According to Björn Mansson, energy policy is the key issue at the informal EU summit in Lahti. "For years now countries like Germany and other EU states have been conducting a bilateral policy with Russia which also extends to energy issues. This policy poses an obstacle to a common EU policy. In the times of Gerhard Schröder's chancellorship this bilateralism was a provocation, in particular for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. And although Angela Merkel has adopted a more diplomatic approach it still leaves much to be desired." (20/10/2006)

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"The EU currently receives 25% of its energy from Russia. It would be in the interests of both sides for that proportion to rise", comments the daily. "And while some fear that Russia could use its energy as a political weapon, a bigger fear is that Russia might not be able to meet its existing contractual requirements because of its poor infrastructure. The truth is that Russia needs to sell - to buy technology and expertise - just as Europe needs to buy. A hard-headed business exchange need not silence European concerns about human rights and freedoms. Indeed Russia's need for a market means that it must listen. In return, though, Europe must heed Russia's complaints about double standards. ... EU-Russian relations must be governed by rules that are clear and do not compromise our standards. But if both sides are to benefit, those rules must also be fair." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Energy, » Trade, » Russia, » Europe

Russia expert Vibeke Sperling, who has been banned from travelling to Russia because of her critical reports on the situation there, expects EU heads of government and state to take a hard line with President Vladimir Putin. "The EU has repeatedly criticised the human rights violations in Russia and in Chechnya. But with each successive summit this criticism has gradually shrunk to a ritual which Putin simply ignores. He is exploiting the EU's failure to adopt a common stance because the energy issue is overshadowing that of human rights violations. This must end now. We can only hope that EU criticism of Russia enters a new phase, abandoning ritual for concrete results." (20/10/2006)

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The newspaper's Russia correspondent Klaus Helge Donath writes that Europe must revise its strategy it has adopted toward Russia since the 1990s. "This huge state doesn't want integration; the best the EU can do is to involve it in individual projects... The project of modernising Russia has failed. Putin struck it from the agenda long ago. Instead of following the road of European civilisation, the Kremlin has opted for the beaten path of tradition. Here Russia is an independent civilisation on its own 'special course.' In contrast to the cold and rational West, irrationality has its own status in Russia. Like the 'Russian soul', this concept is a literary fiction, an ideological construct, to which the Orthodox Church continues to give its blessing. But, this model is outdated. Not only has Russia missed its rendez-vous with the West, it now faces the prospect of losing out to China and India." (20/10/2006)

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Settled in Moskow for almost four years, the writer of Georgian origin, Boris Akunin, considers, in an interview with Rodrigo Fernandez, the political crisis between Moskow and Tbilissi and the expulsion from Russia of Georgian citizens. "It is not just about Russian-Georgian relations. What is really at stake is the future of Russian society. I am not exaggerating. Can our country eradicate the xenophobic virus? ... This conflict is going to leave Russian society with some serious wounds. What is most dangerous is that, with this xenophobic campaign, Putin's popularity has increased substantially. Nationalist extremists have recognised him as their leader. And if Putin does not disavow such sympathisers fast, it will become clear to everyone that the current political regime has taken a turn towards Russian nationalism." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Migration, » Integration, » Russia, » Asia
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The writer from Luxembourg, Jean Portante, considers the adoption in France of a law condemning the denial of the Armenian genocide. "The situation bares a strange resemblance to that of the debate around the advantages of French colonisation where many voices in France were raised to condemn the political world accused of rewriting French History through law when such a task should befall historians. ... This is rather the sentiment that spread over Turkey last week, where intellectuals are far from falling victim to blinkered thinking regarding the matter. Little by little, renowned historians and writers are trying to convince the country that there is a lot to be gained from unveiling a dark page of their history that occurred just before the birth of the Republic. The initiative of French members of Parliament bothers them, in so far as the risk is being run that consideration be replaced by emotion rather than reason." (20/10/2006)

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The paper's Czech correspondent Karl-Peter Schwarz analyses the rise of populism in Central and Eastern Europe. "The rise of the populists and their failure to fulfil their campaign pledges have the same root cause: governments must respond to the demands of the single market and the pressures of globalisation, and this pressure is bringing populists into power. It is not only the new EU members that are facing this problem. In virtually every EU state there is a deep rift between voters. It polarises entire societies, as in Italy, or hinders the building of a majority with a sufficiently coherent programme, as is the case in Germany and Austria. This in turn leads to the formation of grand coalitions that have only limited ability to find solutions... Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia are not post-communist exceptions to the rule. They are battling with the same problems of political stagnation that plague the EU as a whole." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Demographics, » Central Europe, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Karl-Peter Schwarz

The issue of how the Catholic Church should deal with its past during the communist era and the spying activities of some of its priests is currently the subject of heated debate in Poland. Cardinal Jozef Glemp, the Primas of Poland, has now banned Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, a Cracow priest, from continuing his research into the collaboration between members of the Polish clergy and Poland's former security service. Glemp has now commissioned an expert panel of historians to deal with the task. According to Jan Zaryn of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, which is responsible for the prosecution of communist crimes, the Church misjudged the situation. "Not only historians but also victims are researching the documentary material. The victims proceed less predictably than the historians, but no less legally. They should have set up a commission of historians one or two years ago. Then the commission would have been able to examine the documents in peace. Now there's pressure from the media and from Father Isakowicz-Zaleski. They want names to be published as soon as possible." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » History, » Weltanschauung, » Poland

Pat Brosnan compares two different attitudes to political corruption within European governments. "The public opinion poll published last week showing that Fianna Fáil [Ireland's governing party] had increased its popularity in the wake of all the revelations about Bertie Ahern's generous friends reflects the nod-and-wink double standard that afflicts this country. ... If you wanted a contrast in standards, the place to look this week was Sweden. Over there, the government was just about a month in power when it was faced with a double whammy — two ministers resigned over tax avoidance. ... Like here, Sweden has a coalition government but, unlike here, government ministers there resign when circumstances or personal behaviour demand it.... What's more, I doubt if Mr Reinfeldt [Swedish Prime minister] or his party will get an 8% boost in the popularity ratings in the next opinion poll, even if the government is not expected to fall." (20/10/2006)

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"Politics is like sport. When you win, you get to go see the King. So, after Kim and Tia Hellebaut [Two Belgian athletes], Patrick Janssens [Socialist mayor in Antwerp] will pay a visit to the royal palace for a tête-à-tête with His Majesty Albert II", notes Luc Van der Kelen. "In fact, the King and Janssens have in common their struggle against Vlaams Belang [far-right party]. For the King, this party represents a double threat. Firstly against the unity of the country and the functioning of our democratic system, but also against the constitutional monarchy. ... By inviting Patrick Janssens, the King is sending a message to Vlaams Belang following their attack on the weak points of the monarchy. ... Its leader Filip Dewinter has emerged victorious from elections in Antwerp twelve times. On October 8th Antwerp reacted. 'The Empire struck back', that calls for a little drink at the palace!" (19/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Belgium

On Thursday, October 19th, the Portuguese parliament gave the go-ahead to the organisation of a referendum on the legalisation of abortion. Antonio Jose Texeira, Chief Editor of the daily, is concerned about the radicalisation of debates before the vote which is due to take place in January if the Portuguese president, Anibal Cavacao Silva approves its organisation. "What we have seen these past weeks gives us little hope for either a big turn-out or a serene debate. The stubbornness of those who want to transform this choice into a duel between savagery and humanity indicates insensitivity facing the drama of consciences. The situation is not divided between life worshippers on one side and death worshippers on the other. Many political, social and religious forces are going to want to radicalise the campaign. Unfortunately it would seem that the already manifest hysteria may well deter voters." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Social movements, » Health and Medicine, » Weltanschauung, » Portugal
All available articles from » Antonio José Teixeira

"After last autumn's crisis, the flames of the suburbs are no longer lighting up television screens. The routine car burning goes on, but in the dark", points out Gerard Dupuy, a year after riots broke out in French suburbs. "We have allowed pockets of cumulative handicap, poverty, failure and delinquency to come grow. ... A few months away from the double election of next spring, there is doubtless no subject more serious or more urgent than that of the suburbs. Approaching it from a security angle, renewed in some recent raids staged in the early hours of the morning [by the police force] with cameras and robocops is suicidal, whatever the electoral consequences may be. Not only does it address the consequences rather than the causes, it exacerbates the latter in so doing." (20/10/2006)

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Heribert Seifert reports on how London's Daily Telegraph newspaper is "reinventing" itself, at the expense of 133 jobs. "The copy-deadline has been replaced by several 'touchpoints' spread over the day where readers can call up information in their preferred format... This gives the 'Daily Telegraph' a major advantage over competitors like the 'Guardian' who already have a regularly updated PDF online edition ('guardian g24'). This move is intended to bridge the gap between print and online editions. Journalists produce content that is distributed into different media containers around the clock... Editors and reporters no longer write and edit exclusively for print and online editions but also produce audio and video reports which they edit themselves." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Audiovisual Media, » Print media, » Online media, » United Kingdom
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For his film 'Bamako', the Mauritanian film-maker Abderrahmane Sissako imagines a trial between Africa and the international money lenders. He explains in an interview with Dominique Widemann why Europeans should change their perspective on illegal immigration. "I would like the film to overcome ignorance. The EU response strikes me as paradoxical with the building of barriers that will never suffice. Men and women risk their lives embarking on pirogues that will float for endless days and nights between big ships. They end up stranded in the fishiest waters, amid the indifference of Europe, by the Spanish coast. Anyone who has enough to eat does not leave like that, simply because some lights are twinkling somewhere in the distance." (18/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Migration, » Africa, » Europe

The federal constitutional court refused on thursday, october 19th to allow more fundings to the German capital, which is excessively in debt. Christian Ultsch agrees with this decision. "The constitutional judge's justification for the decision was rather unusual for the legal profession, but still appropriate considering the issue in hand. Pointing out that 'Berlin is sexy because it's not that poor," the guardian of the German constitution dismissed the case brought by the city, which has debts of over 60 billion euros. Berlin could certainly do with a financial boost, but Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit's cunning plan to milk the state just like in the good old days hasn't worked this time – and that's the way it should be. Berlin is no longer a divided city and doesn't need to be propped up with state funding... It will have to learn to stand on its own two feet and distribute its resources a little more effectively. Is this a bad thing? Not really, because to be really sexy, you shouldn't have too much money." (20/10/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » Germany
All available articles from » Christian Ultsch