." The two presenters are wanna-be artists who lack the skill to do their job properly, writes the news portal Polityka Online: » more
The Polish government apologised on Friday at the behest of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the behaviour of two Polish radio presenters. After the Ukrainian team was eliminated from the Euro 2012 football championships, the two joked that they would "now act like true Poles and send their Ukrainian [cleaning lady] packing." The two presenters are wanna-be artists who lack the skill to do their job properly, writes the news portal Polityka Online: "The artists have said that their statements must not be taken literally, and that they were making fun of typical Polish attitudes. ... But the strategy of the presenters of [radio broadcaster] Eska Rock was clear: the harder they lash out at us, the more annoyed we'll get. ... The role of the court jester for whom there are no taboos is generally attractive for artists, because it enables them to heighten their profile. But you have to possess the necessary skills, and that includes having the common sense to maintain a healthy distance and to properly judge the actions of others, as well as your own."
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Novinar - Bulgaria | Thursday, 21. June 2012
Germany and Greece face off this Friday in Gdańsk for a spot in the Euro 2012 semi finals. The daily Novinar sides with the German team for political reasons: » more
Germany and Greece face off this Friday in Gdańsk for a spot in the Euro 2012 semi finals. The daily Novinar sides with the German team for political reasons: "Fate sometimes has a cruel sense of humour, and the encounter between Germany and Greece in the Euro 2012 quarter finals is good proof of that. A victory for the Germans stands to convince the Greeks once and for all of the correctness of the European bailout measures, while a triumph for the Greeks could stir up new social tensions and associated problems for the government in Athens. If we wanted to push the gallows humour to the limit, we could bring to mind that two years after beating Germany at the Fifa World Cup in 1994, Bulgaria had a triple-digit inflation rate. No doubt the Greeks will be spared such a financial cataclysm. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side and for the sake of our neighbours to the south, we should root for Germany tonight!"
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Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Friday, 22. June 2012
Germany plays against Greece today in the 2012 quarter finals in Gdańsk. Stefan Szczepłek, sports editor for the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita, takes a conciliatory view of the past tensions between Germans and Poles: » more
Germany plays against Greece today in the 2012 quarter finals in Gdańsk. Stefan Szczepłek, sports editor for the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita, takes a conciliatory view of the past tensions between Germans and Poles: "The German footballers have done much good for the image of their country. ... Today our children's generation watches them play without the burden of the past. Early yesterday morning the editor of the [German sport magazine] Kicker, Rainer Holzschuh, visited my football exhibition in Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science. We've known each other for many years, and many tournaments. Standing amidst the jerseys of Franz Beckenbauer, Jürgen Klinsmann, Uli Hoeneß, Kazimierz Dayna, Robert Gadocha and Grzegorz Lato we looked back with a grin at the times when we still met each other with mistrust. That's how it was back then, but those days are over."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Thursday, 21. June 2012
The Ukrainian national football team was eliminated from Euro 2012 on Tuesday. For the country this is more than a disappointment in sport, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: » more
The Ukrainian national football team was eliminated from Euro 2012 on Tuesday. For the country this is more than a disappointment in sport, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: "Success in these championships would not have solved the problems in Ukraine. But it could have inspired the Ukrainians, giving them pride and the conviction that the state and its future are far more important than the interests of any political group. Such a dose of positive energy would have been more important for this young state which is still seeking its place in Europe than for any other country in the region. For that reason reaching the Euro 2012 quarter finals was not just a sporting goal, but also something far more important. ... Now that the country is out of the running it returns to square one: Ukraine is deeply divided and is considered as partially authoritarian by the countries of Europe, even boycotted by some."
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De Volkskrant - Netherlands | Tuesday, 19. June 2012
After the elimination of the Dutch team from the Euro 2012 in the last match of the group phase on Sunday the Dutch are seeking the reasons for their defeat. Striker Arjen Robben in particular is being criticised for having shouted three times "Shut your mouth, man!" at coach Bert van Marwijk during the game against Portugal. The event and the debate it has sparked are symptomatic for the Dutch, writes columnist Bert Wagendorp with a touch of irony in the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: » more
After the elimination of the Dutch team from the Euro 2012 in the last match of the group phase on Sunday the Dutch are seeking the reasons for their defeat. Striker Arjen Robben in particular is being criticised for having shouted three times "Shut your mouth, man!" at coach Bert van Marwijk during the game against Portugal. The event and the debate it has sparked are symptomatic for the Dutch, writes columnist Bert Wagendorp with a touch of irony in the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "Behind these words lies a world of which we don't have the vaguest idea, a stinking pit full of division and exasperation. An enormous gap between generations and values. In four words Robben caught the essence of a spoiled and egoistical generation of players who can no longer be coached. It won't be long before his 'shut your mouth, man' extends from this group of footballers to us all, the Dutch people. There is no lack of strife among us, either. We will project Robben's 'Shut your mouth, man' onto ourselves and our morals. Robben has formulated a social problem that will preoccupy us for the entire summer. His passes on the turf were insignificant, but this one has hit its mark."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Monday, 18. June 2012
The Euro 2012 co-host Poland was eliminated from the competition after it lost 0-1 to the Czech Republic in the group stage on Saturday. But the tournament has done much to boost the country's reputation, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: » more
The Euro 2012 co-host Poland was eliminated from the competition after it lost 0-1 to the Czech Republic in the group stage on Saturday. But the tournament has done much to boost the country's reputation, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: "Although Poland has been eliminated, this championship will certainly go down in history as one of the best and most emotional in recent decades. Poland has shown that is a good host and organiser. Euro 2012 has strengthened our national psyche, because organisation has never been one of our strong points. ... Dear fellow countrymen, please don't remove your red and white wing mirror flags. Continue to take pleasure in the championships, and cheer on those teams that are the most deserving. Please don't hold the elimination against the Polish team or Prime Minister Tusk, and leave Coach Smuda and Football Association President Lato in peace - at least for the duration of the championship."
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Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Friday, 15. June 2012
Polish courts on Thursday sentenced 23 hooligans for rioting before and after Tuesday's game between Poland and Russia. The underlying reason for the riot was fear of Russia, writes the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: » more
Polish courts on Thursday sentenced 23 hooligans for rioting before and after Tuesday's game between Poland and Russia. The underlying reason for the riot was fear of Russia, writes the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: "One important piece of information was missing from the numerous commentaries on the Polish-Russian riots before and after the match: namely that this is the climax of a war of nerves between Russia and Poland that has been brewing for several weeks. Similar wars of nerves are all too familiar to other neighbours of Russia, like the Estonians and the Latvians. ... When the authorities in Tallinn took down a monument to the Red Army the Estonian servers were subject to hacking attacks. The Estonians assumed that Russian computer specialists, the army or even the secret service were behind the attack, even if they had no evidence to back up their claim. The Latvians also have many stories to tell about how relations between their states suddenly worsen when the Russian minority in the country is involved."
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Wprost Online - Poland | Thursday, 14. June 2012
The Polish police arrested more than 180 Polish and Russian fans who ran riot before and after the Euro 2012 match (1-1) pitting Poland against Russia. The conservative news portal Wprost Online has harsh words for the Polish fans: » more
The Polish police arrested more than 180 Polish and Russian fans who ran riot before and after the Euro 2012 match (1-1) pitting Poland against Russia. The conservative news portal Wprost Online has harsh words for the Polish fans: "It is lamentable that the insults [directed at the Russians] were sung louder than the songs meant to encourage the players wearing the eagle crest. That means football wasn't the most important thing that evening. ... 'Shame, Embarrassment, Disgrace and Stupidity': This is the headline printed on the front page of a tabloid six years ago - the day after Poland lost to Ecuador. One day after the match between Poland and Russia the papers should print this headline again. Because these are the only words to describe the behaviour of the bandits whose goal wasn't to cheer on Poland but to put it to shame."
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Fakt - Poland | Tuesday, 12. June 2012
Many Poles are decorating their cars and houses with Polish flags during Euro 2012 in a display of support for their country's football team. But that has less to do with real patriotism than with a desire to party, writes Łukasz Warzecha with regret in the conservative tabloid Fakt: » more
Many Poles are decorating their cars and houses with Polish flags during Euro 2012 in a display of support for their country's football team. But that has less to do with real patriotism than with a desire to party, writes Łukasz Warzecha with regret in the conservative tabloid Fakt:"We can say for certain that the majority of drivers who have adorned their cars so colourfully are not about to hang flags on their balconies on the 1st or 15th of August, on November 11th or May 3rd [the Polish national holidays]. No doubt they couldn't even say what was being celebrated on these days. The mass fan culture we're seeing during Euro 2012 is a sort of patriotism light, the kind you show when getting together for a barbecue. That has very little to do with true pride in your country, its history and its people. ... Some people say that this mass patriotism in the stadiums is better than none at all. But they're wrong. This fan culture is just a way of demonstrating your feelings. It's a substitute for patriotism, but not a worthy one."
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La Repubblica - Italy | Monday, 11. June 2012
The Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was the guest of honour at the game that pitted Spain against Italy in Gdańsk on Sunday. After the match ended in a 1-1 draw, Napolitano expressed his good wishes to team captain Gianluigi Buffon. In view of the match-fixing scandal that has rocked the world of Italian football, the gesture by the Italian head of state is more significant than the result of the game, the left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes: » more
The Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was the guest of honour at the game that pitted Spain against Italy in Gdańsk on Sunday. After the match ended in a 1-1 draw, Napolitano expressed his good wishes to team captain Gianluigi Buffon. In view of the match-fixing scandal that has rocked the world of Italian football, the gesture by the Italian head of state is more significant than the result of the game, the left-liberal daily La Repubblica writes: "Commander Napolitano hugs captain Buffon, the goalie of the national team who is as charismatic as he is controversial. He hugs him warmly, showering him with words of praise. It's as if Italy were making peace with itself. ... For its symbolism the scene was the most significant moment after the match between Spain and Italy, one that should reconcile the country once more with its national team and its world of football, which has been so shaken by betting scandals and investigations. From the police in the national team's training camp to the president in the football stadium in Gdańsk - that is anything but a small step. The Azzurri now stand to take a huge stride forward, with the help of their most famous fan."
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Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Friday, 8. June 2012
The inauguration of Euro 2012 in his home country, Poland, is a historical turning point for Rafal Stec of the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: » more
The inauguration of Euro 2012 in his home country, Poland, is a historical turning point for Rafal Stec of the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: "Mankind has been having fun at major sports events - the Olympic Games and the World and European Championships - for almost a century. But up to now Poland has never hosted any of them. And not just Poland: not a single post-socialist country has hosted a major football tournament to date. We and Ukraine are the first. Euro 2012 symbolises the success we have had in rebuilding our country after society collapsed under communism. For fans this is a dream come true. Every time we were involved in really big sports events we were far away from home and came in contact with that other, rich world. Now I can hardly believe that the Polish players are living in a hotel just a few hundred metres away from our editing department and that they will play against Greece in a stadium that is just across the Vistula."
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Večer - Slovenia | Friday, 8. June 2012
Commenting on the ongoing criticism of Euro 2012 co-host Ukraine, the daily Večer points to how quickly the problems in the country that hosted the 2010 World Cup, South Africa, have been forgotten: » more
Commenting on the ongoing criticism of Euro 2012 co-host Ukraine, the daily Večer points to how quickly the problems in the country that hosted the 2010 World Cup, South Africa, have been forgotten: "Since Uefa voted in 2007 to hold the first major tournament on former Eastern Bloc territory, Euro 2012 has become a European championship of two worlds. Angela Merkel will pay a visit to her footballers in Poland but is boycotting Ukraine, which has renounced democracy. Yet racism in Poland is not something that can be ignored. … At any rate Poland and Ukraine will be the focus of attention until the final on July 1. This is a major opportunity, also for potential demonstrators. But once the Euro 2012 is over they will be left to deal with their problems alone again. Who asks now, two years after the World Cup, what's happening with human rights and poverty in South Africa?"
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Europe
All available articles from » Borut, Jr. Planinšič
Blog 100 Reféns - Portugal | Thursday, 7. June 2012
In advance of their first Euro 2012 game, which will pit them against Germany on Saturday, Portugal's football team has come under fire because it hasn't won a single test game. In his blog 100 Reféns, Tiago Mesquita accuses superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's team of acting like prima donnas: » more
In advance of their first Euro 2012 game, which will pit them against Germany on Saturday, Portugal's football team has come under fire because it hasn't won a single test game. In his blog 100 Reféns, Tiago Mesquita accuses superstar Cristiano Ronaldo's team of acting like prima donnas: "This troop doesn't need two doctors on the sidelines, but two hairdressers, because for all we know one of our stars might need a couple more highlights in his hair during the game. And to get wounded in the first place they would have to actually play football, but until now none of them has managed to do that. [The cosmetics firm] L'Oréal should sponsor this group of eccentrics, because they don't do justice to a beer company. And why not hire a manicurist and a jeweller while we're at it? What if one of our boys loses an earring? ... By the looks of it money is of no consequence. What the world champion Spain spends in a week isn't enough to cover even one night in a hotel for our team. It's deplorable."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Society, » Portugal
All available articles from » Tiago Mesquita
Sydsvenskan - Sweden | Wednesday, 6. June 2012
A number of leading European politicians including Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will stay away from the football matches in Ukraine in protest at human rights violations and in particular the imprisonment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The liberal daily Sydsvenskan praises this stance and hopes the pressure will not let up even after the European Championship: » more
A number of leading European politicians including Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will stay away from the football matches in Ukraine in protest at human rights violations and in particular the imprisonment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. The liberal daily Sydsvenskan praises this stance and hopes the pressure will not let up even after the European Championship: "It is right that these politicians will not take their place in the VIP box at the Kiev Olympic Stadium for the final on July 1 as long as Tymoshenko remains behind bars. But the pressure on Ukraine must continue intensifying. The EU has put an association agreement on ice, the Council of Europe has harshly criticised Ukraine's failure to implement announced reforms. Parliamentary elections will take place in the country at the end of October. If the defenders of democracy and the rule of law once again denounce electoral fraud and abuse of power, Ukraine stands a chance. And the EU should hold out a helping hand."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » Sport, » Human rights, » Ukraine, » Europe
Le Monde - France | Tuesday, 5. June 2012
The European Football Championship kicks off in Poland and Ukraine on Friday. But whereas Poland has a high standing in the EU both economically and politically, the event has hardly benefited Ukraine, the left-liberal daily Le Monde writes: » more
The European Football Championship kicks off in Poland and Ukraine on Friday. But whereas Poland has a high standing in the EU both economically and politically, the event has hardly benefited Ukraine, the left-liberal daily Le Monde writes: "The only country in the EU not to have suffered a recession since 2008, Poland has modernised and opened up to a remarkable degree over the past two decades, acquiring an unprecedented weight within the EU. Ukraine, by contrast, has disappointed and irritated the European leaders. Instead of approaching the EU, embracing its values and taking the path to becoming a constitutional democracy and a market economy, it has become more entrenched in its ways. In this respect Euro 2012, which could have docked Ukraine on the continent and extracted it from its post-Soviet roots, is a failure."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Economy, » Poland, » Ukraine
De Volkskrant - Netherlands | Wednesday, 30. May 2012
The Euro 2012 football championship in Ukraine and Poland will highlight Europe's cramped mentality because football reflects the spirit of the times, writes philosopher Hans Schnitzler in his column in the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: » more
The Euro 2012 football championship in Ukraine and Poland will highlight Europe's cramped mentality because football reflects the spirit of the times, writes philosopher Hans Schnitzler in his column in the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "The spirit of the times already found its expression at the World Cup in South Africa. With its cramped and purely reactive football in keeping with the style of the [right-wing populist party] PVV, aimed simply at levering out the opponent, the Netherlands reached the final. Van Bommel and co. lapsed into a complete lack of style. ... The lack of variation in football style is most apparent among the top European football teams. The neutralising zeitgeist is taking hold in European football. The Occident is also exhausted and confused; lethargy and fear dominate the world view. There is a lack of exciting perspectives. An improved handling of security and health issues, as well as the excesses of a bookkeeper mentality: this is all that remains when one says farewell to the past. I wish you all a pleasant and dead boring Euro 2012."
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All available articles from » Hans Schnitzler
La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 29. May 2012
Shortly before the Euro 2012 is due to kick off, the Italian police arrested 19 people on suspicion of match-fixing in a nationwide raid in the early hours of Monday morning, including 13 professional footballers. Among the suspects was a national player who was immediately thrown out of the Italian national team. Italian football has lost all credibility and needs a thorough purging, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: » more
Shortly before the Euro 2012 is due to kick off, the Italian police arrested 19 people on suspicion of match-fixing in a nationwide raid in the early hours of Monday morning, including 13 professional footballers. Among the suspects was a national player who was immediately thrown out of the Italian national team. Italian football has lost all credibility and needs a thorough purging, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: "Football is thoroughly corrupted by this, also at a national level. Having the police raid the national team's training camp puts an end to the credibility of our football. … No summary legal proceedings or generous 'let's forget it' stance can change this. The investigating judges must take the time they need to get to the bottom of the affair. In the meantime our sport institutions should recognise their obligation to bring about change. We need ideas and new faces to get our football back on track."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Crime, » Italy
All available articles from » Maurizio Crosetti
Heti Válasz - Hungary | Thursday, 24. May 2012
Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who has been sentenced to seven years in prison, has made the headlines with her hunger strike and poor health. But in an article published in the conservative weekly Heti Válasz, Jarosław Gizinski , editor of the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, isn't convinced by what he calls her attempts to play the martyr: » more
Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who has been sentenced to seven years in prison, has made the headlines with her hunger strike and poor health. But in an article published in the conservative weekly Heti Válasz, Jarosław Gizinski , editor of the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, isn't convinced by what he calls her attempts to play the martyr: "Yulia Tymoshenko is a contradictory personality. She has been described as the 'Ukrainian Jeanne D'Arc', as the 'gas princess', 'Iron Yulia' and the 'last man in Ukrainian politics'. Now languishing in jail, Tymoshenko has become a symbol of Ukraine's bankrupt democracy. … Ukraine is still far from reaching European democratic standards. But to portray Tymoshenko as someone who always defends democratic values is wrong. She herself didn't understand the laws of democracy, human rights and the free market. Back in the mid-90s she didn't enter politics to build a democratic society in her home country, but to protect her own interests and her business empire. In this respect she is no different to all the other Ukrainian oligarchs."
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All available articles from » Jarosław Giziński
Polityka - Poland | Wednesday, 23. May 2012
A good two weeks before Euro 2012 kicks off in Poland and Ukraine, the imprisonment of Ukrainian opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko is putting a strain on Kiev's relations with the West. The West should opt for a twin strategy regarding Ukraine, the Polish publicist Adam Krzemiński writes in the left-liberal weekly paper Polityka: » more
A good two weeks before Euro 2012 kicks off in Poland and Ukraine, the imprisonment of Ukrainian opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko is putting a strain on Kiev's relations with the West. The West should opt for a twin strategy regarding Ukraine, the Polish publicist Adam Krzemiński writes in the left-liberal weekly paper Polityka: "It is certainly laudable to pressure President Yanukovich to treat Tymoshenko fairly. Nevertheless there is a danger that boycotting Euro 2012 would only worsen the situation, pushing Ukraine further into the camp of authoritarian Russia. ... So what is to be done? On the one hand we must refrain from making any brotherly gestures, on the other we should nevertheless talk with Kiev. And we shouldn't be too quick to cancel meetings like the planned summit in Yalta. Because more was at stake than just a photo with Yanukovich. The problem is not that the meeting in Yalta has been put off, but that Warsaw and Berlin have not been able to agree on a common strategy regarding Kiev."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Poland, » Ukraine
All available articles from » Adam Krzeminski
Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Tuesday, 22. May 2012
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has demanded that Poland set up special bus lanes giving sports officials and players direct access from the airports to the stadia during Euro 2012, even though rail connections are available. The conservative daily Rzeczpospolita sees such wishes on UEFA's part as brazen effrontery: » more
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has demanded that Poland set up special bus lanes giving sports officials and players direct access from the airports to the stadia during Euro 2012, even though rail connections are available. The conservative daily Rzeczpospolita sees such wishes on UEFA's part as brazen effrontery: "For the duration of Euro 2012, UEFA has practically taken over the government in Poland. The decisions of its officials will be more important than the regulations currently in force and override the principles of the free market. This is supposed to be a big football event in Poland and Ukraine. But it is increasingly turning into a festival of commands and bans, as well as of absurd demands on the part of the UEFA officials. ... And all of that just so that people feel good in Poland. What people? The fans, the businesses, the tourists and the disabled? No, just the UEFA officials."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Wojciech Wybranowski
Der Standard - Austria | Thursday, 10. May 2012
The incarcerated Ukrainian ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was transferred to a hospital on Wednesday where she will receive medical treatment. The international protests against the conditions of her imprisonment and the pressure from Brussels have had an impact, the left-liberal daily Der Standard concludes, and warns that this should not prompt the EU states to "end their boycott and send representatives to the Euro 2012 in Ukraine. Because neither Tymoshenko's prison conditions nor the trial against her are Yanukovych's biggest sins: » more
The incarcerated Ukrainian ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was transferred to a hospital on Wednesday where she will receive medical treatment. The international protests against the conditions of her imprisonment and the pressure from Brussels have had an impact, the left-liberal daily Der Standard concludes, and warns that this should not prompt the EU states to "end their boycott and send representatives to the Euro 2012 in Ukraine. Because neither Tymoshenko's prison conditions nor the trial against her are Yanukovych's biggest sins: far worse is the way corruption, already rampant in Ukraine, has actually increased under this president. Yanukovych is surrounded by a clique of oligarchs who are influencing political decisions and courts and thus undermining the rule of law. It is an economy plagued by cronyism, under which only a select few profit while most suffer. Taking a stand against this is far more important than protesting Tymoshenko's persecution."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Ukraine, » Europe
All available articles from » André Ballin
Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic | Wednesday, 9. May 2012
Ukraine on Wednesday postponed the planned summit meeting of leaders from Central and Eastern Europe for an indefinite period of time. The official reason given was that a string of heads of state were unable to attend. But the truth is that they cancelled in protest at the treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko, the business paper Hospodárske noviny comments: » more
Ukraine on Wednesday postponed the planned summit meeting of leaders from Central and Eastern Europe for an indefinite period of time. The official reason given was that a string of heads of state were unable to attend. But the truth is that they cancelled in protest at the treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko, the business paper Hospodárske noviny comments: "Now everyone can see how President Viktor Yanukovich has isolated himself on the international stage. Efforts to persuade Ukrainians that this isn't true are taking on comical proportions. When Yanukovich and US President Obama met for four minutes in South Korea in March, a Kiev newspaper splashed the photo across its front page with the comment that Yanukovich is once more playing a dominant role among heads of state. Most Ukrainians could only laugh at that."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Human rights, » Justice, » Ukraine, » Europe
All available articles from » Ondřej Soukup
Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic | Thursday, 3. May 2012
In addition to the Euro 2012 in Ukraine another major sport event has come into the spotlight: » more
In addition to the Euro 2012 in Ukraine another major sport event has come into the spotlight: in an interview published today in the Czech business paper Hospodářské noviny, René Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, threatened to revoke Belarus' right to host the 2014 World Ice Hockey Championships. The paper comments in a separate column: "Once sport was sport, then it became an instrument of politics. Today it's a business. For that reason one can't seriously believe that Ukraine will lose its role as co-host of Euro 2012 because of Yulia Tymoshenko, or that Belarus will be stripped of the Ice Hockey Championships. Because too much has been invested there. But there is one way to voice our anger: Let's turn off our TVs when footballers like Tomáš Rosický play in Kiev, or when Jaromír Jágr hits the ice in Minsk. If a few hundred million people could agree to go along with the idea there would be no more championships in countries under dictatorship. Because business is business."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Sport, » Justice, » Ukraine, » Belarus
All available articles from » Petr Honzejk
Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Wednesday, 2. May 2012
Western politicians' calls for the European Football Championship to be boycotted because of Yulia Tymoshenko's imprisonment are hypocritical since there have been worse hosts than Ukraine in the past, writes the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: » more
Western politicians' calls for the European Football Championship to be boycotted because of Yulia Tymoshenko's imprisonment are hypocritical since there have been worse hosts than Ukraine in the past, writes the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: "Why all the fuss now? It's not as if Tymoshenko was sent to prison just yesterday. The alarm bells could have gone off when Siemens and other German companies won contracts for preparing for the Euro 2012. Or when the very same Siemens helped Beijing modernise for the Olympic Games a few years ago. This, too, was a country with political prisoners. It may sound cynical, but in the history of sport there have been far worse hosts of the Olympic Games or other championships. Mussolini, Hitler, the Argentinean junta [World Cup 1978] and the Chinese Communist Party have all organised such events."
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All available articles from » Paweł Wilkowicz
Savon Sanomat - Finland | Wednesday, 2. May 2012
According to the liberal daily Savon Sanomat, Western politicians staying away from the Euro 2012 in Ukraine won't achieve anything: » more
According to the liberal daily Savon Sanomat, Western politicians staying away from the Euro 2012 in Ukraine won't achieve anything: "The EU protests for democracy and humaneness failed to make an impact in the case of Alexander Lukashenko in Ukraine. Will all the pretty words be more effective in Ukraine, or will they drive President [Viktor] Yanukovych's Ukraine in the same direction as Belarus - to a closed society ruled by fear? Some are demanding that with the help of King Football the leadership in Ukraine be put under pressure with the threat of boycotting the Euro 2012 matches there. The same was done with ice hockey in Belarus yet nothing came of it. Whether this tactic will be more effective in Ukraine? Hardly."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Human rights, » Ukraine, » Europe
Financial Times Deutschland - Germany | Wednesday, 2. May 2012
If Ukraine is facing a boycott because of human rights abuses the same must apply for other countries too, writes the Financial Times Deutschland: » more
If Ukraine is facing a boycott because of human rights abuses the same must apply for other countries too, writes the Financial Times Deutschland:"What an outcry there was five years ago when German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the foreign minister at the time Frank-Walter Steinmeier and ex-president Horst Kohler announced that they wouldn't attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. All the wailing about trade and the economy. ... But what German manager, what politician, what member of the middle classes is getting all worked up now about how German President Joachim Gauck, Merkel, Environmental Minister Norbert Röttgen and the SPD boss Sigmar Gabriel are publicly reprimanding Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych? … Where are all the critics when instead of powerful China it's relatively weak Ukraine that's in the pillory? … Yes, Russia too, which is hosting the Winter Olympics in Sochi, is far from being a model democracy. If people want to pursue human rights policies convincingly in future they can't duck out when it comes to taking the heavyweights to task."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Sport, » Economic Policy, » Germany, » Ukraine
Mladá fronta Dnes - Czech Republic | Wednesday, 2. May 2012
The head of the Czech Football Association, Miroslav Pelta, has rejected the idea of a political boycott of the Euro 2012 football championships in reaction to the jailing of opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko, on the grounds that sport must not be held hostage to politics. The liberal daily Mladá fronta Dnes does not agree: » more
The head of the Czech Football Association, Miroslav Pelta, has rejected the idea of a political boycott of the Euro 2012 football championships in reaction to the jailing of opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko, on the grounds that sport must not be held hostage to politics. The liberal daily Mladá fronta Dnes does not agree: "Politics and sports cannot be separated. By giving a country the task of organising a major sporting event the international community expresses trust and respect. Organising a European Championship in the world's most popular sport brings huge prestige. Of course that will come as no surprise to Mr. Pelta and others who blather on and on about the independence of sport and politics. ... The sports-politics cocktail doesn't need to be shaken only now; we've already been drinking it for a long time. And by the way, why was Ukraine awarded with Euro 2012? Not because of the fantastic conditions there, but because that's what the politicians wanted."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Sport, » Czech Republic, » Ukraine
All available articles from » Vladimír Kučera
Eesti Päevaleht - Estonia | Monday, 30. April 2012
In view of ex-prime minister Tymoshenko's situation it's important for the EU politicians to boycott the Euro 2012, writes the liberal daily Eesti Päevaleht: » more
In view of ex-prime minister Tymoshenko's situation it's important for the EU politicians to boycott the Euro 2012, writes the liberal daily Eesti Päevaleht: "Even if it's sheerly impossible to boycott every state where human rights are abused, one shouldn't dispense with this instrument entirely. Where a dictatorship has been established for a long time the success of a boycott is questionable. But Ukraine is at a historical crossroads. Either it will soon become a dictatorship or democracy will win out in the autumn elections. Europe must push for the second option with every means at hand. For the politicians in the EU this means boycotting the European Championship. President Yanukovych must not be given a stage for self-promotion. However the spectators should travel to Ukraine to meet the people and get to know the country better. The millions of fans who have been looking forwards to the Euro 2012 for years now deserve this."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Human rights, » Justice, » Ukraine
All available articles from » Robert Kalimullin
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Monday, 30. April 2012
A boycott of the Euro 2012 football championship would drive Ukraine straight into Moscow's arms, the liberal-conservative daily Corriere della Sera warns: » more
A boycott of the Euro 2012 football championship would drive Ukraine straight into Moscow's arms, the liberal-conservative daily Corriere della Sera warns: "Europe's geopolitical strategy is at stake, and this raises the question of where Vladimir Putin stands. ... Behind Tymoshenko, but he's also siding with Viktor Yanukovych. The Kremlin's double dealing is aimed at wearing Ukraine down. The goal is for its relations with the West to deteriorate to such a point that Kiev is prepared to become at least a privileged partner of Moscow once more. Moscow has already secured the allegiance of Belarus and Kazakhstan with this strategy. … Europe does well to remember its values in the Tymoshenko case. But it must strike the right balance between defending its values and the danger of playing right into Putin's hands."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Sport, » Ukraine, » Russia, » Europe
All available articles from » Federico Fubini
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 30. April 2012
The departing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also sharply criticised the Ukrainian leader's treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko. That puts the Ukrainian government under additional pressure even if Medvedev's motivations are unclear, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: » more
The departing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also sharply criticised the Ukrainian leader's treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko. That puts the Ukrainian government under additional pressure even if Medvedev's motivations are unclear, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Two years ago the Kremlin had already denounced human rights violations in a country he counts as part of his sphere of influence: Belarus. But no sooner had dictator Lukashenko agreed to the customs union with Russia and Kazakhstan than these issues were once again forgotten. What would Medvedev or Putin be saying about Ukraine if Kiev complied with the Kremlin's demands in the conflict over gas prices and pipelines? Perhaps Ms. Tymoshenko's being condemned to seven years in prison last October because a gas contract with Russia was interpreted as abuse of office has something to do with it. Yet even if one suspects that Medvedev is simply showing Yanukovych the torture instruments, in doing so he ups the pressure on the regime in Kiev - and that's a good thing."
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More from the press review on the subject » Human rights, » Ukraine, » Russia
All available articles from » Reinhard Veser
De Telegraaf - Netherlands | Monday, 30. April 2012
At the upcoming Euro 2012, both the Dutch and the German national teams will play in Ukraine during the group stage. In view of the treatment of former prime minister Tymoshenko, politicians from the two countries should seriously consider boycotting the games, the right-wing tabloid De Telegraaf writes: » more
At the upcoming Euro 2012, both the Dutch and the German national teams will play in Ukraine during the group stage. In view of the treatment of former prime minister Tymoshenko, politicians from the two countries should seriously consider boycotting the games, the right-wing tabloid De Telegraaf writes: "The German government has already announced it would investigate the possibility of a political boycott. That means: the football players would go but politicians could not attend the games in Ukraine. For the Ukranians such a boycott would be an outright disgrace. The Netherlands will also have to address the question of whether a boycott is necessary. On the one hand sports and politics should not simply be lumped together. But on the other it would be hard to stomach seeing Dutch politicians sitting happily in the stands as guests of a country that treads human rights underfoot."
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More from the press review on the subject » Crises / War, » Sport, » Ukraine
Der Standard - Austria | Friday, 27. April 2012
German President Joachim Gauck has cancelled his planned May visit to Ukraine in protest against the imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko. Gauck's gesture is a good moment to consider a boycott of the coming European Football Championship in Ukraine, opines the left-liberal daily Der Standard: » more
German President Joachim Gauck has cancelled his planned May visit to Ukraine in protest against the imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko. Gauck's gesture is a good moment to consider a boycott of the coming European Football Championship in Ukraine, opines the left-liberal daily Der Standard: "As always in such cases, we are warned not to instrumentalise sport for political purposes. Since the Ukrainian leadership is itself using the EURO games for propaganda, this argument makes little sense. … Yanukovych's electoral victory of early 2010 (this time on the up-and-up) had a lot to do with the failure of the Orange revolutionaries and their internal rivalry. But that is no excuse for what has happened since then in Ukraine, which can be compared with the Putinisation of Russia: politicized justice, even more rampant corruption and the obscure sleazy connections between politics and business with oligarchs as the grey eminences. Against this background, to act as if one could separate sport from politics is either naive or downright hypocritical."
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More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Germany, » Ukraine
All available articles from » Josef Kirchengast
Rzeczpospolita - Poland | Thursday, 26. April 2012
The Ukrainian ex-head of government Yulia Tymoshenko claims that she was beaten in prison and began a hunger strike last Friday in protest. Meanwhile a video has surfaced on the Internet apparently showing Tymoshenko pacing around her cell without appearing to be in any pain. The country has already come out the loser, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: » more
The Ukrainian ex-head of government Yulia Tymoshenko claims that she was beaten in prison and began a hunger strike last Friday in protest. Meanwhile a video has surfaced on the Internet apparently showing Tymoshenko pacing around her cell without appearing to be in any pain. The country has already come out the loser, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita: "One thing is for sure: these goings-on will further damage Ukraine's reputation abroad. They show that those in power either wanted to hurt their political opponents or no longer have the situation under control and are permitting flagrant human rights abuses. Ultimately Yulia Tymoshenko will turn into someone like the opposition activist Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. And Ukraine will become a country ruled by a dictatorial hand. Its integration into the EU has receded into the distant future."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Poland, » Ukraine, » Asia
All available articles from » Piotr Kościński
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Wednesday, 25. April 2012
According to her lawyer, former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has gone on a hunger strike to protest at the conditions of her imprisonment. The EU must rebuke President Victor Yanukovich without losing Ukraine as a potential partner, the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: » more
According to her lawyer, former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has gone on a hunger strike to protest at the conditions of her imprisonment. The EU must rebuke President Victor Yanukovich without losing Ukraine as a potential partner, the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: "Above all the eastern EU countries, particularly Poland, would like to preserve their ties with Kiev so as to prevent it from retreating even further into Moscow's sphere of influence. They are pushing for the Free Trade and Association Agreements with the EU not to be jeopardised despite the problems. ... Others, including the German Government, believe that in view of the flagrant legal violations in Ukraine the already sluggish process cannot simply be continued through to ratification by all 27 EU countries. ... People like Yanukovich will come and go, but Europe remains. For that reason the association process should be continued at a reduced pace, so as to be able to renew it in future when the time is right. But Europe must also react to Yanukovich's provocations - if only to maintain its credibility."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Human rights, » Ukraine, » Europe
All available articles from » Konrad Schuller
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