Editorialist Pascal Martin finds that the recruitment of Romanian nurses in Brussels' hospital is a sign of a changing dynamic in the labour market. "The western world is frustrated, eaten up by its unsatisfied desires. There are not enough mechanics, not enough tilers, not enough engineers. ... Long taboo, legal immigration is slowly emerging from the forest. ... It forces us to see ourselves for what we are: a society that no longer produces children, and which is growing old with its material comforts and its emotional destitution. The time has long since come to initiate new family policies aimed at reestablishing the age pyramid. As Sweden and France have done. And, more recently, Germany. The other challenge is knowledge. The only way for the West to maintain its edge in the supermarket of labour is clearly to ensure it is always one step ahead." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Migration, » Demographics, » Europe
All available articles from » Pascal Martin

Sociologist Miroslaw Chalubinski and political scientist Piotr Chalubinski admit the emigration of young Poles is problematic from an economic point of view but stress the positive aspects of this phenomenon: "For many people, leaving Poland provides a chance to escape an environment that has a negative, sometimes even pathological effect on their development and to give their lives a positive direction… Many Poles go abroad simply because they have the opportunity and freedom to do so and want to make the most of their advantages. For many, the adventure of emigration is an attempt to assume responsibility for their lives and decisions. Young Poles are driven by a spirit of adventure and the desire to improve their education and qualifications… Emigration leads to contact between representatives of different cultures and exchanged experiences and therefore accelerates the development of many societies." (01/08/2006)

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All available articles from » Miroslaw Chalubinski, » Piotr Chalubinski

"Up to two million Poles have left their country since the 2004 EU enlargement. The most popular destinations are, so far, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Who leaves? Why do they leave? Will they come back?" asks Piotr Kaczynski, a political analyst at Poland's Institute of Public Affairs. "The most numerous migrants are young, dynamic, skilled and educated Poles. Normally they should have no problems finding a job in Poland. But if you can earn five or 10 times more abroad, why bother working at home?" But Kacynski is sanguine about the future. "With lower unemployment, higher wages, and more EU money inflow into the Polish economy (up to 4 per cent of the GDP), there will be even greater economic growth, which is already exceeding 5 per cent a year. At some point Poland will grow to be a very attractive place not only to invest, but also to live." (01/08/2006)

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All available articles from » Piotr Kaczynski

The Spanish writer Aurora Luque supports a plan devised by the government to recognise, and extend, the rights of victims of the civil war and the Francoist dictatorship. "It is absurd (or rather a form of self-seeking lunacy) to believe that one is seeking to destroy the spirit of the Transition [initiated after Franco's death in 1975]. The act of paying tribute to those who were anonymously shot in the post-war period is not going to trigger the implosion of the democratic regime or lead to the demonisation of the centre-right by making it the criminal behind the dictatorship (as some have written). ... The post-war period, with hunger, vengeance, repression, conformist thinking, the destruction of intellectual wealth and the abolition of freedoms was one of the worst periods in Spain's history. We must hope that our children will not be obliged to watch foreign documentaries to learn about it." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » History, » Spain
All available articles from » Aurora Luque

Enzo Bianchi, an Italian theologician, considers the paradoxes and antagonisms that define the Mediterranean, a stage of human drama and war, as well as a land of holidaymakers and the carefree. "The Mediterranean, the land-encircled sea, Mare Nostrum, a sea that might be seen as a bridge between diverse lands, cultures and religions. ... A Mediterranean teeming with holidaymakers, from the Turkish to Spanish coasts, from Morocco to Egypt, people on vacation, tourists immersed in blind consumerism while, just off the coast, poor people in search of a place where they might earn a living worthy of the name die of hunger and thirst. But also a Mediterranean that bears witness in Lebanon to a horrifying war, unjust as all wars are, illegitimate. But can a war ever be legitimate?" (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Southern Europe, » Middle East
All available articles from » Enzo Bianchi

Interviewed by Nicolas Dufour, the Swiss historian Georg Kreis says he does not believe the national pride displayed by Switzerland during the World Cup reflects a genuine patriotic revival. "This movement is a product of a desire to be seen, to flaunt onself. Words, texts or songs are no longer that significant; it is henceforth symbols that carry the day. ... I do not really believe in the emergence of a great mobilising force. During the World Cup, this collective expression was easy, it was like a simple game that had no real consequences in peoples' private lives. This remains something that is based more and more on personal, private values. Questions of common values are left aside. ... Deep patriotism implies a consensus on certain values." (31/07/2006)

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All available articles from » Georg Kreis

In an interview with Guillemette Faure, the American political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former adviser to Jimmy Carter and a specialist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), regrets that Europe has not managed to make its voice heard on Lebanon. "It is sad to say, but Europe exists only as a geographic entity, not as a political one. The British prime minister flies off to Washington only to parrot the views of President Bush. Other Europeans are incapable of speaking in a single political voice that might mobilise European influence to secure real cooperation from the United States." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Zbigniew Brzezinski

Gerold Büchner fears today's EU special summit on the Middle East conflict will also fail to produce an effective joint european stance. "The problem goes right back to the very beginnings of EU foreign policy. Following the oil price shock more than 30 years ago, the community defined stability in the Middle East as a common goal requiring coordinated action. Closer relations with the Arab world were balanced out by comprehensive support for Israel based on a sense of moral obligation arising from the Holocaust. Considerations of morality and stability are still the mainstays of EU policy in the Middle East – but this doesn't help when firstly, the overall situation has changed and secondly, the role of the EU has changed. The EU knows what it wants, but not what it's prepared to do to achieve its goals. What is needed now is a comprehensive analysis of the region's underlying and overlying conflicts, power struggles, risks and options for action – from a European perspective. However, there's little indication that the EU is prepared to conduct such an analysis." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » EU Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Gerold Büchner

Marek Orzechowski, Brussels correspondent for Poland's public television station TVP, criticises Poland for taking EU money but not participating in the discussion about the organization's future. "Warsaw remains mute and unwilling to cooperate… The question of what shape European integration should take is still open, and Poland not only has the right, but also the obligation to play a part in shaping both the current and future form of the European Union. Poland receives between 50 and 60 percent of the total funding allocated to the ten new member states. It would suffice if in return it were to devote ten percent of its intellectual potential to participating in the discussion about Europe." (31/07/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Marek Orzechowski

The daily welcomes a House of Commons report, released on Monday, July 31, that uses scientific criteria to classify drugs according to the actual health risks they pose. The research found that drugs such as LSD and ecstasy - both illegal category 'A' drugs under Britain's 'A,B,C' ratings sytem - are more harmful to health than alcohol and tobacco. "As things stand, the question of whether ecstasy is class A, B, or C is unlikely to be foremost in the mind of a young person experimenting with drugs. They will, most likely, make a decision based on how many of their peers are taking the drug. If they had access to an impartial scale, based wholly on the degree of harm a substance causes, they might well take more notice. ... But this report is welcome primarily because it helps remove the question of drug abuse from the realm of myth and place it in the purview of science." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » United Kingdom

Christine Walerich reviews the film 'La Raison du Plus Faible', in which Belgian director Lucas Belvaux tells the story of a group of unemployed friends who turn to crime. "A café in Liege is the meeting place for Patrick, Jean-Pierre, Robert and Marc. The film offers a social commentary: what unites these men is not simply their card game at the cafe, but also the fact that each has suffered a personal setback. More or less fed up with the monotony of their daily lives and being broke, these men dream of another life. ... They are driven by the financial aspect and the desire to do something that gives them a sense of purpose - but also a need for dignity. Through crime, they express their determination to make a mark on the world. The cardplayers' downfall is also a mirror held up to a type of destitution in which the welfare state only provides for those who are still a part of the economy." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Luxembourg
All available articles from » Christiane Walerich

The Swedish party Folkpartiet has proposed the introduction of a compulsory literary canon and triggered a nationwide debate. Stefan Jonsson rejects the proposal, saying it would lead to literature being misused to create a false and incomplete picture of Swedish culture. "It's naïve to believe that interest in literature can be maintained by introducing a canon prescribed by the state. When you consider the huge gaps in knowledge and social inequality in our schools, such a step seems pitifully inadequate. Compared to effective measures – such as improving the teaching profession, increasing funding for schools and libraries or increasing the amount of time allocated to lessons in Swedish – the proposal to create a Swedish literary canon is a purely symbolic gesture." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Sweden
All available articles from » Stefan Jonsson

After eight years of intense debate Germany's new spelling reform takes force today. Since 1998, the "Council for German Spelling" has been revising the language reform it passed that year to simplify German orthography. However, the resulting rules are often difficult to understand. Sascha Tegtmeier calls the reform a "creative spelling chaos": "For years now most people have been spelling as they please. Now we can finally do it with a clear conscience. This means that only those rules the majority of the population has understood will become permanent – and that's precious little. True, we haven't quite attained the level of spelling anarchy in which Goethe and Schiller revelled. But the newly gained freedom will increase readers' tolerance levels so they are more willing to accept spelling variants they have never seen before. In this way, over the coming decades the goal of creating a more logical and simple orthography, which the spelling reform has failed to achieve, may be achieved from 'the bottom up'." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Germany
All available articles from » Sascha Tegtmeier

Marc Zitzmann looks back on the career of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who is celebrating his 70th birthday today. "Perhaps it's no coincidence that Saint Laurent launched a perfume called Opium in 1977. The darker the couturier's private hell, the brighter his creations. With each bottle of Cristal Roederer the colours become more intoxicating; with each pill and line of cocaine the compositions more beguiling. Increasingly, Saint Laurent's fashion shows resemble a highly aesthetic and resolutely unrealistic farewell to the world of yesterday. Saint Laurent, who at 30 looked like a teenager, at 50 styled himself as an old man. The man who in 1971 announced that Haute Couture was an 'old lady' whom he would abandon in favour of Prêt-à-porter has long ago delegated the design of the 'Rive Gauche' collections to his assistants. The man who once drew inspiration from the street is now denouncing the street as a catwalk for monstrosities. The man who once played a pivotal role in fashion discourse has now become an object for museum retrospectives." (31/07/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » France
All available articles from » Marc Zitzmann

Sixteen years after the collapse of communism Hungarians still don't trust state institutions, the government or the country's laws. Sociologist Eszter Babarczy asserts that this lack of trust makes corruption the instrument of choice for achieving goals. She says this reminds her of the 1980s. "A kiss bought me my first fridge back then. The price seemed fair… When everyone knows that in the long term it makes sense to stick to the rules of the game, sooner or later everyone adapts because they can feel the pressure from others. First we need rules which everyone believes are effective. But neither the government nor the different interest groups can make these rules. They can only make sure people understand the long-term consequences of our conduct. Only then can new rules be proposed." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Hungary
All available articles from » Eszter Babarczy

Journalist Boris Cibej takes the consecration of a small Russian chapel in Slovenia as an opportunity to reflect on the country's relations with Russia. "Since the break-up of Yugoslavia, Slovenia has proven that it's possible to do successful business in Russia without excessive political manoeuvring. In this respect, the country has never encountered the obstacles faced by other small European states whose positions on Chechnya draw Russian hostility. Perhaps Slovenia's economy is simply lucky in that its politicians haven't paid lip service to Moscow, as other heads of state of former Yugoslavian republics have done." (01/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Boris Cibej