In view of the resolutions passed at the EU summit in Brussels, the left-liberal daily Libération calls for stronger political integration in Europe: "The debt crisis shows that the markets have no confidence in the survival of a currency without a state, that is without a federal political and economic power able to impose a common fiscal discipline on the federated states and to help them if need be. Some of Europe's politicians, notably in Germany, have understood this perfectly well and are calling for the creation of a 'United States of Europe'. This would be the sole means of conferring democratic legitimacy on the Eurozone. Now that the countries are losing sovereignty over their budgets it is time to team up the national parliaments with the European Parliament." (09/12/2011)

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Who's saying what » Ways out of the debt crisis, » Europe's speed

The 17 euro states and six further countries have resolved to sign a treaty of their own while the UK and other countries have refused to follow suit. This will leave Europe divided, writes the liberal daily NRC Handelsblad: "This division seems logical. Because why should non-members of the Eurozone have something to say about the rules that the core group has imposed on itself? But politically the point is, who's against the move? The answer: British Prime Minister David Cameron. Although the country is not part of the Eurozone, the British government has a clear stance on the euro. Cameron agrees with Merkel on budget discipline. But like his predecessors he is dead against any further European centralisation at the expense of the nation states. ... The UK can go along with the treaty if it chooses, but admittedly the chances are slim. We must get used to the idea that there will soon be two Europes." (09/12/2011)

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The resolutions adopted in Brussels will unavoidably lead to a two-speed Europe, writes the liberal business paper Handelsblatt: "Europe has still not understood just how serious the situation now is. This is all the more disastrous because even German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President Nicolas Sarkozy set the bar for success at the two-day Brussels summit particularly high. ... But even more serious is that the path adopted by Merkel and Sarkozy will de facto lead to a two-speed Europe and division among the member states. Until now a way had always been found to hold the show together and find a common solution for all the EU states. But that's a thing of the past. The sober - and bitter - reality is that the 17 euro countries want to introduce stricter rules on budget control with a treaty of their own, accompanied by those EU countries that share this goal. There could be no surer way to drive a wedge through Europe." (09/12/2011)

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Who's saying what » Ways out of the debt crisis, » Europe's speed

Private creditors are no longer to be involved in debt restructuring measures for struggling euro countries. But this initiative comes too late, writes the liberal business paper Il Sole 24 Ore. "The most surprising proposal is that of excluding private creditors from any future bailouts undertaken by the euro rescue mechanism still in gestation. This is a striking change of course on Merkel's part, for up to now involving the private sector in the rescue of debtor countries had been a mainstay of her crisis management. ... There are indeed many indications that insisting on involving the private sector in debt restructuring would not result in lower risk premiums on the government bonds of the peripheral states despite their tough austerity measures. This also means that we wouldn't be faced with the collapse of the European financial system now if this change in direction had been considered earlier. ... We must now fear that the proposal comes at a point when the damage has already been done." (09/12/2011)

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Who's saying what » Ways out of the debt crisis, » Europe's speed

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor signs the agreement for the country's accession to the European Union at the EU summit today, Friday, in Brussels. Croatia is to become the EU's 28th member state on July 1, 2013. But the country needs to continue showing that it is mature enough to join, the left-liberal daily Dnevnik comments: "The lack of EU enthusiasm among Croatia's citizens is no doubt also due to the fact that the conclusion of negotiations doesn't imply that Brussels trusts it yet. The EU has reserved the right to monitor Croatia's compliance in certain areas such as the judiciary and competitiveness. The first test of Croatia's readiness will come in just a few days' time when the arbitration agreement proceedings between Croatia and Slovenia begin. Slovenia must prove here that its neighbour is a welcome addition to the family, which in view of the problems both countries currently face should not be called into question again." (09/12/2011)

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All available articles from » Dejan Kovac

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday blamed the US for stirring up protest against the alleged vote-rigging in the parliamentary elections. He's turning a blind eye to reality, writes the liberal-conservative daily Die Presse: "Putin's post-election paranoia is a further sign that the man lost his grasp of the reality in his country long ago. Many Russians are simply fed up with the corruption, cronyism and authoritarian structures in the country, and they don't need a call from Washington to get them out onto the street - not even in the Russian winter. Interesting is the reaction from Putin's comrade (or puppet?), President Medvedev. The protests against the way the election was run are nothing out of the ordinary, he said, but an 'expression of democracy'. A democracy, that is, in which more than 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested since the start of the protests." (09/12/2011)

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While China has indicated a willingness to make compromises at the climate summit in Durban the US continues to block any agreement. Chinese concessions on climate protection could shift the global economic power balance, the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "The strategy is clear: if the price of oil, gas or coal rises it will hit those economies hardest that squander these resources. If on the other hand as many states as possible commit to climate protection this will create a new market: also for wind turbines and energy-efficient machines from China. This sets the scene for an interesting development in the key hours of the conference. China, together with its allies India, Brazil and South Africa, can side with the European Union and most of the developing nations. Because climate policy is always also economic policy this would mean a shift in the balance of power not only in the battle against global warming." (09/12/2011)

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All available articles from » Michael Bauchmueller

Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), announced on Thursday the second lowering of the interest rate in four weeks, this time by 0.25 percent to a record low of 1 percent. It remains unclear what he hoped to achieve with the move, the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "By relaxing its financial policy just ahead of the crucial EU rescue summit, is the ECB trying to show that it can do its bit with its usual instruments and that it therefore intends to fend off the widespread demands to turn it into a 'money canon'? Or is the ECB now trying to pave the way for unconventional financial policy measures, so that any future inclusion of the central bank in the rescue of states and banks is no longer such a major step? It could well be that this is the intention. After all, making long-term central bank loans available to banks will mean that the ECB can not only prop up institutions in need of greater liquidity, but also play a role in sorting out solvency problems." (09/12/2011)

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Italy's parliament aims to pass the austerity package proposed by Prime Minister Mario Monti's cabinet by Christmas. The programme includes a measure enabling the state to examine all the accounts of its citizens in a bid to combat tax evasion. This is an attack on the foundations of the constitutional state, writes the liberal-conservative daily Corriere della Sera: "With the decree, which in effect cancels out banking secrecy, the state is undermining individual rights. The capital of freedom, a legacy of the Age of Enlightenment and liberalism, is being eroded bit by bit until it quietly disappears entirely. The modern leviathan will prove that civil liberties were only a formality and that the core rights of the State will take their place. The purpose of banking secrecy is not primarily to aid tax evasion but to allow the citizen as much freedom as possible in his own affairs. ... This right to self-determination is the foundation on which liberal democracy rests." (09/12/2011)

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All available articles from » Piero Ostellino

Portugal's ex-prime minister José Sócrates said at a conference in Paris last weekend that it would be childish for small countries like Portugal and Spain to pay off their debts completely. His comments were dishonourable, the tabloid Correio da Manhã writes angrily: "He later clarified that he hadn't meant it like that: it was simply a childish idea to repay the debts to foreign creditors 'in full and immediately'. But whatever the real intention behind his comments: he played down the importance of countries having debts, repaying them and fulfilling their obligations. With one fell blow he destroyed the basic tenets of international law that are honesty and adhering to promises that have been made. This is doubtless no big deal for someone for whom being prime minister was nothing more than child's play." (08/12/2011)

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Lars von Trier's apocalyptic drama Melancholia won three prizes at the European Film Awards in Berlin last Saturday. The Danish film owes this and other successes to generous EU funding, writes the daily Der Nordschleswiger in delight: "First and foremost Melancholia is further proof of Lars von Trier's genius as a director. But it is also a European victory. It's not for nothing that the top prize is for 'Best European Film'. This prize draws attention to one of Europe's greatest feats: even sceptics like Lars von Trier and his congenial producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen are practically forced to become Europeans of their own free will thanks to the European funding structures. They can no longer afford not to give the European idea a chance - because it gives them a chance they wouldn't have had otherwise: to make Europe's best film!" (09/12/2011)

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All available articles from » Cornelius von Tiedemann

In the trial against Kiril Rashkov, the Roma boss gave the inhabitants of the village of Katunitza the finger on Thursday. Rashkov's houses in Katunitza were burnt down at the end of September after a young Bulgarian was run over and killed by acquaintances of Rashkov. Such Conduct from Rashkov, who is accused of making death threats, is irresponsible, the daily 24 Chasa complains: "After the riots in Katunitza Rashkov's gesture is more than an insult. The community there has lost two youths, one of whom was run over by a minibus before his father's eyes. There were fires and pogroms and Rashkov's cars and houses were burnt down. The balance still hasn't been restored and people are angry and want justice. And in this difficult situation Kiril Rashkov has the gall to insult these people in such a way? ... No one benefits from such behaviour and it may only lead to further violence." (08/12/2011)

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The Marian Order in Poland has banned its Superior General Adam Boniecki from making public statements because he avoided taking a stance in favour of the crucifix in the Polish parliament. The liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza criticises the order: "The Marian Fathers have never really explained why they punished Father Boniecki. It is general knowledge that it had to do with his stance on the subject of the 'crucifix in parliament' as well as [the anti-Church politician] Janusz Palikot. Asked whether he believed that the crucifix should be hung in the Polish parliament Boniecki replied on [the TV show] Kropka nad i that both answers were right. ... The saddest thing about it is that the Bishops' Conference insists on remaining silent on the subject. ... This is hardly surprising as most of the bishops have long since distanced themselves from Father Boniecki because he has said things that were not in accordance with the official line of the Church and often conflicted with it." (09/12/2011)

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All available articles from » Katarzyna Wiśniewska

Ireland's Health Minister Roísín Shorthall wants to reduce the social cost of excessive drinking by introducing a minimum price for alcoholic beverages. The liberal daily The Irish Times welcomes the idea: "Minister of State for Health Róisín Shortall has responsibility for promoting a new strategy here and she has spoken of the need to fix a minimum price for alcohol, in addition to excise duty. Her hand has been strengthened by the Scottish initiative, where binge drinking is even worse than it is here, and by plans within the Northern Ireland Executive to impose a minimum price per unit of alcohol there. The damage caused by alcohol abuse is all around us. Apart from its dire social consequences, the financial costs in terms of public healthcare, absenteeism and lost productivity are enormous. In the past, lobbying by supermarkets and the drinks industry brought government concessions. This time, it must be different." (09/12/2011)

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