Adam Cerny comments cautiously on the hard won Schengen zone compromise for open borders with the EU: "The debate was a lesson on how to instrumentalise technical problems for political purposes. You cannot deny that there were problems with the central computer that handles data from all member countries. At the same time you cannot deny that these problems can be overcome, given political will. Why then was it so difficult for old and new EU members to find a compromise? Because the removal of border controls has symbolic value. Only when Czechs, Poles and Slovakians can visit Germany whenever they like, will they know they are no longer second-class EU-citizens." (06/12/2006)

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"It is dishonest to accuse the old EU states of having led the others around by the nose regarding open borders inside Europe," comments Daniela Balazova. She notes that Slovakia, according to evaluation reports, still has a long way to go in protecting its border with Ukraine. "Of course, the old EU countries, that is, Germany and Austria, would have preferred that border controls remain in effect through 2009. After all, both countries already have to open their job markets to eastern Europeans. But if Slovakia wants to be taken seriously in those countries, it has to solve its own problems as quickly as possible." (06/12/2006)

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Hungary may be a small country, but it has a long EU external border. The newspaper is pleased that the Schengen zone will be enlarged, but it notes that the information-gathering system has shown weaknesses which the EU has dealt with only hesitantly. "Travellers often complain about the strict security measures in USA airports and ports. But one only has to think of September 11, 2001, to see the results of insufficient security and entry requirements. ... Aside from such looming catastrophes, danger is also posed from smuggling and petty criminality. It should even have been possible to prevent the transport of radioactive polonium 210... We are glad that - in the name of generosity - the decision has been finally taken to stop treating Hungary as a second-class EU member. But it would be even better if we in Europe were not at risk for reasons of technical deficiency." (05/12/2006)

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Latvia is debating how to handle its classified Soviet-era files. Some fear a new witch hunt. Others counter that the really hot material is in Moscow. Journalist Zanda Arnicane pleads for moderation. "No nation has a future without first accepting its past. Unhappiness with yourself hinders development... The debate about releasing these files is basically about contradictory evaluations of the Soviet period. But the mountain of files will hardly help us move forward. And what to do with those exposed agents? Should we despise them as damaging and dangerous elements and cut them off from society? Some think people could have avoided joining the party, or avoided taking part in mass actions. But what happened to all those thousands who bowed to pressure and joined the party in hopes of a better quality of life? How are the Soviet-era careerists any different from those of today?" (06/12/2006)

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Fred Halliday, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics considers that underneath debates surrounding the Papal visit to Turkey is "the acceptance and use by the world as a whole of another extraordinary imposture: namely that a collection of buildings in the centre of Rome, ruled by a gaggle of archaic and secretive clergy, and which in its daily workings corresponds in no way to any principles of democratic, gender-equal or transparent practice, which has no concept of accountability or freedom of speech, should be allowed to have the influence it has - should, indeed, be allowed to exist at all. In recent years, under Ratzinger, and for years under his predecessor Karol Wojtyla, this overrated medieval entity has been allowed to play a role in formulating UN policy on matters of major import." (06/12/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global

José Manuel Sanchez Ron, professor of the History of Science at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), criticises the international community's irresponsible attitude to the struggle against global warming. "There is no crime worse than depriving future generations, who in principle have lives ahead of them, of their own biographies. … When I see in those press photos of icebergs that have disappeared in a ridiculously short time,... I feel a virtually unbearable pain, not for myself, but for our descendants. In fact I suffer even more because of the criminal and undignified behaviour I take part in. I will be remembered as a member of this global tribe of assassins. The future's assassins". (06/12/2006)

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The three members of the "Weimar Triangle" - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Jacques Chirac and Polish President Lech Kaczynski - met yesterday in Saarland. Many observers stress the lack of concrete results: The leaders' views on Turkey's eventual EU accession continue to diverge. But Piotr Buras from the Centre for International Relations has a different take: "It is good that the 'Weimar Triangle' finally met. This is another sign of the easing of conflicts and emotions that have recently marked German-Polish relations. For Poles, the 'Weimar Triangle' is a great opportunity to meet the leaders of the most important and powerful EU states, and put our viewpoint on the table. Other members of the Union, such as Spain, do not have such opportunities. The fact that the Polish President has invited the others to hold their next meeting in Poland is a good sign for the future." (06/12/2006)

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On December 4th, the Dutch Defence Minister Henk Kemp awarded medals to the soldiers of the 'Dutchbat III', the battalion of UN peacekeepers responsible for the protection of Srebrenica at the time of the enclave's fall in 1995. The Bosnian government and the families of the 8000 victims massacred have protested passionately against this. "It should be recalled, to avoid any misunderstanding, that the victims were killed by Serbian soldiers. They were and remain the principal guilty actors in this war crime, the General Mladic in particular, still cavorting along with his political protector Karadzic", notes the daily in its editorial. "The frustration among the Dutch soldiers is understandable. Most of them, as Kemp has explained, tried to act conscientiously and carry out their orders in the best possible way. But the fact that they were the collateral victims of a force far beyond them is not proof of any exceptional service and does not deserve any award. The incomprehension of the real victims is truly understandable." (06/12/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Netherlands

Finland marks its independence day on December 6. Björn Mansson asks why the parliament in Helsinki has chosen the eve to turn Finland into the 16th state to ratify the EU constitution. Can you celebrate independence and at the same time voluntarily limit your sovereignty? "In today's world, sovereignty of all countries and peoples is limited. Never before has the dependency of other lands been so great, economically and otherwise. Huge global challenges, like environmental protection, demand global answers. So the question is how to accomplish this. The best tool is a set of rules within a clear democratic framework. The proposed constitution has its weaknesses. But Finland believes it would succeed in regulating relations between members, and that the smaller countries would get a better hearing than before." (06/12/2006)

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"For the first time since the second world war a trade union branch consisting entirely of migrant workers has been formed in Britain", notes the journalist Duncan Campbell concerning the 200.000 registered Poles in Britain. "The creation of Polish branches in Southampton and Glasgow, with others to be launched across the country in the next few weeks, could have a profound and revitalising effect on the union movement in Britain and help to break down the barriers between the new arrivals and those who have voiced suspicions that they are being used mainly to undercut the existing workforce. ... It is not hard to see why some Polish workers might be examining the new Polish-language sections of union websites as they compare their payslips to those of British colleagues. Once the exhilaration of earning five times the average wage in Poland has abated, many of them realise that the cost of living here eats up most of their pay packet." (06/12/2006)

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The Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic insists in an interview conducted by Philippe Regnier on the necessity of making a distinction between the controversial question of Turkish EU accession and the pursuit of the European enlargement process in the Balkans. "This should not be an obstacle to Croatia's accession. We belong to different regions and the standards we have adopted are different. Croatia is a part of the European puzzle, but it is a little piece of the puzzle. Turkey, however, is big and a big part of the country is not situated on the European continent. None of Turkey's neighbours has European ambitions, whereas all of our neighbours are either members of the EU or hoping to become members." (06/12/2006)

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Joaquin Almunia, European commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, considered on Tuesday, December 5th, that Cyprus is on the 'forefront' of country candidates for the Euro. And even if it does not yet fulfil all of the required criteria, the island hopes to join the euro zone in 2008. For the daily, Alumnia's declaration represents "a new step towards Europe, delighting Cypriots. The only damper is for foreign investors who had found in the island a real European tax haven, notably offshore companies that had implanted themselves in the country for several years. A stop-off between the Middle East and Europe, the island is reputed for its most attractive tax regime. Yet it is going to become a European country like any other. ... Cyprus has one year to tune into the European monetary system." (06/12/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Trade, » Consumers, » Tax Policy, » Cyprus

"Europe is falling behind in matters of research development (R & D)", notes the daily's editorial referring to the OECD predictions delivered to the public on Monday, December 4th. "The catching up of the EU's lag was on the Lisbon Agenda to turn the Union into the 'the most competitive and dynamic knowledge economy in the world before 2010'. But nothing has been done since. ... How to find financing that would finally take the R& D from 2% to 3% of the European GDP? Increase the European budget? All of the countries refuse to do so. Take this spending away from the Maastricht Pact as some are proposing in France? The other countries refuse this. Take away from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which continues to absorb 40% of the community budget while the research budget is only 6%? It is France that refuses that the PAC be touched. Technological and innovative Europe is going round in circles, stuck, while the others are accelerating." (06/12/2006)

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Nándor Pilcz celebrates Serbian civil courage after the Film Festival in Belgrade screened "Summer Palace" by Chinese director Lou Ye. The Chinese Embassy apparently had persuaded the Serbian Cultural Ministry to drop the film. But after protest, the film was reinstated in the programme. "Belgrade artists declared that not even Tito interfered with the programming of film festivals... The Serbian press held the Chinese Embassy responsible for trying to prevent the spread of uncensored film of the 1989 massacre on Tienanmen Square. Even higher circles of the Serbian government expressed regrets about the ban, though everyone in Serbia knows the government is hoping for a Chinese veto against Kosovan independence in the UN Security Council... The government is now very proud of Belgrade as a stronghold of artistic freedom. But no one from the government showed up for the screening of 'Summer Palace.'" (06/12/2006)

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The Italian writer Alessandro Baricco has rewritten a comic and modern version of Mozart's 'Enchanted Flute' recitatives that date back to the end of the 18th century. This new version, which will be presented in Turin next December 12th, is already much talked about in the press. The journalist and writer Vittorio Sabadini considers that Baricco has taken a very big risk. "As always, it will be up to the public to decide, no judgement can be mad before seeing the show. But the version of Mozart's Magic Flute that is going to be presented in Turin cannot avoid stirring up gossip and slander. The author should be more present in order to explain situations that are unclear and, it has to be said, leave people a little perplexed. It could not be otherwise in view of the novelty introduced by Baricco, who is well aware of the risk taken by whoever seeks to innovate in operas considered by the public to be sacred and inviolable". (06/12/2006)

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Poland is gripped with a sex scandal involving Vice President and Agriculture Minister Andrzej Lepper. Former female colleagues have accused him of granting jobs in his Samoobrona party only in return for sexual favours. The media speculate on the fall of the Kaczynski government. "The way a population reacts to sex in high places says a lot about the country in question," concludes French philosopher Guy Sorman. "This reaction is the measure of whether a country is Christian and democratic. For France, the answer to both questions is 'No.' Socialist President Mitterrand had two wives; for years he supported several lovers with state funds; and had an illegitimate child. He made no secret of it and even so there was no moral indignation and no huge scandal... We have presidential elections but we actually elect a king. The people of France think that a president commands the same privileges as a monarch. And any child knows that includes the rights to have lovers." (06/12/2006)

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All available articles from » Guy Sorman