"If the EU believes that smoking tobacco can constitute grounds for excluding people from the workplace, then why not drinking alcohol, practising dangerous sports, and eating chips?" wonders the daily. "Such habits can indeed affect health and lead to absence through sick leave ... Non-smokers have successfully fought for smoke-free workplaces. Employees should content themselves with that, and the same thing should certainly be required of employers ... Smoking outside the workplace must remain a personal matter. Otherwise no end is in sight as employers, backed by Europe, make it their business to find out about the pastimes and eating habits of their (potential) employees." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Europe

While the daily features the ironic headline "The token smoker you'll hire", journalist Bernard Demonty pens an article in which he comments on the "tolerance" of Irish employer Philip Tobin. "Belgium isn't Ireland. An Irish company director caused a sensation when he announced he would not hire smokers. He went even further, by frankly telling smokers not to bother applying. But here such job discrimination is strictly forbidden. Smokers can rest assured: the law passed on February 25th 2003 outlaws all forms of discrimination. Legal experts questioned all agree on that. Belgian legislation covers a wider scope than its European counterpart. And everybody thinks that is fine." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Belgium
All available articles from » Bernard Demonty

According to Stephan Hebel, both the EU's anti-smoking policy and the German debate on the subject are disastrous. "Two very different views of the world clash with each other here: trade and industry demand the right to self-regulation while the state calls for government-imposed anti-smoking laws but doesn't quite know how to box such laws through the jungle of federal and state jurisdiction. Meanwhile, smokers continue to fill pubs and bars with their smoke while the Italians enjoy smoke-free dinners. But only the EU could come up with the hare-brained idea of allowing employees to ask job candidates whether they smoke and refuse them a job on such grounds – instead of just banning smoking at workplaces altogether. This is the urgent plea of a smoker: switch on the draft law machinery and do something – at least here in Germany. We'd rather give up smoking than have to keep on listening to this never-ending debate." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Stephan Hebel

In an interview with Matthieu Ecoiffier, Gérard Audureau, president of the French anti-smoking association, 'Droits des non-fumeurs' [Non-smokers' Rights], explains why it is unthinkable to refuse to hire a smoker in France. "It's not in the French mindset and no-one wants it. That includes anti-smoking groups. When the Geneva-based World Health Organization drew up contracts that excluded smokers, we clearly stated our opposition. It's real discrimination. Swiss law doesn't prevent them from discriminating. In France it wouldn't work either morally or legally. Tobacco isn't outlawed. There's no reason why smokers should be. It is, however, their duty to abide by rules and regulations in force in the workplace." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Health Policy, » France
All available articles from » Gérard Audureau

"Why do the two hundred thousand massacre victims of Darfour fail to arouse even a fraction of the horrified reactions prompted by Lebanon, where casualties number two hundred times less?" wonders French philosopher Andre Glucksmann. "Why such global outrage whenever bombs are Israeli? The images of destruction in Lebanon shock - incomparably more so than Darfour's starving people and Chechenia's ruins - because they surrealistic geopolitical thinking is their subtext ... Haven't countless experts pointed for decades at the Middle East as the heart of world chaos and the key to its resolution? ... The geopolitics of bad faith that enshrines the Middle East as the pivot of world order has become the European Union's religion, the faith of Westerners of little or no belief." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Middle East
All available articles from » André Glucksmann

After the First World War, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory to neighbouring countries – as laid down in the Treaty of Trianon. Today, around 2.4 million Hungarians still live in these countries as minorities. According to Istvan Kollai, despite good economic relations the Treaty of Trianon casts a shadow over the relationship between Hungary and Slovakia. "When Hungarians refer to the Treaty of Trianon it provokes unwarranted defensive reactions from our Slovak neighbours. Some misunderstandings are difficult to clarify, but Hungarian politicians could clear up certain misunderstandings by providing comprehensive information and making unambiguous statements. For example, it's a mistake to believe Hungarians want the division of territory to be revised just because they have good memories of the times before the peace treaty and talk about those memories... Nor does Hungarian society have a joint stance on the position of minorities in neighbouring countries, as Slovaks often claim." (04/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » History, » Hungary, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Istvan Kollai

The incident at Sweden's Forsmark nuclear power station on July 26 was a serious one according to Mats Engstöm. He points out that it was only because it happened in the summer that the shutdowns didn't result in energy shortages, and speculates on what would have happened had it been a cold day in February. "There would probably have been power-cuts in several parts of Sweden. The economy would have faced astronomic costs. The real threat to Swedish jobs is the country's extreme dependence on nuclear power. The Forsmark incident proves that this type of energy is more dangerous than people claim. Yet the business sector in Finland, where the new Olkiluoto 3 reactor is being built, reveres nuclear energy. They don't talk much about the problems, even though the construction of the reactor is one year behind schedule owing to safety problems." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Corporations, » Sweden
All available articles from » Mats Engström

Poland has no nuclear power stations. It relies instead on coal-fired power stations and the import of natural gas. Jacek Belkowski, spokesman for the Polish energy-regulating authority, says this is not a forward-looking approach. "The continually rising cost of gas over the past few years should have opened the decision-makers' eyes: gas is only a temporary solution, regardless of whether it comes from Norway or Russia... The time has come to look for a new concept for Poland's power stations. In my opinion, discontinuing the construction of the nuclear power station in Zarnowiec and neglecting nuclear power was one of the major acts of sabotage in Polish history. The environmental argument is absurd when you look at the ecological impact of coal burning, which is just as lethal for nature and humankind as the consequences of an accident at a nuclear power station would be." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Poland
All available articles from » Jacek Belkowski

In a leading article the daily analyses the draft resolution that aims to end the violence between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah. "The great merit of the French-inspired resolution being discussed by the UN Security Council is its pragmatism. It makes no pretence to clarity; no pretence to be other than a stop-gap measure. It prefigures, but does not attempt to set out, military and political steps to end the conflict; these are deliberately left to subsequent negotiations. ... Washington has, with only minor caveats, been happy to lean on Paris; yet France has reason to complain that, with the exception of Britain, its EU partners have been slow to step up to the plate. They should come out far more robustly in France's support. It is the only game in town." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Middle East

According to official figures, 370,000 Roma currently live in Bulgaria – 90 percent of whom live on state benefits, receiving 75 euros a month per family. In view of this depressing situation, Adelheid Wölfl expresses her doubts about whether Bulgaria is ready for EU membership and also about European policy on this issue. "Paradoxically, Bulgaria's push for EU membership is making the situation even worse for the Roma, because according to Mihail Georgiev, president of the Roma organisation Baht, Western Europe is sending the message: 'Take back your Roma!'. He criticises 'police methods' like those in Austria, as a result of which Bulgarian Roma children are sent back to Bulgaria. Because EU Europeans perceive Roma as a threat, Roma are also perceived as a potential obstacle to EU membership by Bulgaria's majority population. Last year the Ataka party, which adopts a hostile stance towards minorities, won eight percent of the vote." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Integration, » Minorities, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Adelheid Wölfl

"What can the European Union do?" wonders leader writer Hugo Dixon in the wake of the Italian government's rejection of the proposed merger between the highway operators, the Italian company Autostrade and Spain's Abertis. "Try to defeat Italian protectionism by taking it before European courts? Although national courts are bound to apply European rulings, the rulings leave member state governments with enough legal alternatives to eventually break their enemies. All that remains is compromise. But because the stakes are high, it is important that the European Union should not agree to uphold a compromise." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » Corporations, » Italy, » Spain
All available articles from » Hugo Dixon

The Reuters news agency has withdrawn a photo showing smoke over Beirut buildings following an attack. Apparently, Lebanese photographer Adnan Hajj used digital technology to put in the smoke and make the photo look more dramatic. Ondrej Neff talks of an "invisible front line" after this latest case of forgery: "The manipulated pictures are evidence that the war is also being fought in the media. Since the day it came into being, Israel has been fighting on many fronts against an enemy that wants to destroy it completely and wipe it from the map. One of those fronts is the media front. And let's not deceive ourselves. That front line also runs through our media." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Media policy, » Middle East
All available articles from » Ondrej Neff

For weeks now, the Copenhagen Theatre has been desperately looking for women to take up a managerial position so that it can fulfil its 33-percent quota for managerial posts. Several women have already been asked to apply. The newspaper takes a critical view of the female quota policy. "Basically, it's a nice idea. In theatre, as in other sectors of society, there should be female bosses. The different age groups are also to be represented. Women are active theatre-goers and are often on stage or work behind the scenes. So there are plenty of arguments in favour of having more women in managerial positions at this theatre, where Malene Schwartz is currently the only woman in a managerial position. But the end doesn't necessarily justify the means. Women should be chosen on the basis of their qualifications and not simply because of their gender. Otherwise the quota policy will be detrimental – both to women and to theatres." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Denmark

An increasing number of Russians born in Estonia study with Estonians and learn their language. For Igor Kotjuh, himself a representative of this group, they form a new generation that is as at home with Estonian culture as it is with Russian culture. "Today, there is an Estonian-Russian culture whose representatives are creating something entirely new because they combine two cultural traditions. The elements of this synthesis can be seen in our theatres, in our paintings and music, and also in literature. However, the local Russian media tends to devote more attention to the traditional heroes, and even Estonian-language media only dedicate a small portion of their attention to Estonian-Russian cultural events. A journalist once asked me whether Estonian-Russian authors attract any attention in Russia. I replied: 'Why should they? They live in Estonia.'" (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Integration, » Estonia
All available articles from » Igor Kotjuh

Heinrich Wefing went to see the exhibition 'Erzwungene Wege. Flucht und Vertreibung in Europa im 20. Jahrhundert' (Forced Destinies: Escape and Expulsion in 20th Century Europe) organised by the exiles' associations, before it opens on Thursday. He hopes that at some point there will be cooperation between this exhibition and 'Flucht, Vertreibung, Integration' (Escape, Expulsion and Integration) at the Deutsches Historisches Museum just across the way. "By portraying exiles as victims that have featured again and again in the history of Europe in every corner of the troubled continent, the exhibition seeks to pre-empt accusations that it's just about revanchism and German navel gazing or soothing the hurt pride of the victims. Stretching across six hundred square metres, the exhibition traces the complicated and murderous history of Europe's enforced mass exoduses in the twentieth century. And after a preliminary viewing it would seem that the intention of 'Europeanising' this phenomenon has been achieved... Nine case studies illustrate the 'different motives and contexts for the expulsions', starting with the mass murder of Armenians and moving on to the expulsion of Europe's Jews as a 'cornerstone of the Holocaust' (Moshe Zimmermann), the deportation of Italians from Yugoslavia after 1944 and finally the 'ethnic cleansing' in Bosnia." (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Exhibitions / Museums, » History, » Germany
All available articles from » Heinrich Wefing

The Allerheiligen museum in Schaffhouse currently has a retrospective show of the work of German artist Otto Dix (1891-1969), one of the founding fathers of the Neue Sachlichkeit, or New Objectivity, movement. "Otto Dix primarily sought to capture human nature even at its most deviant. Although he was closely caught up in those vituperative times, it was the better to look his fellow humans in the eyes. And sometimes to be part of the action. He fought throughout World War I. He was in the great artillery battles of Northern France and Flanders, and on the Russian front. It was an unspeakable ordeal, which he reflected in his drawings. His wartime sketches and watercolours were as terrible as his portraits of the ensuing Dadaist period were socially and politically ferocious. His prostitutes and sailors on show at Schaffhouse are highly colourful in all senses of the word. Some of Dix's paintings earned him obscenity trials. The Verist path he subsequently followed barely softened his terms of expression. It did make his portraits more human, however. (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Exhibitions / Museums, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Philippe Mathonnet

Slovenia is tired of being confused with other states, so the Slovenian government is looking for a new logo and a slogan that will give the country an unmistakeable global image. Branka Bezjak takes stock of the options: "There is no clear answer to the question of Slovenia's national identity. On the one hand, this is because we still haven't dealt with our recent past, and on the other it's because we've never really asked ourselves what our identity is... Now the Slovenian government has organised a competition to find a symbol that can represent us in different contexts and not just from the tourism perspective. Will it be the Tirglav [Slovenia's highest mountain, featured on the Slovenian flag], the barn, Krainian sausage or something completely different?" (08/08/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Slovenia
All available articles from » Branka Bezja